Perth History Association to bring 43 and 45 Sayer Street back to life

Football

As part of its recent Licence, the Association has agreed to refurbish the two category 3 heritage properties on Sayer Street. This follows the Association being chosen by the Town of Bassendean to restore the 1856-built Pensioner Guard Cottage at 1 Surrey Street, Bassendean, and the adjoining 1893-built Residence.

The Association has a proud history of working with local government, in addition to Bassendean they have  established Local History Research Offices in partnership with the City of Bunbury and the Town of East Fremantle, and most recently in the City of Fremantle’s historic West End.

The buildings Local Heritage Surveys assessed 43 and 45 Sayer St. as modest examples of Federation era form and detail, the development of Midland in the early 20th century, a demonstration of the form and scale of housing for working families and their association with small scale developments which were common at that time.

The Survey also tells the story of the families who have lived at 45 Sayer Street, one of the two buildings Perth History is about to renovate.

Built in 1908, the first resident was Leonard Penno, a musician and distinguished member of the Midland Junction Football Club who painted the first and subsequent Honour Roll for the Midland Town Hall before dying at the young age of 34 from the Spanish Flu – one of 15,000 Australians to die from this disease, leaving behind a widow and five children.

The next resident was George Bond and his wife Nellie. They had two sons, with George Junior receiving gunshot wounds to the head and face in September 1918 – less than 2 weeks before Armistice. Blinded, while recovering in England he met Nellie Packham, marrying and returning to Midland where they had 5 children – one of them born at the then Nurse D’Alton’s Maternity Hospital at 26 Junction Parade, where DADAA (Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the Arts, Australia) currently provide services to the community.

All three sons enlisted in the second world war. Upon Georges death, Nellie donated 16 new pews and a baptismal font to the Midland Presbyterian Church in memory of George. The Church was later demolished to make way for the Midland Courthouse, the fate of the pews and font are unknown.

Anyone interested in volunteering for research or building maintenance are welcome to register at https://www.museumofperth.com.au/volunteer