Great Southern Roller Flour Mill

Parent Place or Precinct

22385 North Fremantle Precinct

Statement of Significance

The Dingo Flour Mill, being a complex of buildings, including the flour mill, silos, offices and other buildings associated with the operation of the mill, constructed between 1922 and c. 2000 have cultural heritage significance due to the landmark qualities displayed in the strong vertical proportions, height and massing of the mill and silo structures, the Dingo brand on the metal clad silo and the Norfolk Island Pines on Stirling Highway. The mill was one of the larges purpose built flour mills in Western Australia and is the only flour mill that still operates in the metropolitan area. It is also one of the most substantial buildings dating from the Inter-War period in Fremantle. The site is largely intact and provides information on the process of roller flour milling. The original mill building was designed by J.F. Allen, a prominent local architect. The distinctive office was designed by W.G. Bennet, another prominent architect of the Inter-War period.

(This statement is based on the draft heritage assessment prepared by Robin Chinnery and Phil Griffiths for the Heritage Council of WA, May 2001)

Physical Description

Great Southern Roller Flour Mills Limited, North Fremantle is a complex of buildings, including the flour mill, silos, offices, and other buildings associated with the operation of the mill, constructed between 1922 to the present. The site contains examples of Federation Warehouse and Inter-War Art Deco buildings. There is the distinctive red dingo painted on the west face of the silos. The collection of industrial buildings are set back from the road. The single storey office is located at the front of the site, thus keeping the scale small. The four-storey factory to the rear, the tall silos, together with more recent additions, form an imposing but aesthetically pleasing composite whole. The site is well maintained. Buildings are contructed of corrugated iron roof and walls and rendered masonry walls with corrugated iron roofs.

A Heritage Assessment was prepared in Feb 2010 by Carrick + Wills Architects for a DA submission to Council (DA0657/09) for proposed alterations and conservation works to Building F29 Warehouse. The specific works are to three windows to the west elevation.

History

The portion of Stirling Highway to the north of Queen Victoria Street was originally part of Perth Road. The area developed with mixed residential, commercial and industrial uses from the 1860s following the construction of the North Fremantle Traffic Bridge and the upgrading of Perth Road by convicts. The portion of Stirling Highway that runs between the Swan River and the junction with Queen Victoria Street was formerly called Bruce Street. It was named after Colonel Bruce, head of the Pensioner Guards. In the early days of North Fremantle’s development, the favoured residential area for settlement was slightly west of the North Fremantle oval and named ‘Brucetown’.

Settlement of North Fremantle began in earnest in the late 1890s and Bruce Street was characterised by a mix of building types. On the southern side of the street between Queen Victoria Street (formerly Perth Road) and Tydeman Road (formerly Pensioner Road and then John Street), the buildings were predominantly residential. Industrial use was more common on the northern side.

Stirling Bridge was constructed across the Swan River at the end of Bruce Street in 1974. As Bruce Street was now the major arterial link between the bridge and Stirling Highway, the street was widened and renamed as an extension of Stirling Highway.

In recent years, new high-density residential development of the areas adjacent to the river on either side of Stirling Highway has seen a significant change in the mix of buildings in the southern section of Stirling Highway. In 2004, the street continues to have a mix of residential, retail and industrial land use.

In 1903, the Narrogin Co-Operative Flour Milling Co established and operated a mill in Narrogin. The company continued to operate until 1912, when the mill was sold to a group of ’10 well known Narrogin identities’. These men had formed a new company called Great Southern Flour Mills Ltd. In 1916, the manager was requested to look for a suitable site to establish a flour mill in Fremantle to be built at some stage in the future. In December 1920, a new company was established to take over the existing operators of the Narrogin Flour Mill, with the express aim of establishing a new mill in the metropolitan area. The new company was called Great Southern Roller Flour Mills Limited. The company had its eye on a portion of land in North Fremantle (Lots 11 to 20 of P62 and Lots P61 and 172), which they considered ideal for a flour mill as it was close to the railway line, Perth-Fremantle Road and Fremantle Harbour.

Under the management of S. Connor, designs for a mill building, wheat cleaning, bins and a sub-station were drawn up by architect J.F. Allen of Allen and Nicholas Architects, Fremantle. Allen designed many commercial, public and domestic buildings in and around Fremantle, including the East Fremantle Town Hall, the Fremantle Trades Hall and the IOOF Orphans’ Home at Cottesloe.

The Great Southern Roller Flour Mill was officially opened on 28 March 1922 by the Governor, Sir Francis Newdegate. The large 22 stack mill provided the company with the capacity to be a major force in the milling industry. A packer room and extensions to the flour mill were completed later that year. Other works included two rail sidings to the mill.

In the 1920s, the brand name ‘Dingo Flour’ was used for flour produced at the company’s North Fremantle mill (flour form the Narrogin Mill was branded ‘Henco’). While many industries closed during the depression years, the North Fremantle flour mill remained in operation. In the mid-1930s, a 75,000 bushel jarrah silo faced with corrugated iron was completed. According to memories of local residents, the ‘dingo sign’ was painted on the side of the 1936 silo in 1940. During World War II, the sign had to be painted out as part of the war precautions and was repainted in 1946. According to locals, the eye was added at this time. The red dingo has become an iconic figure of North Fremantle and is why the place is very often referred to as the Dingo Flour Mill.

In 1938, architect W.G. Bennett drew up plans for a new office building, to be located on Stirling Highway (the office had been located in an old cottage facing Thompson Road). Bennett was a prominent Art Deco architect, who designed many fire stations, the Raffles Hotel (1937) and C.S. Dyer House in South Perth (1938).

A 1939 diagram shows a brick office building in the south-western corner of the site (corner of Leslie Street and Stirling Highway), with a semi-circular drive off Stirling Highway. The remainder of the site comprised a complex of galvanised iron, weatherboard and asbestos buildings, including a brick house fronting Thompson Road. The site was dominated by the large mill building of galvanised iron on brick foundations and two silos to the west of the building. A railway spur line ran off Stirling Highway, through the main building and continued across Thompson Road to the south of the Vacuum Oil site.

In the 1950s, Great Southern Roller Flour Mills Ltd was the second largest flour miller in Western Australia behind George Weston Foods Ltd at Northam. Demand for Atta flour from the North Fremantle mill continued to grow in the 1950s and a new hopper system was installed. The mill largely supplied medium sized bakeries.

Great Southern Roller Flour Mill Ltd was taken over by Allied Mills Ltd in January 1976 (an Eastern states company), which became Goodman Fielder Wattie Ltd after a subsequent merger. However, Great Southern Roller Flour Mill was retained as the official name of the North Fremantle mill. After the company closed the Narrogin Mill in 1979, all operations were transferred to North Fremantle. In 1960, there were 20 mills operating in WA; in 1982 the North Fremantle mill was one of only two.

In 2005, the Great Southern Roller Flour Mill is the only remaining flour mill in the metropolitan area and is one of the two largest in the state. Milling is in progress between 16 and 24 hours a day, depending on demand. Modifications and additions have been completed over the years to keep the mill viable and to meet modern production demands. The site was nominated for a Heritage Conservation Award in 1996.

This place was included in the "North Fremantle Heritage Study", prepared by Craig Burton, for the City of Fremantle, June 1994.

A Heritage Assessment was prepared in Feb 2010 by Carrick + Wills Architects for a DA submission to Council (DA0657/09) for proposed alterations and conservation works to Building F29 Warehouse. The specific works are to three windows to the west elevation.

Integrity/Authenticity

High degree of integrity (original intent clear, current use compatible, high long term sustainability, restored).
High degree of authenticity with much original fabric remaining.
(These statements based on street survey only).

Condition

Condition assessed as good (assessed from streetscape survey only).

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This data is provided by the City of Fremantle. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this data, the City of Fremantle makes no representations or warranties about its accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose and disclaims all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages (including indirect or consequential damage) and costs which you might incur as a result of the data being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason. Under no circumstances should this data be used to carry out any work without first contacting the City of Fremantle for the appropriate confirmation and approval.