18 Fullagar Road, Wentworthville  

War Service Homes Group
Inter-War bungalow
Constructed: 1920
Listings: Holroyd Heritage Study 1993; Holroyd Heritage Review 1998; Heritage Conservation Area 2 - Fullagar Road Conservation Area; RAIA Register of Twentieth Century Buildings of Significance

Statement of Significance

The Fullagar Road War Service Homes Group has local and state significance as the largest and most intact representative example of Inter-War service homes and provides evidence of contemporary social and architectural attitudes to housing service personnel in the years immediately following WWI.

The buildings are significant individually and as a group as fine and largely intact examples of Inter-War Georgian style constructed in quality materials with good layouts and style. This group is one of the earliest War Service Homes estates so far to the west of Sydney and one of the few groups which were constructed in this distinctive style.

Recommendations

This group of War Service Homes should be retained intact on the LEP. The group is significant for the integrity and quality of the style, form and detailing of the buildings and their integrity as a group. There should therefore be no redevelopment within the group which impacts on this integrity particularly from the streetscape quality. There should be no roof additions allowed or any modifications which alters either the visible facades or the form or fabric of the roofs.

Those buildings in the group which are face brick should remain unpainted or unrendered. There should be no modifications to either the classical detailing or fenestrations to the front of the buildings. Additions could be allowed at the rear of the houses but proposals should be consistent with the character of the building and existing fabric.

Description

The subject building is a single storey rendered brick 1920 Inter-War bungalow which forms part of the War Service Homes Group of 6-38 Fullagar Road, Wentworthville. The group has two distinct styles - rendered or face brick with classical style details, or face brick with Federation style details. The subject building belongs to the first category.

A single hipped roof has terracotta tiles, and a wide hipped verandah at the front is an extension of the main although at a lower pitch. Original exposed rafters have been enclosed in fibro boxed eaves. Guttering has been replaced with modern colorbond. The verandah is supported by four rendered classical style columns, similar to other houses in the group. The verandah floor is bare concrete. Single painted brick chimney on the western side is original.

A symmetrical façade has a central timber panelled front door with aluminium framed security screen, and a later side light. Window openings on either side have square brick sills and aluminium framed security blinds. Similar blinds have been installed to all openings. A rendered brick extension at the rear has a hipped roof of similar terracotta tiles, and continues past the eastern building alignment.

A colorbond carport has been added at the rear south eastern corner. Located on a large block, the property appears to have retained its original boundaries. A driveway along the western boundary leads to a rendered brick garage adjacent to the house. To the west is a rendered brick 1920s bungalow of a similar style, and to the east is a face brick bungalow of the second category.

Modifications / Condition

Largely intact, although has been heavily modified including rear extensions in 1977 and 1987 in similar materials. Aluminium security roller blinds and colorbond guttering are a later addition. The carport was constructed in 1993.

History

The subject property formed part of the 1065 acre Government Domain which was subdivided into 20 and 50 acre allotments from 1859. In 1859 William Fullagar purchased over 37 acres between Fullagar Road, The Great Western Highway, Toongabbie Creek and Bridge Road. Fullagar acquired extensive tracts in the present day Westmead and Wentworthville, particularly during the subdivision of the Government Domain.

In 1920 the land along Fullagar Road was subdivided and purchased by the War Service Homes Commission, and the present property boundaries were formed. The Commission was established in 1919 specifically to construct houses and provide loans at low interest rates for returned soldiers. The Commission purchased large areas of land in suburban Sydney during and after the war, and by 1920 a group scheme on Fullagar Road had been completed.

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