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Como Manning 48 House
The house at 48 Manning Road, Como was built in 1955 as part of the post-war expansion of government housing in the area surrounding McDougall Park.
State Housing Commission ownership
The residence was constructed as part of a housing estate developed by the State Housing Commission to help meet the growing demand for homes after the Second World War.
Like many State Housing Commission homes at the time, it was built as a single-storey residence on a fairly large block and remained under government ownership for about 34 years.
Sale into private ownership
In January 1989, the property was sold into private ownership for $57,000. It continued to be used as a residence as Como developed and Manning Road became an increasingly busy route through the suburb.
The property was sold again in December 2017 for $860,000. At the time, the size and future development potential of the block formed an important part of its sale campaign.
It changed ownership again on 21 May 2021, selling for $925,000.
Conversion to consulting rooms
The existing house was later renovated and adapted for use as consulting rooms.
Development application PDDA-2024/233 was lodged with the City of South Perth for an outbuilding addition associated with the consulting rooms. The application was approved in April 2024.
Kookaburra Eye Clinic
The property is now occupied by Kookaburra Eye Clinic, a specialist ophthalmology practice providing assessment and treatment for several eye conditions, including cataracts, corneal disorders and paediatric eye conditions.
October 2020
Como 167 Robert Street
May 2021
Como 170 Robert Street
Built in 1955, the house at 170 Robert Street, Como remained in the same family for most of its history. It was owned by respected architect George Pruett Thompson and retained by his family for several decades.
In November 1989, Thompson sold the property to his son for $35,000, around eight years before his death at the age of 84. The house continued to remain within the extended family, transferring again in September 1998 to another family member for $1.28 million.
Sale to Ausmark Developments
The long period of family ownership ended in May 2016, when the property was sold for $1.3 million to Ausmark Developments Pty Ltd.
The company had only been registered for a few days before buying the property and appears to have been established to acquire it. Ausmark Developments is connected to Vamoosh Pty Ltd (who were deregistered on 19/03/2024) and several other private companies in the property and construction industry, as well as other business activities.
Vacancy and deterioration
No redevelopment followed the 2016 sale and the house remained vacant for several years.
Its condition gradually deteriorated, leaving it vulnerable to vandalism, drug users and squatters. By the early 2020s, the property had become a growing concern for nearby residents.
Complaints from residents
The condition of 170 Robert Street and two neighbouring vacant houses became a formal council matter in 2021. At the City of South Perth council meeting held on 26 October 2021, a petition signed by local residents was tabled concerning the houses at 167, 169 and 170 Robert Street.
Residents described the buildings as derelict and said they were attracting squatters and contributing to antisocial behaviour. Concerns were also raised about the safety of neighbouring homes and families.
Council records noted that the properties were vacant and unsecured, with repeated unauthorised entry, graffiti, rubbish and other signs of neglect. Enforcement notices were issued requiring the owners to secure and clean the sites. Although residents called for the houses to be demolished or the land cleared, the City initially gave the owners an opportunity to address the problems.
Squatters and vandalism
The condition of No. 170 continued to worsen despite council involvement.
Squatters occupied the house at different times and caused extensive damage. In October 2022, a group was removed from the property and their belongings were left piled on the driveway. By then, most of the windows had been smashed, graffiti covered the house and rubbish and debris were scattered throughout the property. Discarded drug paraphernalia was also found at the site.
Corporate deregistration
Ausmark Developments Pty Ltd was deregistered on 16 October 2022.
Whilst a deregistered company can’t continue to legally hold land, control of the property would’ve needed to pass through the company’s related ownership structure or otherwise be dealt with under corporate and property law.
Demolition and the site today
After years of vacancy, repeated squatter occupation and extensive vandalism, the house was demolished around December 2023.
No redevelopment proposal has yet been publicly confirmed.
May 2021
October 2022
Como 1 South Terrace
The house at 1 South Terrace, Como was built in 1955 within an established residential part of the suburb.
Post-war development
The house was constructed during the post-war expansion of Como, when most of the suburb was being developed with single-storey brick-and-tile homes on fairly large blocks.
Subdivision
The original block was subdivided during the late 1990s to create three separate properties at 1, 1A and 1B South Terrace.
A new house was built at 1A South Terrace in 1998, followed by another at 1B in 1999. The original 1955 house was retained at No. 1.
Ownership
The property is owned by Endean Pty Ltd, a private company registered in 1999.
The company has previously been involved in a development application within the City of South Perth relating to a change of use at 256 Mill Point Road, South Perth.
November 2020
