9 Sewell Street

9 Sewell Street (map)

ARCHITECTURE

Late Victorian Early Federation Domestic Carpenter Cottage with Georgian Influences

No. 9 (previously was no. 35) Sewell street is a single-storey cottage constructed in brickwork, timber framing, weatherboard and fibrous cement cladding with a hipped corrugated iron roof. It is an expression of a Federation Bungalow style that has been extensively modified. The facade features a full width skillion roofed verandah that has been filled in.

HISTORY

1909 Mrs. A Townsend’s recipe of Currant Buns submitted to the Sunday Times and awarded fourth prize.

1910 A lumper named Charles Odger (32) was arrested and charged with having stolen a bottle of whisky from the Fremantle Harbour Trust. (reference

Mr. Arthur Townsend, a railway employee, lived at 35 Sewell Street in 1910 and 1911 before moving to to Hubble Street in 1912. (reference)

1910 Mr. Arthur Townsend was a witness, amongst others, who saw a horrific fatal accident occur that took the lives of 2 young schoolgirls on their way to school. (reference

1924 Mr. Carl Carlson, formerly of Messrs. Mills and Ware, South Fremantle, are respectfully invited to follow his remains to the place of interment, the Brethren Cemetery, Fremantle. The Funeral will leave his late residence. 13 Gold-street, South Fremantle ... (reference)

1932 As the result of street fighting In East Fremantle on Saturday Ralph Marais and Henry Hicks were charged in the Fremantle Police Court (reference). Marais Moved to 14 Hubble St (1933) and then to this house for 4 years.

1937 Mrs. Sustenance Worker’s Death. Williams, Oct. 1. William Walter Dines, of Sewell-street, East Fremantle, a sustenance worker employed by the Main Roads Board, died suddenly this morning at his camp 12 miles from Williams. Mr. Dines spoke to a companion outside his tent about 6.15 a. m. On returning to the tent, he collapsed and died almost immediately. The body was brought to the morgue at the Williams Hospital and a post-mortem examination has been ordered. Mr. Dines, who was about 50 years of age, was married. (reference)

1938 In October Mrs. Dines’ mother, another resident of East Fremantle passed away. (reference) and in 1940 she moved to No. 78 Allen Street, East Fremantle (reference)

1945 7th September - There is mention of a POW  Mr. L. Cody mentioned near Bangkok  (reference)

1945 On September 14, at Fremantle, Joyce Bertha Cody, dearly beloved wife of Leslie Cody, of 9 Sewell-street, East Fremantle, and loving mother of John: aged 23 years. R.I.P. (reference), You can read about her death- from a botched abortion, under the notable person section Alice Pengel- and her mother Mrs. Bertha Barrett’s witness statement.

1945 A list of newly liberated soldiers including Cody (from POW camps) was published in Perth papers. (reference)

1945 23rd October - Cody was finally on his way back to Australia from Singapore via the ship ‘HMT Circassia’ (reference)

Mr. Les Cody authored a book called ‘Ghosts in Khaki : the history of the 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion, 8th Australian Division A.I.F’’.

RESIDENTS

1909 - 1911: Townsend, Arthur

1912 - 1919: Odgers, Charles

1920 - 1923: Carlson, Carl

1924: Connor, Miles

1925 - 1934: Sharp, Mrs. A. M.

1934 - 1938: Marais, Ralph

1938 - 1940: Dines, Mrs. Elsie

1940 - 1944: Foxon, Jess

1945 - 1946: Barratt, Mrs. Bertha & Leslie, Cody

1947 - 1949: Barratt, Mrs. Bertha

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