Elise Jarman remembers when they were engaged, it was virtually impossible to find anywhere to live. Even a small flat was nearly impossible to find. Elise and Harry moved into what had been Harry’s bedroom on the enclosed veranda of his family home. They stayed there for a couple of years, until their house was built.
Ph0888-02 Lot 123 Kingsland Avenue, City Beach – After clearing and excavating
Aug. 1950 – Donated by Elise Jarmin
Elise and Harry bought a block of land at City Beach. The block was not very accessible. It was on a section of City Beach called the North End, with The Boulevard as the northern boundary. There was just one road off the Boulevard going into the area where their block was and about 15 houses there. It was pretty much just sand hills and scrub.
Ph0888-03 Harry Jarman and Vic Tenger laying the foundations from Kingsland Avenue – Lot 123 Kingsland Avenue, City Beach, c. Aug-Oct 1950. Donated by Elise Jarman.
They would drive out to Wembley and get onto the Boulevard, which was only one way. If they met another car, someone had to back up and let the other car go past.
They started building in 1950. The foundations went down and they had to wait about three months to get bricks, because materials were so hard to come by. It took nearly 18 months to build. There was a restriction on the size that could be built, because of all the shortages. Houses were only allowed to be 12 and a half squares.
Ph0888-04 Jarman House – 19 Kingsland Ave, City Beach, June 1952. Donated by Elise Jarman
Elise remembers a lot of the houses that went up around that time were pokey little places in order to provide even two bedrooms. Elise and Harry had an architect design their house. He was a school friend of Harry’s and designed a reasonably spacious place. It was still only two bedrooms, but it lent itself to later alterations so that it didn’t seem to be quite so pokey.
Ph0888-06 Jarman House, 19 Kingsland Ave, City Beach, 1988. Donated by Elise Jarman
Elise and Harry built on three times and at other times made changes to 19 Kingsland Avenue, City Beach.
Follow The Old Plank Road 