10 Irwin Street — Streets of East Freo

ARCHITECTURE

Late Federation/ Interwar, Bungalow w Federation Influences

No 10 Irwin Street is a single storey house constructed in painted brick and rendered brick with a hipped and gable tile roof. It is a good expression of the Inter-War Bungalow style. The front elevation is asymmetrically planned with a thrust gable bay and a part width skillion roofed verandah. The verandah extends over the gable bay and is supported on timber posts and rendered piers. The half- timbered gable bay features a set of casement windows.

HISTORY

1929 Fremantle District Council A.L.P. There was a good attendance of delegates at the fortnightly meeting of the Fremantle District Council of the A.L.P., held at the Trades Hall on Tuesday evening. The President (Mr. A. V. Hughes) occupied the chair, and Mr. Frank Rowe, M.L.A., officiated as secretary in the absence of Mr. J. W. Burgess, who is on holiday leave. (reference)
1929 Municipal Elections. Wednesday was nomination day for the annual municipal elections throughout the State. For East Fremantle there will be no elections. Messrs. Frank Rowe. M. L. A. and Mr. A. Staton, endorsed Labor candidates were returned unopposed for the Central and West Wards respectively, and Mr. George Pearse was given a walk-over for the East Ward, which is the aristocratic portion of the municipality. (reference)
1930 Fremantle News. Mr. Frank Rowe, M.L.A., and Mrs.Rowe left for Bridgetown for the Christmas vacation. (reference)
1930 Political Points. Howls From the Hustings and Campaign Personalities Hubert Parker and Frank Rowe are making a merry mill of it in North East Fremantle. This in the old days was a Labor pocket borough, but portion of the Cottesloe beach end has been tacked on to it and it's not quite the same proposition now. (reference)
1930 Campaign Notes. Mr. Frank Rowe, M.L.A., Labour candidate for North-East Fremantle, assisted by the Minister for Works (Mr. A. McCallum) and Mr. W. H. Kitson, will open his campaign at the North Fremantle Town Hall to-night at 8 o'clock. (reference)
1930 Political Personalities. Mr. Frank Rowe.—Although he may lay claim to only about three years of Parliamentary life, Mr. Frank Rowe, who is again the Labor candidate for North-East Fremantle is probably as widely-known an industrialist as any in the metropolitan area. Frank, as he is to everybody except in the august precincts of Parliament, where convention and Parliamentary usage demand that he be "the honorable member for North-East Fremantle"- is known to all ranks in the three Fremantles and also in shipping and waterfront circles throughout Australia as a sturdy champion of the workers. For 25 years without a break: 1902 to 1927-he was secretary to the Fremantle branch of the Waterside Workers' Federation but his connection with that office began many years before the federation came into existence… (reference)
1930 Labor Advertising. On April 12th. Vote Labor As Follows. Rowe For N.E. Fremantle. Mr. Frank Rowe was for over twenty years General Secretary of the Waterside Workers' Union, and was prominent in every activity which resulted in improvements to their wages and conditions in life. Largely due to his efforts is the fact that Fremantle has an up-to-date Ambulance Service. His past record and his experience in industrial affairs are such as to make his services of great value to the community in a Parliamentary capacity. (reference)
1930 The Election Campaign. North-East Fremantle. Down Fremantle way, Mr. Frank Rowe, in his campaign, will be the centre of interest, as he is the only Fremantle member who is being opposed, and therefore the full strength of the opposition's guns will be played on him, and will bring the entire movement of Fremantle women and men into the fullest active service in order that he may retain his seat. Labor in Fremantle can surely prove that when its stronghold is challenged, only one thing can happen, i.e., a stronger hold than ever. Fremantle Labor women can safely be trusted to make things hum in the North-East Fremantle electoral district. (reference)
1930 Fremantle News and Views. Labor Defeat At North East Fremantle.—Mr. Frank Howe's defeat by the narrow margin of 13 votes in a poll of 5095 caused consternation at the North Fremantle Town Hall, the chief polling place, on Saturday night, where a large body of Laborites waited patiently until nearly midnight for the final result. The North Fremantle box was counted first. This gave the Labor candidate a lead of 639 votes, which was never overtaken until the conclusion of the count, when the postal votes were counted…(continues) (reference)
1930 Shadows: Do They Cast Refection? Interesting Telephone Book Entry. Do coming events cast their shadows before? Here is an interesting entry in the telephone book, which was issued this month, November 1930, by the Post and Telegraph Department:—"ROWE, Frank, secretary F. L. Union, 10 Irwin-street, East Fremantle, FM-2907." And during the past month or so Mr. Frank Rowe has been working on the wharf as a lumper. A previous entry in the same telephone book announces:— "FOX, T., secretary Lumpers' Union, 239 Marmion-street, Fremantle, FM-2750." So it will be seen that the position with regard to the secretaryship of the Fremantle Lumpers' Union is hazy—that is if one were led by the telephone book. Is it casting a shadow? Is Mr. Frank Rowe toiling as a lumper to fit him for nomination for the position that the Post and Telegraph department has already conferred upon him? Time- and the lumpers themselves - will only tell. (reference)
1938 The Late CR. George David. The hearse was preceded from the cemetery gates to the graveside by drivers, fare collectors and other employees of the various omnibus companies in uniform. The coffin, over which rested the Union Jack, was borne to the grave by Inspectors W. Kennedy and R. Walker, and Messrs. C. Richards, T. Williams and H. D. Pearcy (foremen) and Clem Spry (drivers), of the Metropolitan Omnibus Company. At the conclusion of the service at the graveside the last post and reveille were sounded by Bugler Beasy, of the Royal Australian Artillery, Fremantle, and a poppy was dropped by a representative of the Returned Soldiers' League, with the words, "Lest we forget." (reference)