Halliday House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Halliday House |
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Halliday House front exterior from street, January 2021
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| Former names | Leighton |
| Etymology | Halliday family |
| General information | |
| Type | Heritage listed building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne Federation architecture |
| Location | 114 King William Street, Bayswater, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 31°55′32″S 115°55′10″E / 31.9256°S 115.9194°E |
| Completed | c. 1892 |
| Owner | City of Bayswater |
| Type | State Registered Place |
| Designated | 23 June 2000 |
| Reference no. | 3260 |
Halliday House is a special old house in Bayswater, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth. It is considered a heritage building, meaning it's important to history. Today, it works as a museum. It's actually the oldest house still standing in Bayswater!
Contents
History of Halliday House
Building the House
In 1888, a man named James Halliday bought a large piece of land. It was about 10 acres, which is like 10 football fields. This land was on what is now King William Street.
Construction on Halliday House began in 1893. People believe James's son, Henry Thomas Halliday, built it. However, it's more likely another family member who was a builder helped. Henry was busy with the family business at that time.
Halliday House was special because it was made of brick. Most other buildings in Bayswater back then were made of corrugated iron or wood. The wood for the house came by train from Fremantle. Then, horses pulled carts to bring it from the railway to the building site. The bricks were probably made by local companies nearby.
The Halliday Family Home
The house was first called Leighton. This name came from Leighton Buzzard in England. That was the hometown of Henry's wife, Edith. The Halliday family moved into the house in August 1893. It was still being built when they moved in! We don't know exactly when it was fully finished.
In 1897, the Bayswater Roads Board was created. This group helped manage the local area. Their very first meeting was held inside Halliday House. Henry Halliday was the first leader of this board. After Henry and Edith Halliday passed away, their children continued to live in the house.
New Owners and Restoration
The Halliday family owned the house for a very long time. In 1984, they sold it to Lionel Johnson and Kingsley Dixon. This was the first time the house was owned by someone outside the Halliday family. The family had offered to sell it to the City of Bayswater first. But the City took too long to decide, so it was sold to Johnson and Dixon.
At this time, the house was getting old and needed repairs. The garden was also very overgrown. Kingsley Dixon, who is a famous plant expert, worked hard. He fixed up both the house and the garden.
Becoming a Museum
In 1992, the City of Bayswater bought Halliday House. They paid $299,000 for it. The City wanted to make sure this important building was saved. They asked different groups if they wanted to use the house. The Bayswater Historical Society was chosen.
In 1993, the Bayswater Historical Society opened Halliday House as a museum. This allowed people to visit and learn about its history. In 1994, Halliday House was officially added to the State Register of Heritage Places. This means it's recognized as a very important historical site.
Today, Halliday House is open to visitors. You can visit between 1 pm and 4 pm on the fourth Sunday of each month. The Bayswater Historical Society helps keep the house clean. The City of Bayswater is in charge of keeping the building in good condition.
What Halliday House Looks Like
Halliday House is a single-story house made of brick. It was built in a style called Queen Anne Federation architecture. This style was popular a long time ago.
A porch, called a verandah, goes all the way around the house. It was originally made of wood. Later, it was changed to concrete, but we don't know exactly when. There are three chimneys sticking out of the roof. A fancy path leads up to the front door. Most of the plants you see in the garden today were planted by Kingsley Dixon. He planted them in the late 1980s and early 1990s when he restored the garden.
See also
