WEST END CONSERVATION AREA (proposed boundaries)

Parent Place or Precinct

22581 WEST END CONSERVATION AREA (proposed boundaries)

Child Places

• 22581 WEST END CONSERVATION AREA (proposed boundaries)
• 22581 WEST END CONSERVATION AREA (proposed boundaries)
• 22581 WEST END CONSERVATION AREA (proposed boundaries)

Statement of Significance

The West End Conservation Area is a place of exceptional cultural heritage significance to the City of Fremantle and the State of Western Australia because: It was the point of first arrivals to the Swan River colony in 1829; It has remained Western Australia’s principal port city throughout its history: It retains the original town plan laid out to designs prepared by surveyor General John Septimus Roe in 1829; It contains a number of buildings representing the early colonial history of Western Australia, including the Round House; It contains the Convict Establishment established to house convicts from the 1850s; It contains the Fremantle harbour, designed by C Y O’Connor and built from 1894–96; and It contains a high concentration of buildings constructed from circa 1880s to 1920s representing the development of the State as a result of the discovery of gold and the consequent expansion and commercial activity in Western Australia.

Physical Description

The West End Conservation Area is defined as the area bounded by the north west side of Victoria Quay level with James Street, heading south west around and along the shore to Bather’s Bay, then northeast to Mews Road south of FCC carpark No. 31, southeast along Mews Road, then north east across the Esplanade Reserve along the east side of Carpark No. 11 to Marine Tce, south along Marine Tce to the rear boundary of lots on the south eastern side of Norfolk Street, northeast to South Tce, south east along South Tce to Alma Street, east along Alma St to Hampton Road, north on Hampton Rd to Knutsford St, west on Knutsford St to the rear boundary of lots on the west side of Parry Street, north to Ellen St, west along Ellen St to Parry St, north along Parry St to Quarry St, north east along Quarry St to James St, and west along James St to the side of Victoria Quay.

History

The town map of Fremantle was prepared in 1829 by Surveyor General John Septimus Roe. This was expanded in 1833 and again in 1836. The town was planned on a rectangular grid with Arthur Head at the apex of the town site and High Street extending from the Round House (built in 1830-31) through the centre of the town. To the west of Market Street the town plan comprised a series of streets running approximately north/south with small lots, facing east-west. To the east of Market Street the axis of the street layout changed to run north-east/south-west approximately parallel with the original shoreline. Lots were larger, and central to this area were two main squares - King's Square and Queen's Square located in the alignment of High Street. While the area to the west of Market Street remains substantially intact from the late nineteenth century, extensive development in the 1970s has resulted in significant change to the central area of the city, as tensions grew between conservationis

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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