Dianella The Strand 253

Built in 1955, the house that once stood at 253 The Strand, Dianella was a typical product of Perth’s post-war suburban growth. It was constructed at a time when new neighbourhoods were spreading north of the city, offering young families space, privacy and the promise of stability after the upheaval of the Second World War.

Like many homes of its era, it was modest but solid. Single-storey, practical in layout and set back on a 984m² block, it reflected the planning ideals of the 1950s, with room for gardens, children and everyday family life. The Strand itself developed steadily rather than all at once, giving the street a consistent but lived-in character.

For most of its life, the house functioned as a private residence. Over the decades it changed hands several times, mirroring Dianella’s gradual transformation from a new suburb into an established and increasingly sought-after one. It sold in 1989, again in 2005, 2009 and most recently in October 2023, with each sale reflecting the steady rise in land values and demand for large suburban blocks close to the city.

More than just a house

From at least 1969 through to the early 1980s, the house was not just a home but also the principal place of business for a professional partnership known as Gellard, Paulinovich & Sarich.

The suburb was a major centre for Croatian and Yugoslav immigrant communities in the 1950s and 1960s. Names like Paulinovich and Sarich are deeply woven into the area’s development. Many families from these communities established successful small businesses, trades and professional practices that helped shape the suburb as it grew.

Historical records show that Gellard, Paulinovich & Sarich was an active real estate and property development partnership during the 1960s and 1970s, at a time when large parts of Dianella were being subdivided from market gardens and bushland into the suburban area seen today.

The partnership included Winston James Gellard, a licensed land agent and principal of Winston Gellard Pty Ltd, who was a well-known figure in Western Australia’s real estate industry. He operated across several offices in Subiaco, Gosnells and Attadale and was involved in land sales and subdivision activity during Perth’s major growth years.

The Sarich and Paulinovich families were also heavily involved in land ownership and development in the northern suburbs. While the partnership predates the later prominence of Ralph Sarich as an inventor and developer, the Sarich name is strongly associated with large-scale property activity in Perth. Likewise, the Paulinovich family regularly appears in council and planning records tied to residential development in the Stirling area.

In a quiet irony, the house that once helped subdivide Dianella would eventually face subdivision itself.

Later years

At various points, particularly from the 2010s onward, the property was also rented out. Listings in 2013, 2017 and late 2023 (hence the Ross Realty photos) show it continuing to function as a family home. Nothing flashy but clearly still useful and desirable. When it was last offered for rent in December 2023, it was leased quickly, underscoring just how strong demand remains for this type of housing in Dianella.

In 2024, redevelopment of the site was approved by the City of Stirling. Development approval was granted for three grouped dwellings, followed by a certified building permit for the construction of three new single-storey homes with screen walls.

Homes like this rarely attract heritage listings or headlines, yet they are an important part of Perth’s suburban story. They speak to everyday lives rather than grand architecture. Places where families grew, their stories quietly became part of history as the decades passed.

We can’t document every house and building before it’s gone and we’re okay with that. We took what we could the day before this house was gone for good and we’re thankful for that chance. While it often feels like a lot of real estate agents take absolute crap photos (particularly when it’s just offered for lease), we’re grateful that Ross Realty captured some great images on the last occasion the property was offered for rent.

Yes, we understand agents are usually in a haphazard rush to get whatever photos they can but sometimes, those images end up being part of the history of a place and that matters more than most people realise.

Ross Realty (2023)

March 2025

Dianella Victoria 14

There was nothing remarkable about the house at 14 Victoria Street, Dianella and that was exactly the point. Built in 1962, it was a modest, practical home on a 723m² block, designed for ordinary family life rather than architectural statement. The kind of place that blended into the suburb and stayed there for years.

For most of its life, it was a place to live and it didn’t change hands until November 2023, when the property sold for $672,500. By then, largely for the value of the land, rather than the house itself.

History of the block

Before houses started being built on Victoria Street, the area looked very different. Prior to 1962, this part of Dianella was mostly banksia bushland and market gardens. It formed part of a wider agricultural belt on Perth’s northern edge, where vegetables were grown for the city.

As Perth expanded northward in the late 1950s, this land was subdivided into residential lots. At the time, blocks in Dianella typically sold for £300 to £600, making them affordable for working families. A modest brick-and-tile house like at No. 14, usually cost between £3,500 and £5,000 to construct. Still a major investment but achievable for many.

Early residents

By 1963, a resident named Serafino was recorded living at this address in official government records. This was a period when Dianella and nearby Morley were welcoming many European immigrants, particularly from southern Europe. For many families, homes like this represented stability, ownership and a new beginning in Australia.

In the mid-1960s, the property became associated with V. and A. Tancabel, whose names appear in official records linked to land and real estate activity. While details are limited, the house may have served a dual role, both as a family home and as a base for professional or administrative work related to land sales or development. This was quite common in growing suburbs, where people often worked from home during the early stages of subdivision and development.

The end of the house

By the early 2020s, the house was reaching the end of its practical life. Like many older homes in Dianella, it stood on a block increasingly seen as ideal for redevelopment.

In October 2024, the City of Stirling approved a development application for two grouped residential dwellings, with an estimated construction cost of $400,000. A few months later in February 2025, a third building permit was issued for a single grouped dwelling, including a double garage and brick boundary walls, at a cost of $250,000.

Around the same time, the original 1962 house was demolished.