Blue Waters, Perth

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Blue Waters
BlueWaters8462.jpg
Blue Waters, Perth
General information
Architectural styleInter-War Art Deco
Location Western Australia
Address426 Canning Highway
Town or city Como
Country Australia
Opened1954
Renovated2006
OwnerDavid Cavanagh
Design and construction
ArchitectKeith D'Alton

Blue Waters is a historic private residence located on Canning Highway in Como, Western Australia. The house was built in 1954 by Mabel and Keith Perron (the brother of Stan Perron). Designed as a "party palace", it became the hub of the Perth social scene for many years. [1]

Contents

History

Shortly before the Second World War, the Perrons were inspired by a magazine illustration of a Florida Art Deco house design. Construction of the 1930s design was delayed until 1954 because of wartime restrictions. [1] Building materials were rationed during the war, and the design of Blue Waters involved a greater quantity of brickwork and glass than the quotas allowed. To overcome the handicap, Keith Perron established a brickworks. [2] Other technical challenges could not be met in Australia, the curved glass windows and frames having to be shipped from the U.K. [2]

The house became both a social hub and a landmark outside which tour buses would regularly pause. [1] On a return trip from Darwin, the Perrons' two young sons brought back two baby crocodiles in a shoe box, and set up a small pond in the backyard for them. One was later donated to the Perth Zoo after venturing outside the property. [2] Daughter Judith had a modelling career and used the house for photographic shoots. A cousin, Marshall Perron lived there for a while as a young man before establishing himself as a Northern Territory politician and chief minister.

In 1961 the house, complete with its original furniture, was sold to Joy and Eric Lillingston for £12,500 (A$25,000). [2] In 1965, it was bought by a bookmaker named Botica, and later by a Mr Sowden who was the deputy mayor of Fremantle. [2] In the 1970s, the Norvillas family acquired it and stayed for 35 years before selling in 2006 to David Cavanagh. [2] Cavanagh contacted the original owners for their advice in restoring the property to its original condition. [2]

The house was listed on the Municipal Heritage Inventory of the City of South Perth in December 1994, affording it a "high level of protection" under the City of South Perth Town Planning Scheme. [3] The statement of significance for the house's registration noted its "aesthetic, representative and rarity cultural heritage significance". [4]

The house has been featured in a number of films, including The Reckoning , a 2014 crime thriller, which starred Jonathan LaPaglia, Luke Hemsworth and Viva Bianca.

Design

The building was designed by architect Keith D'Alton, [5] and has featured in national reference books on Australian architecture for its interwar design features and its distinctive curved glass windows. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 De Brito, Raquel (23 December 2010). "'Party palace' Blue Waters on market". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 David Cavanagh (2012). "The Life and Times of Blue Waters". Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
  3. ↑ Listed Places in Precinct 9: Como Archived 2012-03-25 at the Wayback Machine – City of South Perth Municipal Heritage Inventory. Published March 2000. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  4. ↑ Blue Waters - House at State Heritage Office. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  5. ↑ Blue Waters Archived 2013-04-09 at the Wayback Machine at bluewatersperth.com.au (The spelling of the name is interpreted from the architect's stylised signature on his colour drawing.)

Coordinates: 32°00′08″S115°51′41″E / 32.0022°S 115.8615°E / -32.0022; 115.8615

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