South Perth 64 Canning Highway

The house at 64 Canning Highway was built in 1925 for William Henry “Bill” Jenkins and his family. It was a modest timber-framed cottage with two bedrooms and one bathroom, finished in fibro-cement and weatherboard with decorative leadlight sidelights and French doors.

Prior to its construction, the block appears to have been vacant bushland. Early aerial photographs from the 1930s show only a handful of houses in the area.

The Jenkins family

Jenkins was well known through his automotive business and also served as a City of Perth councillor. Following his death in 1944, his wife Olive continued living at the property, with the house remaining in the family for decades.

While researching the house, one small detail stood out in a January 1945 newspaper advertisement offering the property, or part of it, for rent. The advertisement described it as being opposite the former Hurlingham Theatre.

Residents and occupants

Newspaper notices also show some of the people who lived there over the years. William Smythe died suddenly at the residence in April 1939 at the age of 80. In September 1948, following the death of William Edward Marrett, friends placed a notice advising that a Requiem Mass would be celebrated for the repose of his soul. Later, retired timber worker John Gerald Marrett was living at the house when he died on 16 February 1968.

The property was also associated with architect Bruce Gordon Fell-Smith, who recorded the address as his registered business address following his registration as an architect on 4 March 1969.

By January 1990, Swan Business Brokers were operating from the address, while Marjup Properties Pty Ltd was also associated with the property in 2008.

November 2022

Changing ownership

It’s unknown how long the property remained in the Jenkins family and it’s possible it had passed to the Marrett family at some point earlier, although the available records don’t confirm when this occurred. The first recorded sale of the property is dated 13 February 1989, when it sold for $113,600 to a private owner. Just two months later, on 15 April 1989, it was sold again for $115,000. The final sale took place on 9 November 1994, when the Commissioner of Main Roads purchased the property for $138,000 as part of the long-term acquisition of land for the future widening of Canning Highway.

There is no record of the house being rented until 23 March 2011, when it was subsequently advertised on a series of six-month leases, with the final recorded rental listing appearing on 11 October 2012.

Heritage recognition

In 1994, the house was recognised in the City of South Perth’s Municipal Heritage Inventory as a good example of an inter-war cottage. While this acknowledged its local heritage value, it offered no protection against future redevelopment. This appears to be the case with a number of properties acquired by Main Roads for future road projects, where heritage recognition has not necessarily prevented demolition. One example is the recently demolished house at 56 Thomas Street, West Perth, which was built in 1908.

Later years

The cottage appeared to sit vacant for an extended period and remained boarded up for some time. In 2021, the Heritage Council of Western Australia assessed the property and determined it did not meet the threshold for State heritage registration, clearing the way for its eventual demolition.

The house was demolished towards the end of 2024.

July 2024