Old House Stories From Subiaco...(1909).
One of the wonderful activities to do Subiaco on a drop, dead gorgeous Spring day is to walk around the streets of Subiaco. Many of the buildings (including houses) in the streets are heritage listed on the Western Australian State Government inherit heritage database (http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au).
The inherit heritage database provides a 'Statement of Significance', 'Physical Description', 'History' and 'Integrity and Authenticity'. Local councils such as the City of Subiaco contribute to the database. Many of histories of the land bought and sold and the houses built were done by women, both single and married from the early years.
One of those houses is 129 Coghlan Road, Subiaco. In 1898 Annie Maria Ball of Subiaco (a married woman) bought the property and built the house that now stands on the land. The house remained in her ownership until her death in 1937.
In 1909 the house was available for rent. Two midwifery nurses Alice Morlock and Wilhelmina Whitshire applied to Subiaco Local Board of Health for Registration as a private hospital to be used solely for midwifery cases. "...After a brief discussion the licence was again approved and family notices for the birth of children at Nurse Morlock's, “Hawkesbury”, began to appear in December... Hawkesbury was one of the first two dedicated maternity homes opened in Subiaco, together with Nurse Lloyd’s “Hawaii” which operated at 23 Coolgardie Street in 1909-1936 (with other local lying-in facilities of that era typically offering a room in a private family residence)..." . The house continued to operate a maternity hospital until 1915 (inherit database).
In 1916 Thomas and Annie Ball returned to live in the house. Annie Ball remained in the house until her death in 1937. The house was then transferred to her daughter. "...Following Annie’s death in 1937 the house was transferred into the ownership of her daughter Maud, but it continued to be the family home for all three siblings for the rest of their lives, together with Thomas’s wife, Ella, and Ruby’s husband, Norman. Beatrice Ball and Ruby Logie both died in 1977, ending the long association between the Ball family and 129 Coghlan Road..."(inherit database)
From the inherit state heritage webpage. No copyright infringement intended.
In 1898, Lot 1 of DP 1601 was sold to “Annie Maria Ball of Subiaco, Married Woman”. The property then remained in her ownership until the time of her death in March 1937, which confirms that the Ball family were responsible for the construction of the house that forms the subject of this report. It can be assumed that Annie Maria Ball also purchased the adjacent Lot 9 of Deposited Plan 1173, as these lots later created what is now known as 129 Coghlan Road (although the house was largely located on Lot 1).
The Post Office Directories listed Annie’s husband, Thomas William Ball, as resident of Proclamation Street, Subiaco, by 1897 and he was identified as a ‘carpenter’ of that address in the Electoral Rolls of 1903 & 1906. In 1910 he was listed in the Post Office Directory under the category Builders & Contractors, with premises at 21 Proclamation Street, Subiaco (since demolished). It is therefore reasonable to assume that Ball was responsible for the construction of 129 Coghlan Road and that it was initially used as an investment property before becoming the Ball’s family home.
There were no listings for 129 Coghlan Road in the Post Office Directories of 1908-1911. However, in September 1908, a mortgage was secured over the property for the sum of £756, which suggests that some development had been undertaken by that time. An architectural plan held in the City of Subiaco Museum Collection includes a pencil note: “Started Sept 17/’08”, and a stamp from what appears to be the Metropolitan Water Board, which is dated 14 September 1908. The title of the drawing is “Proposed Villa Residence Coglan (sic) Road, Subiaco, for Mrs Ball”. The only other name on the drawing is a small pencil note “Withman”, but no references have been found for an architect by this name.
This drawing shows the exterior of the place much as it is today, although the proposed balustrade (shown as a timber lattice), the northern elevation of the entry vestibule and the detailing of the front windows were altered as part of the construction. The drawing also indicates that the roof was designed as an open terrace, accessed by the main staircase (although the rooftop entrance is not apparent on the 1948 aerial photograph of Subiaco).
The house may have been finished off at the end of that year when the following advertisement was placed (although it cannot be confirmed that this was for the same property):
PLASTERERS Labourer wanted. Apply R Bartlett, Ball's job, Coghlan-rd Subiaco.
The house had certainly been completed and rented out by mid-September 1909, when the following advertisement was placed:
NOTICE is hereby given that we, ALICE MORLOCK and WILHELMINA WILTSHIRE, Midwifery Nurses, of "Hawkesbury," Coghlan-rd., SUBIACO, intend to APPLY to the SUBIACO LOCAL BOARD of HEALTH for REGISTRATION as PRIVATE HOSPITAL of those premises situated at Coghlan-rd. Persons desiring fuller information can obtain same on application at the Council Office, Subiaco. ALICE MORLOCK. WILHELMINA WILTSHIRE. September 17, 1909. N.B. The premises to be used solely for Midwifery cases.
The proposal was initially approved by the Subiaco Council, but at the end of September Cr. Solomon presented a petition signed by 40 ratepayers protesting against the proposal on the grounds that the by-laws had not been complied with. The matter was deferred and when the Council considered a new application in mid-October, Cr. Solomon’s only objection was that:
… the establishing of a maternity home in one of the best residential portions of the suburb was likely to depreciate the value of property.
After “a brief discussion” the licence was again approved and family notices for the birth of children at Nurse Morlock's, “Hawkesbury”, began to appear in December.
The use of the premises for this purpose reflects a landmark change in the period 1907-1911, which saw the transition of private maternity services from an unregulatedcottage industry to a government-managed profession under legislation that required any commercially operated lying-in home to be licenced (State Children’s Act, 1907) and midwives to be suitably trained and licenced (Health Act, 1911). Hawkesbury was one of the first two dedicated maternity homes opened in Subiaco, together with Nurse Lloyd’s “Hawaii” which operated at 23 Coolgardie Street in 1909-1936 (with other local lying-in facilities of that era typically offering a room in a private family residence).
By April 1910 management of the premises had been taken over by Nurse Frances Hodges and towards the end of that year by Nurse Mary Mildred O’Brien:
MISS M. M. O'BRIEN, Certificated Nurse (Member of A.T.N.A. and I.T.N.A.), has Superior Accommodation at her Private Maternity Hospital, 'Clareen,' Coghlan-road, Subiaco, near King's Park, Perth. Moderate terms, Tel. 673 (Dec 1910)
The private maternity home then continued to operate until 1915, with the last family notices being placed in April of that year:
BATES.—On April 12, at Nurse O'Brien's Private Hospital, Clareen, Coghlan-road, Subiaco, to Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Bates, of 62 Robinson-Street, North Perth — a daughter.
In May 1915 the contents of the house were offered for sale and Mary O’Brien was subsequently listed in the Electoral Rolls as an orchardist of St Anne’s, Kelmscott.
In the Electoral Roll of 1916, Thomas and Annie Ball were listed at 16 Grant Street, North Perth. However, entries in the Post Office Directories suggest that they settled at 129 Coghlan Road at about that time, and the family was still living here when Thomas died in November 1919 (aged 66 years) – at which time he was still described as a builder.
Following Thomas’ death the house was rented out for 4-5 years and may have been used as a boarding house during that time. By 1925 Annie and her children had returned to 29 Coghlan Road and were listed in the Electoral Roll as follows:
· Annie Maria Ball, home duties
· Thomas William Ball, carpenter (born c.1893, married mid-1930s)
Note: In c.1931 Thomas took over management of the Subiaco Garage (220 Rokeby Road) in partnership with his future brother-in-law, Norman Logie. They continued to operate these premises until at least the 1950s.
· Maud Beatrice Ball, home duties (born 1897)
· Ruby Luscombe Ball, milliner (born 1900, married mid-1930s)
Following Annie’s death in 1937 the house was transferred into the ownership of her daughter Maud, but it continued to be the family home for all three siblings for the rest of their lives, together with Thomas’s wife, Ella, and Ruby’s husband, Norman.
Beatrice Ball and Ruby Logie both died in 1977, ending the long association between the Ball family and 129 Coghlan Road.
Historical aerial photographs (dating from 1948) show that the main building envelope has remained largely unchanged, although there have been some additions/alterations at the rear. In c.2005-2006 the large side garden was re-landscaped and the main roof replaced.
From mapping.sro.wa.gov.au
