Local Government
Perth
Region
Metropolitan
392-404 Murray St, 625-639 Wellington St Perth
Perth
Metropolitan
Constructed from 1912
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Local Heritage Survey | Adopted | 28 Mar 2023 | Category 2 | |
| Local Heritage Survey | Completed\Draft | Category 2 | ||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 13 Mar 2001 | ||
| Perth Draft Inventory 99-01 | YES | 31 Dec 1999 | ||
The place has historic significance as a Public Works Department building from the early 1900s when a number of buildings featuring Donnybrook stone and face brick and were built in Perth. The building represents the period of rapid expansion of public services and the development and evolution of communications technology in Perth following the gold boom of the 1890s. The place is of aesthetic significance as a Federation Free style public building and makes a positive contribution to the streetscape. The significance of the place is increased because it remains substantially intact.
Two storey building with contrasting bands of face brick and stone. Symmetrical facade with central entrance. Royal crest featuring lion and unicorn over the entrance.
The telephone came to Western Australia in 1887, with the first manual exchange opening in a three-room cottage in Wellington Street with 12 subscribers. The Fremantle exchange opened a year later in a small room at the rear of the Town Hall and had 9 subscribers. By 1910, the Perth manual exchange was overloaded and the Post Master General began investigating creating a new exchange. The PMG's Chief Electrical Engineer, John Hesketh, was convinced that an automatic exchange was what was needed and he was sent on an investigative trip to the USA and Europe to enquire about exchanges there. The tender for the exchange was won by the Automatic Electric Company of Chicago 'at a contract price of £42,612/10s, which included 3,350 wall telephones, 750 table phones and 40 party line 'phones, plus 100 coin-operated public telephones. As a result, the first automatic dial telephone exchange was built at 410 Murray Street in 1912. When it opened it was the biggest exchange of its kind in Australia. It continued as Perth's automatic telephone exchange right up until 1987. However it was overwhelmed from the start, and the equipment was upgraded about a year later. The building continued as Perth's automatic telephone exchange right up until 1987, when the new one opened right behind at 639 Wellington Street. The 1912 exchange was converted to offices.
Medium level of integrity. High level of authenticity. Largely as originally constructed with detail intact.
Very Good
| Name | Type | Year From | Year To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Works Department | Architect | - | - |
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cons 4156/14 | Metropoltan Water Supply Survey Plans | State Records Office of WA | |
| Aerial Photographs | Landgate | ||
| ABC News Online - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-22/perth-first-automatic-telephone-exchange/5756990 | 22/09/2014 | ||
| Visual Assessment | |||
| Post Office Directories | State Library of Western Australia |
Individual Building or Group
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Original Use | Transport\Communications | Comms: Telephone Building |
| Present Use | COMMERCIAL | Office or Administration Bldg |
| Style |
|---|
| Federation Free Style |
| Type | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Wall | BRICK | Face Brick |
| Wall | STONE | Sandstone, other |
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.