Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie

Parent Place or Precinct

01281 Hannan Street Precinct

Child Places

• 01297 City Markets

Statement of Significance

What is significant?
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie at 250–316 Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie, comprises a group of single and two storey buildings that include the City Markets and Kalgoorlie Town Hall & Council Chambers on the north side of Hannan Street in the civic and commercial centre of Kalgoorlie. Elements that contribute to the significance of the place include (but are not limited to):
• Kalgoorlie Town Hall & Council Chambers1 - (c 1907–1908) a Federation Free Classical building continuously used as a civic, social and cultural centre in association with the municipality;
• City Markets2 - (c 1901) architecturally designed market building owned and operated by the city council and continually used as a market.
• Streetscape – buildings extending along the eastern boundary form an intact continuous streetscape, connected in row formation with shared common parapet walls, shop fronts, and deep adjacent verandahs, that retain a visual quality as represented in the early twentieth century Goldrush era;
• Original fabric in the interiors of the shops from c 1890;
• Materiality – brick, stone and stucco with corrugated iron roofs, together with timber or cast iron verandahs;
• Shopfronts including windows and doors, upper-level facades including balconies;
• Extant intact original pressed metal ceilings;
• Extant intact original verandah posts;
• Verandah roof structures including upper-level verandah roofs; and
• Low to moderate potential for archaeological deposits associated with earlier buildings c 1898–1908.
Elements that do not contribute to the State significance of the place, and include (but are not limited to):
The Public Toilets located north of the east corner;
• Rear carpark to the rear of shops No 282-314 Hannan Street; and
• Laneway between Town Hall & Civic Centre and No 314 Hannan Street.
How is it significant?
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is of aesthetic, historic, rarity, representativeness, scientific, and social value and satisfies the following factors relevant to cultural heritage significance:
(A) importance in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Western Australia’s history;
(B) importance in demonstrating rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Western Australia’s heritage;
(C) potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Western Australia’s history;
(D) importance in demonstrating the characteristics of a broader class of places;
(E) strong or special meaning it has for any group or community because of social, cultural or spiritual associations;
(F) importance in exhibiting particular aesthetic characteristics valued by any group or community;
(G) special association it has with the life or work of a person, group or organisation of importance in Western Australia’s history;
Why is it significant?
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie has significance as a unique example of the State government’s practice of municipal endowment land grants (1890–1950s), with the intention of providing a long-term source of income for local authorities (Factor A & B);
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie has historical significance as a rare group of civic and commercial buildings that have been continuously owned and managed for the purpose of municipal endowment by a local government authority for a period of more than one hundred years. No place similar is known to exist in Australia (Factor B);
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie has significance for its many individual buildings, developed over multiple periods, which are fine examples of Federation period architecture, in a variety of different styles, which convey the character and texture of a gold rush town and illustrates the unique history of its formation as a streetscape of commercial buildings constructed by the lessees of the sites rather than the owners (Factors A, C, D & F);
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is significant as a row of connected single and two-storey buildings that retain their original scale and configuration, distinctive shopfronts, decorative parapets, and verandahs which extend across the facades and pavement forming an almost continuous canopy along the streetscape (Factors D & F);
City Markets is a rare example of an early twentieth century architecturally designed market building in Western Australia with high social significance representing many facets of retail trade including providing fresh provisions to a
remote regional location (Factors B & E);
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is an integral part of the broader Hannan Street
Precinct which contributes to the wider community's sense of place and symbolises
the spirit of optimism generated by the rich gold finds in the Eastern Goldfields, and
the continuing development of Kalgoorlie as the major administrative and
commercial centre of the goldfields in the late 1890s and the early 1900s (Factor
E &G); and
the imposing and substantial Kalgoorlie Town Hall & Council Chambers has
landmark value within Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie (Factor F).

Values

10(A) Importance in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Western Australia’s history;
The relatively modest, largely single storey narrow fronted buildings that make up Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie illustrate the unique history of its formation as a streetscape of commercial buildings constructed by the lessees of the sites rather than the owners (historic value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is an integral part of the Hannan Street precinct, which symbolises the spirit of optimism generated by the rich gold finds in the Eastern Goldfields, and the continuing development of Kalgoorlie as the major administrative and commercial centre of the goldfields in the late 1890s and the early 1900s (historic value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie has importance as a municipal-owned commercial precinct continuously managed by the local government and developed to encourage ongoing commercial growth and business activity in the central business district of Kalgoorlie, as well as encouraging provision of fresh foodstuffs to local residents, since the 1890s (rarity value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie illustrates the changing nature of retail trade and shopping trends in a major regional centre over time (historic value).
10(B) Importance in demonstrating rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Western Australia’s heritage;
City Markets is a rare example of an early twentieth century architecturally designed market building built in the goldrush era in Western Australia and demonstrates the efforts of the local municipality to ensure fresh provisions were available to locals in this remote regional location (rarity value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is rare as group of civic and commercial buildings comprising a complete street block owned and managed by a local government authority over a period of more than 120 years. No place similar is known to exist in Australia. Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is rare as a streetscape of commercial and retail buildings constructed by the lessees of the sites rather than the owners (rarity value).
10(C) Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Western Australia’s history;
Kalgoorlie is an important historical city in Western Australia and is associated with the discovery of gold and the development of this important industry at a time when Australia was experiencing low-level depression.3 Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie was constructed by the lessees as a series of individual buildings, between 1898 and 1908. The extant brick buildings gradually replaced existing timber, iron, and hessian structures, originally erected on the site, as a result of the wealth amassed from Kalgoorlie being considered one of the richest gold centres in the world.4 There is low to moderate potential for archaeological deposits and features associated with earlier built structures to remain within the precinct, which has the potential to provide information on the early development of Kalgoorlie (aesthetic value).
10(D) Its importance in demonstrating the characteristics of a broader class of places;
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is a representative example of a late nineteenth century and early twentieth century commercial streetscape in a gold rush town. The scale and expression of its architecture, the extent of its streetscape quality and its high integrity all contribute to its value. It is important in representing a way of life associated with commercial and retail businesses, and the changing nature of those functions over time (representativeness value).
10(E) Any strong or special meaning it may have for any group or community because of social, cultural or spiritual associations;
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is of value to the local community for its continuous role in the provision of retail and commercial services since c 1900s to the present, as well as being a significant and well-known landmark in Hannan Street. It continues to play a vital role in the activities of the central business district of Kalgoorlie (social value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie contributes to the local and wider community's sense of place as the centre of the gold rushes of the 1890s and of present-day gold mining. Similarly, it is valued by other Australians as a major tourist attraction that makes a significant contribution to the cultural density of Kalgoorlie-Boulder (social value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie as part of the historical Hannan Street precinct is highly valued by Western Australians, contributing to their sense of history and place. Inclusion of the place on the now defunct Register of the National Estate in October 1980, together with its classification by the National Trust of Australia (WA), in 1977, is an indication of its long standing social value (social value).
10(F)5 Its importance in exhibiting particular aesthetic characteristics valued by any group or community;
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie makes an important contribution to the townscape of Kalgoorlie and Hannan Street for its aesthetic characteristics, comprising a contiguous row of connected single and two-storey Federation-era commercial buildings (aesthetic value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie collectively retains its original scale and configuration, distinctive shopfronts, decorative parapets, verandahs, and balconies which extend across the facades and pavement forming an almost continuous canopy along the streetscape. Many of the buildings have individual design merit and contribute to the aesthetic value of Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie and Hannan Street as a whole. Although some structures have been altered, the streetscape still conveys the character and texture of a gold rush town (aesthetic value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie comprises fine examples of architectural styles of the Federation period with City Markets providing a centrepiece to the streetscape. It has landmark value and is an example of the Federation Anglo-Dutch style with distinctive turrets, roof forms, classical detailing, and interior open market spaces (aesthetic value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is highly valued by the community as a long-standing and well-known commercial precinct in the central business district of Kalgoorlie, which in its scale and architectural expression, represents the optimism of the growing gold boom town from its heyday (aesthetic value).
10(G) Any special association it may have with the life or work of a person, group or organisation of importance in Western Australia’s history;
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie, located on Hannan Street, is closely associated with its namesake Patrick (Paddy) Hannan, who discovered alluvial gold, along with his partners Thomas Flanagan and Daniel Shea, that sparked the goldrush. This led to the development of the town which was directly associated with the longevity of the operation of Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie as a commercial precinct
6 (historic value).
The following is a list of Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie tenants who contributed to the cultural heritage of Western Australia (historic value):
• Charles Joseph Totterdell (tenant of Lot 160) was the builder of 8 shops on Lot 160 and held a 21-year lease for the whole of lot 160. His son was Joseph Totterdell, MLA Liberal, Member of Parliament.
• Charles Kidman, brother of pastoralist Sidney Kidman was a co-owner of the butcher (tenant of 262). His co-owner and business partner was Wentworth D’Arcy Uhr.
• Wentworth D’Arcy Uhr (tenant of 262) was actively engaged in multiple incidents of frontier violence including several massacres of Aboriginals. He was also the subject of numerous court cases defending charges which ranged from murder and assault to race-fixing and fraud.7
• Robert D McKenzie (tennant 264–266) was chairman of Kalgoorlie Brewing and Ice Company, the first President of the Chamber of Commerce, was elected to the first Kalgoorlie Municipal Council, served as Mayor between 1897–1898 and was elected to the Legislative Council of WA for Northeast Province
• General Motor’s Holden (tenant of 282-284) in 1928
• Baird Bros (tenant 304) was the first tenant in this building in 1902 and became a major department store in Western Australia. CR William Daniel Jones who was one of the first elected Kalgoorlie Municipal Council members was the Manager of Baird Bros.

Physical Description

Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie comprises a contiguous commercial precinct on the northwest side of Hannan Street, including three two storey buildings in a predominantly single storey arrangement. The buildings are connected in a row formation, sharing common parapet walls continuously along the Hannan Street frontage which is characterised by Federation-era facades, shopfronts and deep continuous verandahs that overhang the footpath.

Archaeology

Archaeological Potential
The original timber, iron and hessian structures along Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie were replaced between 1898 and 1908 by the existing brick buildings. Further research may investigate the low to moderate potential for archaeological deposits and features associated with earlier built structures to remain within the precinct, which has the potential to provide information on the early development of Kalgoorlie. While considerable disturbance is likely to have occurred across the majority of the area, any archaeological elements associated with this phase of the town would be of considerable archaeological interest.

Condition

Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is generally considered to be in good condition. There is some evidence of rising damp in No. 290 Hannan Street, but most premises are well maintained and well presented.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.