Wills Building

Statement of Significance

The place is of aesthetic and historic significance as an example of commercial warehouse architecture dating from 1924. It has associations with the clothing and fashion industry centred around King Street. The building makes a positive contribution to Wellington Street.

Physical Description

Six storey office/warehouse building originally constructed in circa 1920's. Modified and additional storeys added in 1950's. Grid like facade with simple decoration at cornice level and large multi pained windows. 1950's detailing intact.

History

In 1890 Western Australia achieved responsible government. This, combined with the discovery of gold in the early 1890s, provided the catalyst for development in Perth. King Street was gazetted in 1845 and named after King William IV. Prior to the 1890s the area around King Street was characterised by workers' cottages with shops, coal yards, smithies and foundries located in the adjacent areas of Murray and Hay Street. In the mid 1890s some smaller businesses began to establish themselves in existing cottages and a number of larger enterprises erected substantial new offices and warehouses in the area. Earlier uses primarily served the local population, however this later development was more broadly based and was a direct response to the expansion of the city centre during the gold rush. The period from the late 1890s to early decades of the twentieth century was characterised by a vigorous public works and corresponding expansion of commerce and trade. During this period, the character of the area around King Street was established. In the 1990s, King underwent a substantial program of restoration and is now characterised by new uses including cafes, boutiques and professional offices. G & R Wills and Co. was a major soft goods (cloth and articles made from it) wholesaler established by brothers George and Richard Wills in 1853 in Adelaide. By 1922 the company also had establishments in Melbourne, Perth, Fremantle, Kalgoorlie and Broken Hill as well as agencies in Sydney and Brisbane. The warehouse building at 573 Wellington Street was apparently built in 1924 and provided office and storage for the Wills business. The Post Office Directory lists Hugo Fischer Ltd, ironmonger and wholesale saddler at 573 Wellington Street from 1920-1949; and no address of 82 King Street. The Wills’ main Perth warehouse was at 789-705 Hay Street. It is possible a tenant leased the ground floor of the Wills’ Wellington Street warehouse. The Metropolitan Water Supply Survey plan dated 1942 shows No. 573 Wellington Street extending almost to the rear of the lot boundary. There were four toilets on the rear fence and an engine room marked on the plan. The modified upper floors were added in 1950. The warehouse traded continuously until c. 1985 as a multi-storeyed warehouse for a wholesaler to the clothing industry, which was centred around King Street, Perth. In 2003 Wills Building was converted from a warehouse to a multi-storey apartment with a street address of 82 King Street by Scanlan Architects. The Wills Apartment development rejuvenated two existing vacant buildings, previously used as multi-level warehousing, into a residential apartment block incorporating 33 loft style apartments. The New York style service lift was retained and restored, as were many of the original steel windows featured on the Wellington Street façade.

Integrity/Authenticity

Largely as originally constructed with detail intact.

Condition

Good

Uses

Creation Date

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