There are many stories about the women and children of Subiaco contained outside the pages of the early newspapers of the colony found on Trove. These stories are contained in books such as Ken Spillman's 'Tales of a singular city. Subiaco since the 1970's' and told by women themselves in oral histories available in the local libraries and Western Australian State Library. Other resources such as the Western Australian State Government inherit database that provides information about state heritage registered buildings like the one occupied by Winifred Ann Vincent and contain stories of the residences and their owners and tenants.
Winifred Ann Vincent ran lodging houses in Nicholson Road and Bagot Road, Subiaco and is one of the many stories about women told by Ken Spillman. "Vincent's unkempt lodging houses in Bagot Road, Subiaco caused chronic headaches for authorities - the Subiaco City Council's health department, in particular. Her long - running battle with council made her one of Subiaco's most recognisable identities. Some perceived her as warm-hearted old battler, other saw her an irascible and manipulative battle axe. The press called her 'Winnie'. Her lodgers just called her 'Mum'... Winnie often expressed her sympathy for those in society who - by reason of poverty, physical disability, mental health status or discrimination - were condemned to exist 'outsiders'..." (Spillman, 2006, p.53).
In 1971 Winifred Ann Vincent applied to the Subiaco City Council to construct a nine bedroom lodged at 280 Bagot Road, Subiaco. In 1972, the Subiaco City Council approved her application to register the residence as a lodging house. The residence was completed the following year (Spillman, 2006, p. 54) Winnie had been operating a boarding house at 75 Nicholson Road as early as the 1950's. Following the success of property at 280 Bagot Road to get registered as a lodging house she then applied to have the property registered. "When a Subiaco City Council inspector visited the Nicholson Road premises, however he was far from impressed, and Vincent's application was refused because the house was 'too dilapidated'. She was directed to cease using the property as the boarding house by May 1972 - an order she complied with, apparently by moving residents to Bagot Road..." (Spillman, 2006, p. 54).
Spillman (2006, p. 54) describes how Vincent began taking in lodgers at her own property at 284 Bagot Road during the 1950's. The majority of Winnie's lodgers were invalid pensioners. "Some had previously been homeless, and were directed to lodging houses by volunteers at soup kitchens or - informally by social workers, mental health professionals, or hospital staff. Some were people evicted from accommodation elsewhere. Vincent attempted to collect a small amount of board from each and denied the allegations of outsiders that she did this by cashing the lodgers' Social Security cheques...
Vincent's lodgers were free to come and go as they pleased, and were allowed pets. Some lodgers carried out work around the Bagot Road houses in exchange for board concessions, but the properties were minimally maintained and irregularly cleaned. The houses were furnished with second-hand items considered of little market value. Meals were prepared by Vincent and sometimes by lodgers, using food down from the Vincent farms or exchanged for farm produce. One task, usually performed by a lodger was to drive a utility around the bakeries and markets to collect unsaleable bread..."
By 1973 the registration of the newly built residence at 280 Bagot were declared 'unfit for human habitation'... "Orders for works and improvements were not adequately complied with, and the council became increasingly concerned about Vincent's operations. The City of Subiaco initiated legal action against Winnie Vincent for breaches of the Health Act and held over a decision to grant her licence for the premises... They did not object to the to premises being registered as a lodging house 'provided the lodging house keeper is capable of maintaining the premises...The Subiaco City Council continued to defer the registration of 280 Bagot Road and the approval for Vincent to operate 284 and 286 Bagot Road..." (Spillman, 2006, p.55).
Spillman (2006, p.58) continues "On 28 February 1978, the Subiaco City Council resolved simply 'that the application for a Boarding Houses Licence be denied'...a full meeting of council resolved on 29 March, 1978 to prosecute Winnie Vincent for 'each occasion that she is found to be using the premises as a Lodging House'. It ordered her to 'cease forthwith' conducting the premises for this purpose...".
This decision to refuse Winnie Vincent a licence and to prosecute her for continuing to operate the Bagot Road boarding houses appears to have led to a groundswell of support for Winnie, as well for those she housed...By the end of September 1978, there were twenty-seven adults and five children living in her three Bagot Road houses. In that month she was convicted in the Court of Petty Sessions for keeping a a boarding house without a licence and was find $300 plus $146 costs...Winnie Vincent appealed her conviction - unsuccessfully - and the Subiaco City Council continued to prosecute her for breaches of the Health Act...By 1979, Vincent had twenty-two convictions and disqualified from running a boarding house for three years..."(Spillman, 2006, p.59-60).
"By 1980, the Subiaco City Council granted a certificate of registration for the lodging houses at 280, 284 and 286 Bagot Road to Clarence Stanley Vincent, Winnie's husband after there had been considerable improvements in cleanliness and hygiene to a reasonable condition... By December 1980 the Subiaco City Council had decided not to renew that licence and the boarders at these residents were offered alternative accommodation. In 1981 the buildings were declared once again unfit for habitation and all persons including Winnie and Clarrie Vincent were required to vacate the premises...however the Vincents were still occupying the residences and the Subiaco City Council continued legal proceedings against them..." . The Vincents appealed while continuing to occupy the residents (Spillman, 2006, p.64) .
During this time the Vincents sold the property at 280 Bagot road to a developer and approval was given to build townhouses. The legal wrangle between Winnie and the Subiaco City Council continued over their other two properties at 284 and 286 Bagot Road. They were continually deemed unsuitable for habitation. During this time Clarrie Vincent died and Winnie decided to leave Subiaco taking her remaining lodgers with her. The residences at 286 Bagot Road and 284 Bagot Road or Jibberding Lodge were placed on the market and sold. The lodgers were offered alternative accommodation.
Spillman (2006) concludes "In 1995, the City of Subiaco released a 'Municipal Heritage Inventory' identifying 284 Bagot Road as a place of significance due to its aesthetic, historical and social value, noting 'it's association as a community facilities.' The history theme of what the place was 'What people did together as a community' and the sub-them was 'Community services and utilities'. Winnie Vincent might be proud."
From Ken Spillman's 'Tales of a singular city. Subiaco since the 1970's' (2006) No copyright infringement intended.
A photograph of Winnie Vincent at Jibberding Lodge, Bagot Road, Subiaco from the Post Newspaper. The photograph is published in Ken Spillman's 'Tales of a singular city. Subiaco since the 1970's) No copyright infringement intended.
From the Inherit heritage data bases...about 'Totterdell Hall' at 284 Bagot Road, Subiaco including a brief reference to Winifred Vincent.
"The documentary evidence suggests that 284 Bagot Road was constructed in c.1918 for the owner, Hannah (known as Anna) Lay (the proprietor of a nearby confectionary store), and her husband, Walter (a builder). It was initially occupied by short-term tenants, before the Lay family moved into the house in c.1920. Walter and Anna continued to live here until c.1949, although by 1934 the house had been subdivided into two residences, with 284a being occupied for about seven years by their daughter Melba and her husband David Bruce. Despite their long occupation of a relatively large house in the centre of Subiaco, there were few references to the Lay family in the local papers, indicating that they did not take a prominent role in local social events or politics.
In 1952, 284 Bagot Road was sold to a Subiaco business owner and baker, Constantine Kalafatas, and his wife, Maria. Following Constantine’s retirement they resided at 284a until their deaths in 1964 and 1957 respectively, after which the property was transferred to the ownership of their daughter, Evangelia.
It was next sold in 1968 to a Mrs Winifred Vincent and entered into a colourful period of its history, being operated as an unregistered boarding house for “drunks and all manner of lost causes”. By the time it was next sold, in 1983, the place had been declared unfit for human habitation and was at risk of demolition.
In c.1987, major renovations and extensions were undertaken by the new owner, Peter Radosevich, and it was at this time that the place was renamed Totterdell Hall (which appears to have been based on a mistaken belief that the Totterdell family, who were prominent builders and community members, were amongst the original owners). It was at this time that the front stair was removed and a battlemented tower constructed “to make the entrance more grand”.
A photograph of Totterdell Hall at 280 Bagot Road, Subiaco from Google Maps. No copyright infringement intended.
A photograph of Winnie Vincent at Jibberding Lodge, Bagot Road, Subiaco from the Post Newspaper. The photograph is published in Ken Spillman's 'Tales of a singular city. Subiaco since the 1970's) No copyright infringement intended.
From the Inherit heritage data bases...about 'Totterdell Hall' at 284 Bagot Road, Subiaco including a brief reference to Winifred Vincent.
"The documentary evidence suggests that 284 Bagot Road was constructed in c.1918 for the owner, Hannah (known as Anna) Lay (the proprietor of a nearby confectionary store), and her husband, Walter (a builder). It was initially occupied by short-term tenants, before the Lay family moved into the house in c.1920. Walter and Anna continued to live here until c.1949, although by 1934 the house had been subdivided into two residences, with 284a being occupied for about seven years by their daughter Melba and her husband David Bruce. Despite their long occupation of a relatively large house in the centre of Subiaco, there were few references to the Lay family in the local papers, indicating that they did not take a prominent role in local social events or politics.
In 1952, 284 Bagot Road was sold to a Subiaco business owner and baker, Constantine Kalafatas, and his wife, Maria. Following Constantine’s retirement they resided at 284a until their deaths in 1964 and 1957 respectively, after which the property was transferred to the ownership of their daughter, Evangelia.
It was next sold in 1968 to a Mrs Winifred Vincent and entered into a colourful period of its history, being operated as an unregistered boarding house for “drunks and all manner of lost causes”. By the time it was next sold, in 1983, the place had been declared unfit for human habitation and was at risk of demolition.
In c.1987, major renovations and extensions were undertaken by the new owner, Peter Radosevich, and it was at this time that the place was renamed Totterdell Hall (which appears to have been based on a mistaken belief that the Totterdell family, who were prominent builders and community members, were amongst the original owners). It was at this time that the front stair was removed and a battlemented tower constructed “to make the entrance more grand”.
A photograph of Totterdell Hall at 280 Bagot Road, Subiaco from Google Maps. No copyright infringement intended.
