The Cliffe

Quality 0.50 · 1 view · Updated 2 months ago

House in Peppermint Grove, Western Australia

title: "The Cliffe" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["heritage-places-in-perth,-western-australia", "federation-style-architecture", "peppermint-grove,-western-australia"] description: "House in Peppermint Grove, Western Australia" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cliffe" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary House in Peppermint Grove, Western Australia ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox building"]

FieldValue
nameThe Cliffe
imageCliffe east verandah.jpg
image_alt
image_captionThe Cliffe east verandah from the road
coordinates
address25 Bindaring Parade
location_city
location_countryAustralia
completion_date
demolition_date
landlord
architectClarence Wilkinson
website
embedded{{Infobox designation list
embedyes
designation1State Register of Heritage Places
designation1_typeShire of Peppermint Grove Municipal Inventory
designation1_date19 July 1998
designation1_number
designation2State Register of Heritage Places
designation2_typeState Register of Heritage Places
delisted2_date22 August 2008
::

| name = The Cliffe | native_name = | native_name_lang = | logo = | logo_size = | logo_alt = | logo_caption = | image = Cliffe east verandah.jpg | image_size = | image_alt = | image_caption = The Cliffe east verandah from the road | map_type = | map_alt = | map_dot_mark = | map_dot_label = | relief = | map_caption = | map_size = | coordinates = | former_names = | alternate_names = | etymology = | status = | cancelled = | topped_out = | building_type = | architectural_style = | classification = | location = | address = 25 Bindaring Parade | location_city = | location_country = Australia | grid_name = | grid_position = | altitude = | current_tenants = | namesake = | years_built = | groundbreaking_date = | start_date = | stop_date = | topped_out_date = | completion_date = | opened_date = | inauguration_date = | relocated_date = | renovation_date = | closing_date = | demolition_date = | cost = | ren_cost = | client = | owner = | landlord = | affiliation = | height = | architectural = | tip = | antenna_spire = | roof = | top_floor = | observatory = | diameter = | circumference = | weight = | other_dimensions = | structural_system = | material = | size = | floor_count = | floor_area = | elevator_count = | grounds_area = | architect = Clarence Wilkinson | architecture_firm = | developer = | engineer = | structural_engineer = | services_engineer = | civil_engineer = | other_designers = | quantity_surveyor = | main_contractor = | awards = | designations = | known_for = | ren_architect = | ren_firm = | ren_engineer = | ren_str_engineer = | ren_serv_engineer = | ren_civ_engineer = | ren_oth_designers = | ren_qty_surveyor = | ren_contractor = | ren_awards = | parking = | public_transit = | website = | embed = | embedded = {{Infobox designation list | embed = yes | designation1 = State Register of Heritage Places | designation1_offname = | designation1_type = Shire of Peppermint Grove Municipal Inventory | designation1_criteria = | designation1_date = 19 July 1998 | delisted1_date = | designation1_partof = | designation1_number = | designation2 = State Register of Heritage Places | designation2_offname = | designation2_type = State Register of Heritage Places | designation2_criteria = | designation2_date = | delisted2_date = 22 August 2008 | references = | footnotes =

The Cliffe is one of the first residential dwellings built in the Perth suburb of Peppermint Grove.

The house is located at 25 Bindaring Parade, Peppermint Grove and has historical associations with the prominent McNeil, Brisbane and McComb families.

Description

The original house was designed by architect Clarence Wilkinson and built in 1894 for businessman and timber merchant Neil McNeil. Substantive additions, undertaken in 1899, were designed by prominent Western Australian architect J. Talbot Hobbs. Later additional and modifications to the house occurred in the 1930s and the 1960s when the northern wing, previously servants quarters were refurbished.

The dwelling is designed in the Federation Bungalow style and built predominantly of jarrah. In 1914, James Battye in his Cyclopedia of Western Australia described the dwelling as follows:

History

The Cliffe was built in 1894/95 by Neil McNeil on 10 acres of land he had purchased in 1892one year after Peppermint Grove was surveyed into building allotments. McNeil was one of the first five landowners in the area and his name was given to McNeil Street which ran along the southern border of his property from the Swan River to what is now Stirling Highway. McNeil was one of the owners of the Jarrahdale Timber Company which exported timber for the paving of London Streets at the turn of the century. Because of his strong business interest in timber and his conviction of its suitability as a building material, McNeil built his home as a showpiece of jarrah construction. Unfortunately, McNeil's vision of majestic timber houses, rather than houses constructed of brick and stone, was not shared by the Peppermint Grove Road Board which later legislated against timber construction in the area.

The original house was designed by Clarence Wilkinson. The house was altered and extended in coming years, most notably the additional of a billiard room and other rooms in 1896 by Wilkinson and Smith and, following McNeil's marriage in 1900 to Jessie Alexander Lawrie, some further modifications in 1906 designed by the architect J.Talbot Hobbs and his firm, Hobbs Smith and Forbes.

In 1915 the property was subdivided into 20 lots with the Cliffe retaining a considerable curtilage on the banks of the Swan River.

The property was sold in 1927, following McNeil's death, to Lance Brisbane, a prominent West Australian industrialist. When Lance Brisbane moved in 1933, Brisbane's brother, David Brisbane, and his family, occupied The Cliffe until his death in 1960.

Harold McComb, a plastic surgeon and Athel Hockey, a geneticist, subsequently purchased the Cliffe and lived there until April 1995. The McComb's had four sons, two of whom (David and Robert) performed in the iconic Australian alternative rock band, The Triffids. According to rock historian, Bleddyn Butcher,

According to Robert McComb, the home inspired his famous brother, who loved the house:

The cover of The Triffids' last album, The Black Swan (1989) was photographed in the stables at the rear of the house during the summer of 1988/1989.

In April 1995, the McCombs sold the house to a local real estate agent, Christopher Shellabear: "Our family all left home and my wife and I were rattling around in this huge house", Harold McComb explained. On 30 June 1995, following receipt of petition from local residents worried about the potential redevelopment of the site, the Heritage Council of Western Australia issued a Stop Work (or Conservation) order under Section 59 of the Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990. On 17 July 1995, Chris Shellabear sold the now-encumbered property to Sharon Creasy, wife of prospector Mark Creasy, for $2.7 million. On 10 October 1995, the Heritage Council of Western Australia added the property to the State Register of Heritage Places on an "interim" basis. The Creasys contested the interim listing for nine years, and in 2004 the Heritage Council removed the dwelling from the interim listing and placed it on the permanent register. There was a legal dispute as to whether the listing was done correctly, resulting in the Heritage Council re-registering it on the permanent list in May 2005. The Creasys estimate that the dispute has cost them $225,000 in legal fees and claim that the house is now uninhabitable, estimating it would cost at least $2.8 million to make it liveable and much more to renovate it completely.

The dwelling is registered on the Shire of Peppermint Grove's Municipal Inventory, and with the National Trust on 6 March 1984, the Register of the National Estate on 30 June 1992, and the State Register of Heritage Places (original interim listing on 10 October 1995 and permanent listing on 27 February 2004). It was then removed from the State Register on 6 July 2004, with a second interim listing on 20 July 2004 and obtaining a permanent listing on 19 July 2005.

According to the Heritage Council of Western Australia's assessment "The Cliffe is a rare example in metropolitan Perth of a substantial weatherboard 'gentleman's' residence, which has, intact, the subsidiary buildings of coachhouse, stables, summerhouse, servants cottages, and part of the original gardens."

On Thursday 5 June 2008 the Legislative Council supported Parliament's first de-listing of an order by the Heritage Council so that the house could be demolished on the basis that the Government was potentially exposed to a $20 million lawsuit under clause 76 of the 1990 State Heritage Act. The clause, which had never previously been used, allows owners of heritage-listed properties to ask the Government to buy their property if its heritage listing makes it "incapable of reasonably beneficial use, and that the carrying out of any reasonable development could not render the land capable of reasonably beneficial use". The property was subsequently removed from the State Register of Heritage Places on 22 August 2008. Section 55 of the Act precludes consideration for re-entry onto the Register for a period of five years from the date of its removal, except with leave of the Supreme Court.

In a newspaper interview, Robert McComb denied claims by Mr Creasy and both sides of parliament that the house was derelict.

In an interview with Drum Media, Jill Birt (keyboardist with The Triffids and qualified architect) advised She went on to express her disdain for Western Australia's tendency to forget about heritage and culture.

In October 2008, the Shire of Peppermint Grove approved the demolition of the building, although the Shire President did indicate that there was a desire among his fellow councillors to see at least the main rooms of The Cliffe relocated to a local park.

The process of the removal from the heritage list occurred resurfaced from a complaint to the West Australian Corruption and Crime Commission in July 2009 with the main parties named denying any conspiracy.

Present status

The property was purchased by a private Perth businesswoman in 2013, who saved it from demolition. The owner purchased substantial land around The Cliffe in 2022 to re-instate its parklands.

References

References

  1. (May 2009). "The Cliffe Future Options Study May 2009". Shire of Peppermint Grove.
  2. {{cite Q. Q125966848
  3. "Australian Dictionary of Biography".
  4. "McNeil, Neil Biography".
  5. (May 2009). "The Cliffe Future Options Study May 2009". Shire of Peppermint Grove.
  6. "Cottesloe's finest residential land : these 20 magnificent blocks - owned by Neil McNeil Esq and surrounding his beautiful residence at Peppermint Grove to be sold in the rooms of the auctioneers, Emanuel Buildings, St George's Terrace on Thursday, Novr. 4th, 1915, at 3 p.m". Learmonth Duffy & Co.
  7. "Sir Hugh Lancelot Brisbane - Biography".
  8. link. (9 February 2012)
  9. "Blood Test - HGSA".
  10. Cashmere, Paul. (5 June 2008). "Max Merritt and The Triffids To Be Inducted into Hall of Fame". undercover.com.au.
  11. Donovan, Patrick. (5 June 2008). "Hall of Fame for Merritt and Triffids". [[The Age]].
  12. Ranalli, Romy. (10 November 2007). "The Cliffe was cradle of The Triffids' rock". [[Post Newspapers]].
  13. Ranalli, Romy. (14 June 2008). "Our house is a person ... big and watching". Post Newspaper.
  14. (13 November 2007). "Battle Over Triffid's House". Themusic.com.au.
  15. Buckley-Carr, Alana. (17 July 2009). "Dream of former glory in ruins". The West Australian.
  16. (7 June 2008). "Cliffe demo is music to Creasys' ears". [[Post Newspapers]].
  17. "Heritage database: The Cliffe (No.1924)". [[Heritage Council of Western Australia]].
  18. Barnett, Colin. (2007-08-30). "The Cliffe - Heritage Listing". Parliament [[Hansard]].
  19. Ranalli, Romy. (29 September 2007). "Grand mansion now a rotting wreck". [[Post Newspapers]].
  20. "Shire of Peppermint Grove Municipal Heritage Inventory 1999)". [[Shire of Peppermint Grove]].
  21. (3 February 2007). "Aussie Heritage: The Cliffe". Aussie Heritage.
  22. {{cite AHD. 10302. The Cliffe, 25 Bindaring Pde, Peppermint Grove, WA, Australia
  23. Taylor, Paige. (10 June 2008). "Heritage fears over Perth mansion The Cliffe". [[The Australian]].
  24. Hogan, Matthew. (4 December 2008). "Cliffe Hanger". [[Drum Media]].
  25. Taylor, Paige. (22 October 2008). "Last-ditch bid to save Peppermint Grove mansion". [[The Australian]].
  26. (14 July 2009). "Company rejects Barnett misconduct claims". ABC news.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

heritage-places-in-perth,-western-australiafederation-style-architecturepeppermint-grove,-western-australia