Perth 257 Adelaide Terrace

Addresses:

12 Adelaide Terrace (1888–1899)
319 Adelaide Terrace (1900–1907)
257 Adelaide Terrace (1908 onwards)

Property names:

Sydenham (c.1887–1899)
Akarana (1901–1908)
Kincora (1910 onwards) – named after the medieval Irish palace of Kincora.

It's hard to imagine today, but Adelaide Terrace was once one of Perth's most prestigious residential streets rather than the commercial precinct we know today. 257 Adelaide Terrace was built as a family home for successful colonial merchant Ernest Chauner Shenton and was completed in 1888. He lived there with his five children until selling it in 1905. Originally known as Sydenham, the house later became known as Kincora, the name under which it is listed in the heritage records today.

Designed to impress

By the late 1880s, Adelaide Terrace had become home to many of Perth's wealthiest merchants, businessmen and politicians, with grand residences overlooking the Swan River. The house was designed by prominent Melbourne architectural firm Terry & Oakden, one of Australia's leading firms of the era. Although extensively altered over time, the house still retains many characteristics of the Victorian Italianate style, including its imposing two-storey form, decorative rendered brickwork, tall chimneys and elegant proportions.

More than just one house

One thing that's easy to overlook, is that neighbouring 259 Adelaide Terrace was built alongside 257 during the same period. Although constructed for different owners, the two houses remain the only surviving pair of adjacent two-storey Victorian residences on Adelaide Terrace. Together they offer a rare glimpse into Perth's former residential quarter before high-rise office towers and apartment buildings transformed the streetscape.

September 2020

Perth Kincora House - 257 Adelaide Terrace

The house next door

Neighbouring 259 Adelaide Terrace, better known as the E. B. Johnston House, was built for prominent Swan River colonist Stanley Parker. In 1934, it became the home of Senator Edward Bertram Johnston and his wife, Hildelith Olymphe Johnston, whose association with the property ultimately gave the house its present-day name. Like 257, it has adapted to changing times, evolving from a private residence into commercial use, while retaining much of its original character.

Changing with the city

As Perth expanded throughout the twentieth century, the grand homes of Adelaide Terrace gradually gave way to commercial development. Like many of its neighbours, 257 was adapted for other purposes, including residential flats before eventually being converted for commercial use. While countless Victorian houses along Adelaide Terrace disappeared with redevelopment, 257 and 259 survived, making them among the last reminders of an era when this part of Perth was home to some of the colony's most influential families.

Occupants / Owners

1893-1897 - Ernest C. Shenton - Residence of E. C. Shenton & Co

1898-1899 - Helen Drysdale

1900 - No listing

1901-1902 - Joseph Rogers & wife

1903-1904 - Thomas Aram - Builder

1905 - David George Allan & wife (née Read)

1906-1907 - Dr Michael O'Connor - Medical practice

1908-1929 - Edward Joseph Hayes JP & Monica Hayes - Owners

1908-1936+ - Sheila Gwynne (née Hayes) - Horse breeder

1916 - Waldemar Beck - Motor driver & surveyor. Enlisted 09/10/1916. Killed in action in 1919.

1928-1949 - Monica Hayes

1930 - Francis L. O'Halloran

1937 - Vera Mabel Cordwell

<1962-1986> - The Motor Vehicle Insurance Trust

1974-1990> - Rual & Industries Bank of WA (now Bankwest)

<1977-1979> - Western Australian Police Union of Workers (Head office)

<1979-1980> - Garry Frederick Baverstock - Architect

<1983> - Nut & Tree Crop Consultants

<1984> - Australian Behaviour Modification Association (TBC) (Ken Rawlings) - 1st floor

<1987-1988> - YHA Travel WA

257A Adelaide Terrace

1942 - Mrs Edward Henry Fothergill

1944-1949 - Mrs English Clarke

257B Adelaide Terrace

1948 - Mary A Clarke

Timeline

1900

April - Advertisement seeking a nursery housemaid.

May - Advertisement seeking a nurse for one child.

November - Advertisement for a laundress to work Mondays and Tuesdays.

December - Advertisement seeking the services of a boy.

1902

April - Large unfurnished rooms advertised for lease.

August - Two-stall stable, coach house and man's room advertised for lease.

1903

May - Front furnished room with balcony advertised for rent.

1904

July - Mrs D. G. Allan opens a first-class boarding house.

November - Furnished apartment advertised to let.

December - Advertisements for a servant and a cook.

1905

January - Probate notice published following the death of Teresa Quinlan. Under the terms of her will, the Adelaide Terrace residence was placed in a trust administered by her husband, Timothy Francis Quinlan, and her sister, Monica Hayes, for the benefit of her surviving children.

March - Advertisement for a cook. The Allans also advertise for an 8 to 12-room house within a mile of the GPO, preferably on Adelaide Terrace.

1908

Geese and ducks advertised for sale.

1909

Advertisement seeking a youth for milking and general work.

October 2020

Changing hands

Kryton Pty Ltd

On 6 July 1992, Singaporean investor William Goei, bought the next door 8-storey office building at 255 Adelaide Terrace and an adjoining vacant residential development site fronting Terrace Road from the West Australian State Government Insurance Commission for $8.1 million. A long with Hock Thiam Lim and Lam Siat Kheven, Goei is a director of two Queensland-based companies Kryton Pty Ltd and Rankstar Pty Ltd, which are financied by Sydney merchant bank, UOB Australia Ltd.

Commissioners of the Rural and Industries Bank of Western Australia sold the 257 Adelaide Terrace property to Kryton Pty Ltd on 29 July 1994 for $1.7m. Kryton Pty Ltd was registered on 13 May 1992 before being deregistered on 30 January 2002. The company was later re-registered on 1 July 2003, with its registered office in Ballarat Central, Victoria, where it remains today.

Kryton later sold the property to Boutique Asset Pty Ltd on 21 April for $8,260,000.

Boutique Asset Pty Ltd

Boutique Asset was registered on 25 March 1997 until it was deregistered on 15 December 2002. They have close ties to Indonesia’s multibillion dollar Salim conglomerate and were forced to sell their Perth property assets as a result of fallout from the South-East Asian currency crisis. They had planned to develop a $55 million, 27-storey residential apartment tower on a vacant site at the eastern end of the CBD overlooking the Swan River but had to scrap plans and revert to investing their cash within Indonesia.

This saw Boutique Asset sell 257 on 18 December 1998 for $6,140,000 to Tropicana Terrace Pty Ltd. Tropicana Terrace was registered on 11 December 1998 until it was deregistered on 23 July 2006. Other than the company partly being owned by the Indonesia Tanoko family, little more info can be found.

A development application was lodged and approved by the City of Perth which would see the Kincora residence demolished to make way for a new high-rise commercial development. The decision was heavily contested by heritage advocates, with the Heritage Council of Western Australia and local groups opposing it.

April 2021

Tropicana Terrace

By the time it was sold at auction by FPD Savills Perth on 10 September 2003 for $1.96 million, Tropicana Terrace’s name as the owner had been swapped out to 132 Terrace Road Joint Venture Pty Ltd at the time of sale. 132 Terrace Road JV was a special-purpose entity connected to Finbar Group Limited, a major Western Australian property development company who continue to construct major projects today. They went on to develop the Altair Complex Apartments at 132 Terrace Road, which was completed in 2007. The entity was first registered on 13 May 2003 until it was deregistered on 13 June 2012.

Heritage-listing

257 Adelaide Terrace almost disappeared in 2003. After the City of Perth approved its demolition, Heritage Minister Michelle Roberts stepped in and issued a conservation order to stop the 1888 Victorian residence from being knocked down.

The Heritage Council had already advised against demolition but the council approved it anyway. Roberts also placed both 257 and neighbouring 259 Adelaide Terrace on the State Register on an interim basis, recognising them as the last surviving pair of two-storey Victorian houses in the City of Perth.

The order did not stop the owner from developing the site, but it did stop demolition or any work that could damage the heritage value of the buildings. Roberts said losing 257 would seriously damage the significance of the pair, especially because once heritage is gone, it cannot be brought back.

She was also concerned that City of Perth councillors had not been given the full picture when they considered the demolition application, including the Heritage Council’s advice and the recommendation for the houses to be added to the State Register.

Richard Graham

Businessman Richard David Graham bought it off 132 Terrace Road JV. He founded Infomedia Ltd, a Sydney-based technology company that developed software and online databases for the automotive industry, in 1987. The company's products helped dealerships and mechanics identify the correct spare parts, prepare repair quotes and access technical service information. As the business grew, it expanded from Australia into Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.

Richard Graham intended to substantially refurbish the property before moving into it. In late 2003, preliminary work commenced with removal of post-World War Two fabric such as partitioning and ceilings. In early 2004, the place was vacant and it has remained that way ever since.

December 2021

George Papamihail & Phung Tran Do

Plans to redevelop the site appeared to stall before getting off the ground. On 30 October 2007, the property was sold by private treaty for $5.05 million to Northbridge lawyer George Papamihail and businessman Phung Tran Do.

Like many Vietnamese refugees who came to Australia seeking a better life, Phung Tran Do arrived with very little and worked tirelessly to build a successful future. He went on to establish T&C Do & Son, a horticultural business that grew into one of Western Australia's largest vegetable producers. From humble beginnings, the family business expanded across four properties and today ranks as the state's third-largest vegetable producer.

The new owners had ambitious plans for the site. In May 2008, they lodged the first development application under the 257Perth brand, proposing a 13-storey office tower behind the former Kincora residence. Importantly, the historic 1888 house would be restored rather than demolished, with the overall project expected to cost $30 million. Construction was expected to begin in July 2008 and be completed by early 2010 after two major Australian banks indicated they were willing to provide finance, subject to conditions. However, the plans never

2008

Rather than abandoning the site, the owners changed direction. In November 2010, a new $30 million proposal was lodged, replacing the office tower with a 14-storey hotel while still retaining and restoring the heritage-listed Kincora residence as part of the development.

The plans continued to evolve. By April 2011, the proposal had grown into an 18-storey hotel with 198 rooms, inspired by a historic hotel in Greece and designed by architect Samuel Fardoe. The restored Kincora residence would become the hotel's entrance, lobby, café and alfresco dining area. Despite objections from nearby apartment owners over increased traffic, the City of Perth approved the development on 20 April 2011. At the time, the city had identified a shortage of short-stay accommodation, with research showing only 357 of the 1,000 additional hotel rooms considered necessary were under development, helping explain why the proposal received council support.

To facilitate the project, Hotel Development Pty Ltd was established in November 2011 as the corporate trustee for the 257 Adelaide Terrace Trust, providing the legal structure to own and manage the development.

2011

2013

Sunfire Asset takes charge

By 2013, the project had entered another chapter. George Papamihail no longer appeared to be involved in the same capacity, with Phung Tran Do's daughter, Lee Lee Do, joining Perth property developer Ralph Nunis and his company, Sunfire Asset, to lead the redevelopment.

In February 2013, Sunfire Asset lodged another development application, this time proposing a 19-storey, 224-room hotel to operate as a Holiday Inn Express under the management of InterContinental Hotels Group. Valued at approximately $35 million, construction was expected to begin later that year, with the hotel scheduled to open in early 2015. Like the earlier proposals, the heritage-listed Kincora residence remained central to the plans, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to retaining one of Adelaide Terrace's last surviving Victorian homes while pursuing a modern redevelopment.

2014

Sunny Mile

Hotel Development Pty Ltd was deregistered on 3 August 2016 and the property would be sold for a final time to Sunny Mile Pty Ltd on 30 November 2015 for $21,460,000.

Sunny Mile was registered on 20 November 2015 based in West Perth and is backed by Chinese investors. They bought the site primarily as a high-value commercial property investment, capitalizing on its potential for high-density CBD development.

The site has remained largely stagnant due to strict heritage limitations and long-running legal battle, particularly as any development must incorporate the heritage-listed Kincora residence and progress on the site has been completely frozen by a bitter, years-long Supreme Court of Western Australia battle.

2023 Lawsuit

By 2015, the board of the 257 Adelaide Terrace Trust had decided to abandon the proposed Holiday Inn Express development and instead sell the site. After earlier attempts to secure a buyer proved unsuccessful, they engaged consultant Huirong Sun to find Chinese investors, agreeing to pay a $3 million consultancy fee upon settlement.

The property was sold to Sunny Mile Pty Ltd in November 2015 for $21.46 million, but the commission payment later became the subject of a Supreme Court of Western Australia dispute.

In 2023, property developer Ralph Nunis sought to recover $488,038, claiming his share of the consultancy commission had been wrongly deducted because he believed the consultancy agreement was unlawful. However, the Supreme Court rejected his claim, finding the agreement was lawful and ruling that his former co-directors and parents-in-law, Phung Tran Do and Tuyet Chau Huynh, had not been unjustly enriched by the payment.

The squatter problem

Photographing the building was never going to be feasible, particularly due to feral squatters smashing their way into the building and trashing it with as much respect as they have for themselves.

I was also hoping to have a yarn with barrister Linda Black, who worked next door at the time. She was one of the nicest people you'd ever meet and an absolutely brilliant lawyer, and I thought she might know something about the property or even who owned it. Unfortunately, I never got around to asking before I left the courts. She was later appointed as a judge in July 2022.

Over the years, squatters have managed to enter the house, mainly through a window on the right-hand side further down the driveway. The house keeps getting boarded up, only for squatters to find another way inside. As a result, there is said to be damage, graffiti and a strong smell of urine throughout parts of the house.

This information came from a bloke on a bicycle who keeps an eye on the house for a friend who owns it. He lives nearby and, after I gave him my contact details, said he'd pass them on to the owner in case photographing the interior was possible. If my memory serves me correctly, I think the owner now lives overseas, possibly Malaysia. As usual, I never heard from them.

December 2021

1998 - Certificate of Title - 257 Adelaide Terrace Perth

2008 - Record of Certificate of Title - 257 Adelaide Terrace Perth

2012 - Perth 257 Adelaide Terrace Hotel Concept Image

2013 - City of Perth Local DAP Agenda - 257 Adelaide Terrace Perth (12.2mb)

2021 - Agenda Ordinary Council Meeting 27 July 2021 (50.6mb)

2022 - Heritage Place Record - Adelaide Terrace - 257 - Kincora - 26189