Claremont Municipal Heritage Area

Child Places

• 26802 Commercial Buildings

Statement of Significance

Claremont Municipal Heritage Area is of exceptional significance as the civic and administrative centre of the town, demonstrating links to the convict depot with its archaeological potential (Claremont Park); the beginnings of the Town, (Municipal Chambers) and commemorating historic links with leaders and identities in the Town (War Memorial).

Physical Description

The Civic heart of the Town of Claremont comprising the remains of the Council chambers, the War Memorial and Claremont Park.
The remains of the Council Chambers tragically damaged by fire, the War Memorial, and Claremont Park providing a landscaped backdrop to the formality of the Chambers and Memorial.

History

HISTORICAL NOTES

1851–1874 Pensioner Guard Village
The Pensioner Guards accompanied convicts to the colonies. In 1851 land around Butler’s Swamp and on the shores of Freshwater Bay was allocated to 13 pensioner guards and their families. In Claremont Park a convict depot was established in 1853 to house convict work parties during the clearing and construction of the Perth-Fremantle Road. Initially it consisted of five wooden buildings and a well. In 1862 two stone buildings were added which may have replaced some of the earlier wooden structures. In 1875 it stopped functioning as a convict depot. The stone buildings were occupied by the ‘Freshwater Bay School’ from 1882 until 1893 when the school moved to its current location on Bay View Terrace.
1896–1902 Birth of a Suburb
This period was a period of rapid growth for Claremont, as shown in the names listed in Wise’s Post Office Directories, which rose from 76 in 1896 to 469 in 1902. This was also the time when Claremont became a municipality and the Municipal Building was constructed. The Claremont Council Offices and surroundings was the civic heart of the Town until fire destroyed the building in November 2010. The building had evolved over time and a number of prominent West Australian architects were involved in the various stages of design and construction.
1921–1939 Inter-War
In the early 1920s Edwin Summerhayes designed a war memorial in memory of the young Claremont men who had died during WWI. A prominent site for the memorial was chosen adjacent to the municipal building and directly on the corner of the Perth-Fremantle Road and Bay View Terrace. On 24 September 1922, General Sir Talbot Hobbs officiated over the ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone and the War Memorial was formally unveiled in March 1923 by Governor Sir Francis Newdegate.

Archaeology

The Depot consisted of five wooden buildings and a well. The well and at least some of these buildings and associated activities remain as archaeological evidence.

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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.