68-70 Clark Street

The house at 68 to 70 Clark Street is a single storey, rendered masonry, timber weatherboard and iron duplex (reference). It was designed in the Federation Bungalow architectural style (reference). The attached house was built from October 1896 for Ephraim Mayo Clarke as a four-room cottage and has undergone renovations to be transformed and subdivided into a duplex (reference). The house, located in South Bunbury, was constructed for Ephraim Mayo Clarke, who commissioned A. M. E. Smith to build the cottage (reference). 

Ephraim Clarke was the first owner of the property (reference). He was a prominent businessman, town councillor and former mayor of Bunbury (reference).

Following Ephraim Clarke, the house was inhabited by the Gibson family (reference). The Gibson family lived in the South Bunbury area from 1892 after William and Margaret were married in Fremantle (reference). The couple spent their early married life clearing the area to create Clarke’s Vinyard in South Bunbury (reference; reference). The vineyard was 10 acres of land near the house, consisting of the vineyard as well as a dairy and orchard (reference). It was adjacent to the Big Swamp, which provided them with irrigation (reference). The Gibsons were known for their support of the Anglican Church in Bunbury and Picton (reference).

According to the State Heritage entry, William Gibson built a cellar a distance from the house by blasting out a limestone cave and reinforcing the basement with heavy timber (reference). It is not known if the cellar is still extant (reference). It was also recorded that the carob trees in Carob Street were planted to protect the vineyard (reference).

In 1946 the Gibsons still resided at this house (reference). However, in November 1946 Margaret Gibson passed away at her home, 68-70 Clark Street, at 79 years old (reference).

Residents of 68-70 Clark Street

1896 Ephraim Mayo Clarke

Gibson family