Ednie Street

Ednie Street is a small cul-de-sac accessible from both Moore Street and Charles Street. There are 11 heritage-listed timber and iron cottages on the street's south - numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 and 21 - which were all built over 100 years ago. This street is an intact streetscape from that time. It provides an excellent example of the Federation Bungalow style of architecture (reference).

Ednie Street was part of 'Norwood Park', a subdivision developed by Messrs Thomas and Moore (reference). Blocks in this area were being advertised for sale by David Hay in 1897 (reference). "Land is a very saleable commodity in Bunbury. Recently the Norwood Park blocks were surveyed and offered for sale and speedily disposed of. From 15 to 20 blocks have lately been sold privately to various buyers at prices ranging from £35 to £60 per quarter acre" (reference).

Ednie Street gradually improved once surrounding streets became accessible to the public. In 1906, the roads in this area, including Ednie Street, were connected to the town water supply (reference). The following year, a steam roller flattened the street (reference). Bitumen was laid in 1929 (reference) and a 'concrete kerb and 5ft. wide footpath' was installed in 1939 (reference).

Drainage was an ongoing problem as the area was swampy (reference). The council installed a box drain in 1905 (reference), and in 1910 the South Bunbury drain was built. This drain ran down the back of Ednie Street. Ten years later, the drain was causing problems. Fish were getting trapped and dying in it during low tide, creating an offensive odour so foul that the Health Inspector urged the council to fix it (reference). Later in 1937, the Health Inspector was again concerned about drainage in Ednie Street due to a large tree on railway property blocking water flow (reference). Consequently, the drain was extended a further 48 feet (reference).

Ednie St may have been originally subdivided into 1 rood (~1011 sq metres) blocks, as a block for sale in 1901 is listed as "being lot 32 on deposited diagram 553, containing one rood or thereabouts, situate at Norwood Park, Bunbury, and having a frontage of one chain to Ednie street by a depth of 250 links" (reference). This also may have been either number 3 or 21 as their frontages are still approximately those measurements. 

Researched by Gaye Englund for the Museum of Perth