Baker's Terrace houses (Northbridge) given heritage listing

10/4/96

The longest row of terrace housing in Western Australia - Baker's Terrace in Northbridge - has been identified as an important place of heritage by the State Government.

Heritage Minister Richard Lewis said the row of 15 double-storey brick and iron terrace houses in Lake Street had been placed on the interim register of heritage places.

Mr Lewis said the terrace houses were built in 1897 during WA's gold boom.

"Baker's Terrace is a landmark in Lake Street and the surrounding area because of its imposing scale, classical detailing and lace-like facade," he said.

"In May 1895 the Colonial Finance Corporation became the sole owner of a large part of Northbridge with the intention of building a housing estate.

"The 75 houses on the estate were well constructed and their annual rateable value was high.

"Baker's Terrace was part of this estate, but was more gracious and more expensive than the semi-detached workers' cottages in the streets behind Lake Street.

"They were built for the managerial class who had made money out of the gold boom.

"Colonial Finance Corporation's ownership of Baker's Terrace ended in 1921 when it was sold to Hyan Hester.

"The original, affluent occupants of Baker's Terrace had moved out of the inner-city terraces in favour of more spacious, detached suburban housing."

Mr Lewis said Baker's Terrace remained in single ownership until the early 1960s, when they were sold to individual owners.

"This period saw the arrival of many post-War immigrants, for whom unfashionable inexpensive inner-city living was an attractive option," he said.

"In the late 1970s the pattern of ownership began to reverse again with inner-city areas being upgraded and restored as young affluent professionals moved in."

Baker's Terrace features red, tuck-pointed brickwork with medium pitched gable roofs clad in corrugated galvanised iron.

The Federation Filigree style, which included the Victorian fashion of cast iron balustrades and brackets, was at the time losing favour in Melbourne and Sydney.

Mr Lewis said most of the houses had been renovated and maintained by individual owners, and retained a high degree of integrity and authenticity.

Media contact:  Bronwyn Hillman 222 9595, 221 1377