Elders Wool Stores, 38 Cantonment Street

Statement of Significance

Refer to Heritage Council of WA's Statement of Significance on the Register of Heritage Places documentation regarding 1927 section of the woolstores complex of buildings. Refer to the City of Fremantle for the statement of significance for the whole complex of buildings.

Physical Description

Multi storey brick building which has a parpeted roof and multi paned windows. Some have been vandalised and there is grafiti on the brickwork. For further information refer HCWA's Register of Heritage Places documentation.

History

Cantonment Street appears on Surveyor-General Roe’s earliest maps, and used to continue as Cantonment Road to Cantonment Hill, until this section was renamed as Queen Victoria Street in 1892 to avoid confusion. In 1916 the British Government contracted the Australian Government to take over the entire wool consignment. The first woolstores (south) was built by Elder Shenton, originally Stock and Station agents. In 1918 the company became Elder Smith & Co. In 1924 Goldsborough Mort Ltd (GM) was established in Fremantle, and in 1927 built the first stage of the north woolstores on Goldsborough St. Prior to 1927, the location comprised a Church of England Rectory, a duplex with sheds and stable, 8 terrace houses and a large stone residence. The rectory was sold to Goldsborough Mort Ltd (GM) in 1925 for £13, 000, and relocated to the corner of Queen & High Streets. Other lots were acquired by GM as the north woolstores expanded. The north woolstores were built in stages from 1927 (Builder J. Hawkins & Son), 1936-38, 1950-56 (Architect Hobbs, Winning & Leighton, Builder Hawkins & Son), 1962-63, 1969-70 (Architect Hobbs, Winning & Leighton, Builder D. G. Plunkett Pty Ltd). In 1963, Elders Smith merged with GM to become Elders-GM. In 1968-69 a linking bridge was built over Goldsborough Street between the north and south woolstores on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors. The woolstores ceased operations in 1982, after handling 9,703,315 bales of wool. The south woolstores were purchased in 1984 by Fremantle businessman Joe Rotondella for $3.5m, and the building and bridge was demolished in 1985 for a new shopping complex and carpark. In 1987 the north woolstores were used for the America's Cup Ball. In 1989 Australian Wool Corporation used it for storage. There were proposals to demolish in 1985 and 1987. In 1991 Homeswest purchased the north woolstores from Heytesbury Holdings, for development as residential units, which did not eventuate, and the woolstores lay vacant. In 2001 the building was partially demolished for apartments and currently (2013) remains vacant.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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