HOUSE, 2 DAVIES STREET, Beaconsfield WA 6162
DESCRIPTION
Heritage TitleHOUSE, 2 DAVIES STREETAddress2 Davies Street BEACONSFIELD WA 6162Geo tag[1] Heritage Place No22951Location DescriptionStreet Number2Construction Commenced1904Construction MaterialRoof – METAL: Corrugated IronWall – ASBESTOS: Fibrous Cement, flatWall – TIMBER: WeatherboardFormer W.A. Heritage ThemesDEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY: SettlementsStatement Of SignificanceHOUSE, 2 DAVIES STREET , a single-storey, timber-framed and iron house with an asymmetrical façade is a representative example of late 19th-century residential development in the area.
Constructed in 1904, the house reflects the expansion of Fremantle during the late 19th century, a time when the Western Australian gold rush brought economic growth and increased settlement. Its timber-framed construction and iron roofing are indicative of the resourceful building practices of the time, particularly in working-class and middle-class areas where accessible and durable materials were favoured.
Designed originally in the Victorian Georgian style, the house appears to have had early additions. As an example of modest 19th-century housing, it represents the daily lives of the working- and middle-class residents who contributed to the development of Fremantle. As part of Fremantle’s historic urban fabric, the house contributes to the collective identity of the area. It reflects the residential styles of the late 19th century.ArchaeologyConditionHistoryThe house is situated on Lot 39 of Cockburn Sound Location 59. The land was vacant in 1902/03 and owned by James Morfitt. In the following rate period of 1903/04 a cottage was built and the owner/occupier was Thomas Edward Morfitt, a labourer. Thomas Morfitt still resided in and owned the residence in 1945. By 1949 the owners were George James Morfitt and Robert Arthur Morfitt. George and James Morfitt were the occupants. The 1908 sewerage map (No. 87) shows a very small weatherboard cottage. In November 1940, a weatherboard and asbestos addition was made to the north side of the cottage. The 1947 aerial photograph (Landgate) shows that the house is now larger in footprint, and closer to the road, meaning it was also extended on the west side to more than double its original size. Later aerial photos (Landgate) show that between 1985 and 1995 the house was reroofed.Physical DescriptionHouse, 2 Davies Street is a single storey timber and iron house constructed in the Victorian Georgian style of Architecture. The walls are timber framed and clad with timber weatherboards and fibre cement sheeting. The roof is hipped and clad with corrugated iron. The verandah is under a continuous corrugated iron roof. The asymmetrical front façade is blocked from view by a steel garden shed. There is a face brick chimney with chimney pot evident. The house is situated at street level.AssociationPlace UseOriginal Use – RESIDENTIAL: Single storey residencePresent Use – RESIDENTIAL: Conjoined residenceArchitectural StylesIntegrity/AuthenticityPlace TypeIndividual Building or Group
Constructed in 1904, the house reflects the expansion of Fremantle during the late 19th century, a time when the Western Australian gold rush brought economic growth and increased settlement. Its timber-framed construction and iron roofing are indicative of the resourceful building practices of the time, particularly in working-class and middle-class areas where accessible and durable materials were favoured.
Designed originally in the Victorian Georgian style, the house appears to have had early additions. As an example of modest 19th-century housing, it represents the daily lives of the working- and middle-class residents who contributed to the development of Fremantle. As part of Fremantle’s historic urban fabric, the house contributes to the collective identity of the area. It reflects the residential styles of the late 19th century.ArchaeologyConditionHistoryThe house is situated on Lot 39 of Cockburn Sound Location 59. The land was vacant in 1902/03 and owned by James Morfitt. In the following rate period of 1903/04 a cottage was built and the owner/occupier was Thomas Edward Morfitt, a labourer. Thomas Morfitt still resided in and owned the residence in 1945. By 1949 the owners were George James Morfitt and Robert Arthur Morfitt. George and James Morfitt were the occupants. The 1908 sewerage map (No. 87) shows a very small weatherboard cottage. In November 1940, a weatherboard and asbestos addition was made to the north side of the cottage. The 1947 aerial photograph (Landgate) shows that the house is now larger in footprint, and closer to the road, meaning it was also extended on the west side to more than double its original size. Later aerial photos (Landgate) show that between 1985 and 1995 the house was reroofed.Physical DescriptionHouse, 2 Davies Street is a single storey timber and iron house constructed in the Victorian Georgian style of Architecture. The walls are timber framed and clad with timber weatherboards and fibre cement sheeting. The roof is hipped and clad with corrugated iron. The verandah is under a continuous corrugated iron roof. The asymmetrical front façade is blocked from view by a steel garden shed. There is a face brick chimney with chimney pot evident. The house is situated at street level.AssociationPlace UseOriginal Use – RESIDENTIAL: Single storey residencePresent Use – RESIDENTIAL: Conjoined residenceArchitectural StylesIntegrity/AuthenticityPlace TypeIndividual Building or Group
Statutory Heritage Areas
Statutory Heritage Area CustodianCity of FremantleStatutory Heritage Area South Fremantle Heritage AreaHeritage Area StatusContributoryHeritage Area InHerit Number22386Statutory Heritage Area Date14/10/2000
Local Government Statutory Heritage Listings
Local Government Statutory Listing CustodianCity of FremantleLocal Government Statutory Listing TypeHeritage ListLocal Government Statutory Listing StatusYesLocal Government Statutory Listing Date27/08/2025
Local Government Non-Statutory Local Heritage Survey
Local Government Non-Statutory Local Heritage Survey CustodianCity of FremantleLocal Government Non-Statutory Local Heritage Survey Date27/08/2025Local Government Non-Statutory Listing Local Heritage Survey Management CategoryLevel 3
PARENT PLACE
Parent Place No22386Parent place nameSouth Fremantle Heritage Area
RELATED
HOUSE, 2 DAVIES STREET, Beaconsfield WA 6162. City of Fremantle Local History Centre, accessed 06/04/2026, https://history.fremantle.wa.gov.au/nodes/view/12794