North Fremantle Post Office

Statement of Significance

HCWA Register of Heritage Places-Permanent Entry North Fremantle Post Office North Fremantle Post Office has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: the place has a landmark quality in the streetscape by virtue of its location at the corner of a busy intersection and through its strong three dimensional form; the place is one of a few remaining buildings in what was once a coherent streetscape in North Fremantle. Its loss would seriously diminish the interpretation of the historical and architectural development of North Fremantle; the place is held in high regard by the community and has a high degree of social importance because of its role in relation to the police force for over seventy years, and the post office for over twenty-four years; the place has a symbolic meaning as a surviving remnant of the former North Fremantle townsite and is highly significant in contributing to the community's sense of place; the place, with its simple architectural expression, classical proportions and detail of joinery, is representative of the style, standard and accomplishment of Public Works Department design and construction of the 1890s; and, the place demonstrates a commitment of Government to provide growing localities with public services at a time of rapid increases in population due to the gold boom.

Physical Description

North Fremantle Post Office (former Police Station, Lockup and Quarters) is a two-storey limestone building of domestic scale, built in 1898. It was designed for the Government of Western Australia by the Public Works Department. It is sited on Queen Victoria Street (formerly Perth Road) and, by 1903, the North Fremantle Post Office (former Police Station, Lockup and Quarters) was part of a busy main street, with shops either side and a new Town Hall just down the road. The building is of limestone with stylistic elements of the Victorian Georgian style combined in the picturesque asymmetry favoured by the Arts and Crafts movement of the same period. The building has exposed stonewalling, simple rectangular openings with rendered sills and lintels and comprises both single and two storey sections with a verandah to the east elevation. The massing of the group is asymmetrical with a fine balance between picturesque roof forms and the bulk of the double storey block and which, together with the stone work, gives the building a domestic ambience. The combination of public office, lock-up, and residential function is well composed and the form of the building follows the functional planning. The original plans for the building show a public office (charge room), exercise yard and three cells, with three sets of quarters attached. There are two double storey quarters with two upper floor bedrooms and a single storey, two bedroom, quarters with a connecting door to the police station. The quarters front the street, each with a small front yard and verandah. Front verandahs have screen walls of stone separating the residences and timber verandah posts complete with capitals, bases and brackets. The charge room is entered by a side porch on the south and has direct access to the exercise yard. The side porch to the charge room has the same posts and brackets and a spandrel panel of lattice. The cells open directly onto this yard. There are small iron barred windows over the doors and no other openings. The drawings show a latrine built into an arched alcove in the south wall. From Heritage Council of Western Australia's Register of Heritage Places - Register and Assessment Documentation.

History

Queen Victoria Street developed from the 1860s following the construction of the North Fremantle Traffic Bridge and the upgrading of Perth Road by convicts. Initially called Perth Road, the street has had a number of names over the years: Victoria Avenue (c.1907-c. 1937), Stirling Highway (c. 1937 to c. 1976) and Queen Victoria Street (c. 1976 on). The area bounded by Queen Victoria Street, Stirling Highway (previously Bruce Street) and John Street was the commercial and social centre of North Fremantle, where public buildings such as the town hall, police station and post office were located. Also in this vicinity were the pubs and wine bars, butchers, bakers, grocers, haberdashery and barbers shops that catered for the needs of the local community. Queen Victoria Street continues to be North Fremantle’s main commercial precinct in North Fremantle. This building was constructed in 1898 as the North Fremantle Police Station, Lockup and Quarters by the Western Australian Government to service the rapidly growing district of North Fremantle. Stables were located to the rear of the property across the right of way (now Jewell Parade). W B Hardwick of the Public Works Department designed the building under the direction of the Chief Architect, J H Grainger. Following a call for tenders issued in July 1897, J B Campbell was awarded the contract and work was completed in February 1898. The building was immediately occupied by one corporal, one mounted and two foot constables. The works comprised a public office (charge room), exercise yard and three cells with three attached residences. Little work was done until 1957, when plans were prepared to convert the exercise yard to a charge room. The stone wall to the south was removed and replaced with a new brick wall, and the building was given a new floor, roof and public entry. The three cells were combined into one. Following the closure of the Police Station in 1969, the North Fremantle Post Office moved into the premises and post boxes were placed in window openings and a porch built to the front. Located on the southern side of John Street, the original North Fremantle Post and Telegraph Office (1892) had been demolished to make way for road widening and postal services were temporarily moved to the Town Hall. In 1991, Australia Post leased out the section of the building occupied by postal services and the remainder of the building was used as Homeswest accommodation. This place was included in the 'North Fremantle Heritage Study' (1994) as a place contributing to the development and heritage of North Fremantle. It was also included in the list of heritage places in the City of Fremantle identified by the Fremantle Society (1979/80) - PURPLE -of architectural and historic significance in its own right. The place has also been included in the State Register of Heritage Places by the Heritage Council of Western Australia. Refer to the register entry and assessment documentation for further information.

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

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