John Curtin's House
Encyclopedia
John Curtin's house was the home of Australian Prime Minister
John Curtin
in Cottesloe
, Western Australia
. Built in 1923, it was the Curtin family home until it was bought jointly by Western Australian Government and the Australian Government in 1998. The house is an interwar California bungalow
design, designed by Curtin, and one of the first buildings built by Arnold Bullock, a prominent builder in the Cottesloe area during the late 1920s and 1930s.
named the area Cottesloe in honour of Baron Cottesloe, with little subdivision occurring during the next 10 years. It wasn't until the goldrushes during the late 1890s that the area grew to some 300 houses. Cottesloe and the beach grew in popularity with many holiday and permanent residences being built.
In 1913 Lot 166 was sold to Lawyer Joseph Barsden and Claremont
resident Walter Finey, who subdivided the lot in 1914. Lot 26 of this subdivision was then sold to Horatio Richardson of East Guildford in 1919 the land remained vacant during until it was sold to John Curtin's wife Elsie Curtin in 1923. Lot 26, and subsequently the house, was addressed as number 14 Jarrad Street until the later part of the 1930s when the street numbers were altered and it became the current address 24 Jarrad Street.
When completed in August 1923 the house consisted of two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom which was off the rear verandah. Additionally there was an external laundry area attached to the rear of the northwest corner of the house, the outhouse
with wood shed attached was situated in the north west corner of the block. Though the street front was to the south, the entrance to the house was on the eastern side with a path to the street. The house was built of brick with a timber frame and tiled roof, all of the external buildings had a corrugated iron roof with the outhouse made of brick while the laundry and wood shed are constructed of a timber frame with weatherboard sides.
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
John Curtin
John Curtin
John Joseph Curtin , Australian politician, served as the 14th Prime Minister of Australia. Labor under Curtin formed a minority government in 1941 after the crossbench consisting of two independent MPs crossed the floor in the House of Representatives, bringing down the Coalition minority...
in Cottesloe
Cottesloe, Western Australia
-Transport:Cottesloe is served by Swanbourne, Grant Street, Cottesloe, Mosman Park and Victoria Street railway stations on the Fremantle line. Various bus routes along Stirling Highway and through the suburb's western and eastern sections link Cottesloe to Perth and Fremantle. All services are...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. Built in 1923, it was the Curtin family home until it was bought jointly by Western Australian Government and the Australian Government in 1998. The house is an interwar California bungalow
California Bungalow
California bungalows, known as Californian bungalows in Australia and are commonly called simply bungalows in America, are a form of residential structure that were widely popular across America and, to some extent, the world around the years 1910 to 1939.-Exterior features:Bungalows are 1 or 1½...
design, designed by Curtin, and one of the first buildings built by Arnold Bullock, a prominent builder in the Cottesloe area during the late 1920s and 1930s.
Land history
Very little development occurred in the area between 1829 and 1880, in 1882 following the opening of the Fremantle to Guildford train line in 1881 Robert Napoleon Bullen purchased land to develop the Albion pleasure grounds. In 1886 the Governor of Western Australia Sir Frederick BroomeFrederick Broome
Sir Frederick Napier Broome KCMG was a colonial administrator in the British Empire.He was born in Canada, but was living in England in 1865, when he married Mary Anne Barker...
named the area Cottesloe in honour of Baron Cottesloe, with little subdivision occurring during the next 10 years. It wasn't until the goldrushes during the late 1890s that the area grew to some 300 houses. Cottesloe and the beach grew in popularity with many holiday and permanent residences being built.
In 1913 Lot 166 was sold to Lawyer Joseph Barsden and Claremont
Claremont, Western Australia
Claremont is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia on the north bank of the Swan River.-History:Prior to European settlement, the Noongar people used the area as a source of water, for fishing and for catching waterfowl. In 1830, John Butler, a settler, set up an inn at Freshwater Bay to...
resident Walter Finey, who subdivided the lot in 1914. Lot 26 of this subdivision was then sold to Horatio Richardson of East Guildford in 1919 the land remained vacant during until it was sold to John Curtin's wife Elsie Curtin in 1923. Lot 26, and subsequently the house, was addressed as number 14 Jarrad Street until the later part of the 1930s when the street numbers were altered and it became the current address 24 Jarrad Street.
Building
In 1923 John Curtin was the editor of The Westralian Worker and President of the Western Australian branch of the Australian Journalists' Association. With an eye to a political future, Curtin wanted the building to have the verandah around the whole house so that he could practice his speeches even when it was raining. John Curtin is believed to have designed the house based on the contemporary California bungalow design popular during the inter war period of the 1920s-1930s, taking Elsie's wishes into consideration the final design had the verandah on three sides.When completed in August 1923 the house consisted of two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom which was off the rear verandah. Additionally there was an external laundry area attached to the rear of the northwest corner of the house, the outhouse
Outhouse
An outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...
with wood shed attached was situated in the north west corner of the block. Though the street front was to the south, the entrance to the house was on the eastern side with a path to the street. The house was built of brick with a timber frame and tiled roof, all of the external buildings had a corrugated iron roof with the outhouse made of brick while the laundry and wood shed are constructed of a timber frame with weatherboard sides.