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HOUSE, 96 ATTFIELD STREET, Fremantle WA 6160
DESCRIPTION
Heritage TitleHOUSE, 96 ATTFIELD STREETAddress96 Attfield Street SOUTH FREMANTLE WA 6162Geo tag[1] Heritage Place No20186Street Number96Construction Commenced1897Construction MaterialRoof – METAL: Corrugated IronWall – TIMBER: WeatherboardFormer W.A. Heritage ThemesDEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY: Land allocation & subdivisionStatement Of SignificanceHOUSE, 96 ATTFIELD STREET, is a typical timber and iron single storey house dating from 1897. The place has aesthetic value for its contribution to the streetscape and the surrounding area. It is representative of the typical timber houses built at this time in the South Fremantle area. The place is a late example of the Victorian Georgian style of architecture with a broken back roof and slender timber verandah posts.
Constructed in 1897, 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.
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.ArchaeologyConditionCondition assessed as good (assessed from streetscape survey only).HistoryAttfield St is named after Dr George Attfield, Imperial Surgeon 1854-1879, who qualified in London in 1850. He attended Fremantle Gaol and was Superintendent at Fremantle Lunatic Asylum. Attfield married a daughter of Surveyor-General Roe. He died in Brighton UK c1923. The street was developed from the late 1890s, with the majority of the houses dating from the first two decades of the twentieth century. House, 96 Attfield Street was built between 1895 and 1901/02. In that year, a cottage was recorded as being on the lot in the City of Fremantle rate book. By 1915, Aubrey Cooke was living in the cottage. A Metropolitan Sewerage plan dated c. 1910 shows House, 96 Attfield Street as a rectangular timber house with a full length front verandah. It did not have any verandahs or additions at the rear. There was a well in the middle of the backyard. At this time, it was numbered 172 Hampton Road. From the 1930s until at least the 1950s, House, 96 Attfield Street was owned by MargaPhysical Description96 Attfield Street is a single storey, weatherboard and iron house with a symmetrical facade constructed in the Victorian Georgian style of architecture. The walls are timber framed and clad with painted weatherboards. The roof is hipped and clad with corrugated iron. It has a verandah under a brokenback roof supported by timber posts with a simple timbe balustrade between. There is a central front door with fanlight and double hung sash windows either side. There is a large two storey timber weatherboard addition to the rear.AssociationPlace UseOriginal Use – RESIDENTIAL: Single storey residencePresent Use – RESIDENTIAL: Single storey residenceIntegrity/AuthenticityHigh degree of integrity (original intent clear, current use compatible, high long term sustainability). High degree of authenticity with much original fabric remaining. (These statements based on street survey only).Place TypeIndividual Building or Group
Constructed in 1897, 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.
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.ArchaeologyConditionCondition assessed as good (assessed from streetscape survey only).HistoryAttfield St is named after Dr George Attfield, Imperial Surgeon 1854-1879, who qualified in London in 1850. He attended Fremantle Gaol and was Superintendent at Fremantle Lunatic Asylum. Attfield married a daughter of Surveyor-General Roe. He died in Brighton UK c1923. The street was developed from the late 1890s, with the majority of the houses dating from the first two decades of the twentieth century. House, 96 Attfield Street was built between 1895 and 1901/02. In that year, a cottage was recorded as being on the lot in the City of Fremantle rate book. By 1915, Aubrey Cooke was living in the cottage. A Metropolitan Sewerage plan dated c. 1910 shows House, 96 Attfield Street as a rectangular timber house with a full length front verandah. It did not have any verandahs or additions at the rear. There was a well in the middle of the backyard. At this time, it was numbered 172 Hampton Road. From the 1930s until at least the 1950s, House, 96 Attfield Street was owned by MargaPhysical Description96 Attfield Street is a single storey, weatherboard and iron house with a symmetrical facade constructed in the Victorian Georgian style of architecture. The walls are timber framed and clad with painted weatherboards. The roof is hipped and clad with corrugated iron. It has a verandah under a brokenback roof supported by timber posts with a simple timbe balustrade between. There is a central front door with fanlight and double hung sash windows either side. There is a large two storey timber weatherboard addition to the rear.AssociationPlace UseOriginal Use – RESIDENTIAL: Single storey residencePresent Use – RESIDENTIAL: Single storey residenceIntegrity/AuthenticityHigh degree of integrity (original intent clear, current use compatible, high long term sustainability). High degree of authenticity with much original fabric remaining. (These statements based on street survey only).Place 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, 96 ATTFIELD STREET, Fremantle WA 6160. City of Fremantle Local History Centre, accessed 05/06/2026, https://history.fremantle.wa.gov.au/nodes/view/36638




