Blue Waters, Perth

Blue Waters
Map
General information
Architectural styleInter-War Art Deco
LocationWestern Australia
Address426 Canning Highway
Town or cityComo
CountryAustralia
Opened1954
Renovated2006
OwnerDavid Cavanagh
Design and construction
Architect(s)Keith 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]

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 £A 12,500 m,[2] equivalent to A$407,000 in 2022 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]

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b c d e f g 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.)

32°00′08″S 115°51′41″E / 32.0022°S 115.8615°E / -32.0022; 115.8615