SITE OF PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT DEPOT, 15 CORKHILL STREET

Author

City of Fremantle

Place Number

20536

Location

15 Corkhill St North Fremantle

Location Details

Local Government

Fremantle

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1940

Demolition Year

0

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List YES 08 Mar 2007

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 18 Sep 2000 Historic/Archaeological Site

Parent Place or Precinct

25697 SITE OF STATE SHIPBUILDING YARDS

Statement of Significance

This place is significant for being the location of the Public Works Department Depot, buildings demolished c1940. It has historic significance as a marker of development of infrastructure in the Fremantle area.

Physical Description

DEMOLISHED

History

Corkhill Street was originally gazetted as Elizabeth Street, with the name change occurring in the 1930s. The majority of the street north of Harvest Road has no facing lots. It runs along the side boundaries of properties facing the perpendicular streets and was not included in early surveys for the area. A 1904 plan shows only one house in the street between John Street and Harvest Road, but by about the end of the decade, the entire west side of the street in this section was occupied by residences. The east side of the street, where the land backs onto the river and Point Direction, was the site of Browns Shipyards in this period. A.E. Brown had a large Federation-style residence at 1 Elizabeth Street (corner of John Street), which was later demolished, and used the grounds of this house as a holiday camp for disadvantaged children. Rate books of the 1920s and 1930s suggest that a number of the Corkhill Street houses were primarily rented out rather than being occupied by their owners. The land bounded by Harvest Road, Corkhill and John Streets was entirely taken up with sheds and shipyards for most of the twentieth century, with occupants including Northwest Whaling Company, Bradfords Insulation (1954 to 1970s), Precision Marine (late 1970s), and the Public Works Department. During World War Two these shipyards were used for the construction of timber vessels for the Australian Navy. No evidence of the shipyards now remains, as the area was subdivided in the late 1990s and redeveloped as a high density residential area. (See related entry Site of State Shipbuilding Yards.) This site was a PWD Depot (c. 1940s). No evidence of the PWD buildings remain, and information relating to them was not located while undertaking research for this project.

Condition

DEMOLISHED

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use OTHER Other
Original Use GOVERNMENTAL Office or Administration Bldg

Historic Themes

General Specific
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES Government & politics

Creation Date

20 Jul 2011

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

22 Mar 2019

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.