Twentyfirst Street 2
| Place type: | Building |
|---|---|
| Address: | 2 Twentyfirst Street |
| Town or Locality: | Gawler South |
DESCRIPTION:
This quality single-storey, double-fronted symmetrical cottage is constructed of dressed sandstone with overpainted brick quoins and dressings with a high level of detail. The hipped roof is clad with corrugated metal and features red brick chimneys with corbelled caps. Windows are timber-framed, double-hung sashes to either side of the central door. The concave verandah is clad with corrugated metal and supported on square timber posts with cast-iron feet and lace corner brackets. A non-original aluminium fence defines the front boundary.
STATEMENT OF HERITAGE VALUE:
The cottage at 2 Twentyfirst Street, Gawler South, demonstrates the marked increase in quality residential development in the immediate area being bolstered by Gawler’s prosperity and attracted by the establishment of local industry nearby, specifically the nearby business, Gilbert’s Chaff Mill and May Brothers Foundary & Engineering. The late-Victorian era residence displays distinctive local materials and typology.
BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
The site comprises Allotment 80 of portion of Section 3246 laid out as portion of Bassett. Twentyfirst street was previously known as Elizabeth Street.
The township of Bassett was laid out by surveyor George Warren on land owned by Mr William Bassett jnr, part of Allotment 8, of 76 acres, originally granted to James Fotheringham as part of the Gawler Special Survey, of which 15 acres purchased from John McCallum.
William Bassett snr arrived in Gawler with his wife and two surviving children (one son having died at sea) in March 1845. The family occupied the only house at the time between Gawler and the Little Para and grew barley on the land later to become Bassett Town. William Bassett was the oldest of four surviving sons and a daughter. He later owned the Engine and Driver Hotel.
The railway link to Adelaide was completed and opened for passenger traffic on 5 October 1857. Soon after, on 2 November 1857, the initial sale of blocks was held on the grounds, with a special train put on to convey prospective buyers from Adelaide and a champagne lunch provided in the marquee.
Plan originally comprised land bounded by Station Terrace (26th Street) on the eastern side of the station, Blanch Street (18th Street), Elizabeth Street (21 st Street) and William Streets (Adelaide Road), a total of 71 building blocks in all. It was extended southwards to include Coulls Street (23rd Street), Ann Street (22nd Street), Cherry Street (25th Street) and 24th Street, comprising an additional 48 blocks.
The allotment was purchased by William Roe Lewis (solicitor and notary public) in February 1912. W.R. Lewis became a Freemason in 1876 and was re-elected as Auditor of Gawler Council in 1898. He was Treasurer and Chairman of Trustees of St George’s Church as well as a Synodsman in 1 916. The property was then transferred to Albert Barratt (engineman) in May 1913 and several months later to Frederick Rusby (boilermaker) in October 1913. In September 1918 the property was transferred to Henry Green (carpenter) and decades later to Leonard Roediger (labourer) in October 1939.
Close to the allotment, to the north, was May Brothers foundry & engineering works. Established in 1885 by Frederick May and Alfred May, May Brothers ultimately occupied Lots 8 – 14 in Eighteenth Street, Lots 19 & 20 (Nineteenth Street) and Lots 11 & 12 in Twenty-third street as their showroom. Growing to a business employing some 300 employees, the business wound up in 1924.
Also nearby, to the west adjacent to the railway, was W.Gilbert and Company’s chaff cutting business, established in the early 1880’s, it utilised a ten horse-power engine and employed approximately eighteen men in 1880.
The date of construction of the dwelling is unknown, likely during the late 1880’s
Please <click here> to view photos of 2 Twentyfirst Street.
Acknowledgments
This report has been prepared by the following people:
• Nancy Cromar (Flightpath Architects)
• Deborah Morgan (Flightpath Architects)
• Kate Paterson (Flightpath Architects)
• Douglas Alexander (Flightpath Architects)
The study team would like to acknowledge the assistance of the following people:
• David Petruzzella (Strategic Planner; Town of Gawler)
• Jacinta Weiss (Cultural Heritage Centre Coordinator; Town of Gawler)
• Jane Strange (Senior Development and Strategic Policy Officer; Town of Gawler)
Gawler History Team Inc. thanks:
Flightpath Architects, Ryan Viney and the Town of Gawler for allowing us access to this important document of Gawler History.
www.flightpatharchitects.com.au
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