Commissariat Buildings

Last updated

Commissariat Buildings
Freo gnangarra-119.jpg
The south façade of the Commissariat buildings as viewed from opposite Marine Terrace in 2013
Commissariat Buildings
General information
TypeMuseum
Location Fremantle, Western Australia
Coordinates 32°03′25″S115°44′33″E / 32.056906°S 115.742579°E / -32.056906; 115.742579 (Commissariat Buildings) Coordinates: 32°03′25″S115°44′33″E / 32.056906°S 115.742579°E / -32.056906; 115.742579 (Commissariat Buildings)
TypeState Registered Place
Designated22 June 2001
Part of West End, Fremantle (25225)
Reference no. 857

The Commissariat Buildings are a group of two buildings found at 6 Marine Terrace in the West End of Fremantle, Western Australia, which, with construction having begun in 1852, are one of the first sites built using convict labour in the Swan River colony.

Contents

Throughout their time in use, they have been used in various capacities by several governmental organisations, until 1979 when they began to hold the Western Australian Maritime Museum's shipwreck galleries, which they continue to do to date.

Background

Before the construction of the Commissariat Buildings, all materials bound for the convict establishment were either unloaded to be stored in the temporary prison in Fremantle, or taken upstream to a Perth warehouse. The Commissariat Buildings were constructed to increase the efficiency. [1]

History

Early history

The buildings were designed by the clerk of works James Manning and were constructed in several stages over a period of 50 years, beginning in 1852, under the supervision of Captain Edmund Henderson, Royal Engineer and Comptroller General of Convicts in Western Australia. [2] [3] Originally built to serve a commissariat function, storing the food, clothing and building supplies of the colony, [4] construction issues arose when it was used for storage before a roof had been built due to a number of delays. These delays were extensive enough to warrant the planned third stage of construction being never completed. [5] During this original usage of the site, it was used as by the state government as a Customs House from 1879 to 1908, at which point a new building was built for that purpose. Simultaneously during this time, the site was used by the Post and Telegraph Office from 1879 to 1890 until a new office was constructed opposite the buildings. By the 1890s Western Australia was experiencing the gold rush, and thus due to increased business for the state, Fremantle Port was dredged. [5] In response to this, commerce moved away from the buildings, and the site was vacated in 1909.

Government Stores Department era

While the Commissariat Buildings remained under governmental control from 1908–1923, it is not known what they were used for, until 1923 when the Government Stores Department occupied a part of it, which it would continue to do until it moved location in 1977. The Government Stores Department gradually gained control of most of the building, and through it, the buildings became the central point for exportation and importation of the state's goods. During this time, the building was damaged in various ways, as with the invention of the vehicle, some sections of the wooden block floors had to be replaced with concrete, and with the invention of the forklift, several arches were damaged. Simultaneously to its occupation by the Government Stores Department, the site had other tenants, including the Child Welfare Department during the 1930s, a maintenance section for Stateships between circa 1935 to 1975, the Fisheries and Wildlife Department from 1939 to 1981.

WA Shipwrecks Museum

In the 1970s the state and federal governments created legislation regarding the conservation of historic shipwrecks. With this, the Western Australian Museum considered its own conservation of maritime pieces, which, combined with the excavation of the Batavia, led to the State Government funding the conversion of the buildings into the Western Australian Maritime Museum shipwreck galleries, [6] [7] [8] which were opened to the public in 1979. [9] Today the site holds the WA Shipwrecks Museum [10] and is listed on the City of Fremantle's Municipal Heritage List. [11]

Description

The stern section of the Batavia hull and replica of gateway, both contained inside the Shipwrecks Museum Shipwreck Galleries, Fremantle, WA.JPG
The stern section of the Batavia hull and replica of gateway, both contained inside the Shipwrecks Museum

Design

The Commissariat Buildings, designed to be utilitarian by architect James Manning in a Victorian-Georgian and Victorian Regency style were built over 50 years, with construction beginning in 1852. [12] [13] The two buildings combine to heavily contribute to the general aesthetic of the West End of Fremantle, with the buildings themselves matching the aesthetic of surrounding buildings such as the Round House, the Old Kerosene Store at Bathers Beach and the former Court House located on Marine Terrace. The buildings themselves consist of two freestanding structures. [6]

Warehouse

The most dominant of the two buildings is the two-story warehouse, which features dominant gables and incorporates the 'A' store (built in 1852), the 'B' store (built from 1860-1), the 'Drum' Store (built from 1895-6) and the 'New Store' (built in 1898), with all of these except the 'New Store' being built in the Victorian-Georgian style. The Warehouse faces out to Croke Lane, Marine Terrace and the railway reserve. The walls are made of coursed limestone rubble and the roof is made of Colorbond finished corrugated iron. [6]

Administration building

The other building on the site is the smaller Administration Building, which is only two-story in parts. Due to the Administration Building being built for a different purpose than the warehouse building, it was built with a more complex, Victorian Regency style. Originally built in 1852, a southern extension was made circa 1894, with a northern two-story extension being made in 1896, and a further southern extension made in 1897. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

Fremantle Port city in Western Australia

Fremantle is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. In 2016, Fremantle had a population of approximately 29,000. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for Fremantle is Freo.

Fremantle Prison Former prison in Fremantle, Western Australia

Fremantle Prison, sometimes referred to as Fremantle Gaol or Fremantle Jail, is a former Australian prison and World Heritage Site in Fremantle, Western Australia. The six-hectare (15-acre) site includes the prison cellblocks, gatehouse, perimeter walls, cottages, and tunnels. It was initially used for convicts transported from Britain, but was transferred to the colonial government in 1886 for use for locally-sentenced prisoners. Royal Commissions were held in 1898 and 1911, and instigated some reform to the prison system, but significant changes did not begin until the 1960s. The government department in charge of the prison underwent several reorganisations in the 1970s and 1980s, but the culture of Fremantle Prison was resistant to change. Growing prisoner discontent culminated in a 1988 riot with guards taken hostage, and a fire that caused $1.8 million worth of damage. The prison closed in 1991, replaced by the new maximum-security Casuarina Prison.

York, Western Australia Town in Western Australia

York is the oldest inland town in Western Australia, situated on the Avon River, 97 kilometres (60 mi) east of Perth in the Wheatbelt, on Ballardong Nyoongar land, and is the seat of the Shire of York.

The Western Australian Museum is a statutory authority within the Culture and the Arts Portfolio, established under the Museum Act 1969.

Government House, Perth

Government House is the official residence of the governor of Western Australia, situated in the central business district of Perth, the state capital. It was built between 1859 and 1864, in the Jacobean Revival style.

Fremantle Arts Centre Art gallery and studios in former asylum in Fremantle, Western Australia

The Fremantle Arts Centre is a multi-arts organisation based in a historic building complex on Ord Street in Fremantle, Western Australia.

Perth Gaol Former prison building in Perth Western Australia,

The Perth Gaol was a gaol (jail) built in Perth, the state capital of Western Australia, between 1854 and 1856 to house convicts and other prisoners. It is located just west of Beaufort Street.

Richard Roach Jewell was an architect who designed many of the important public buildings in Perth during the latter half of the nineteenth century. He was employed to supervise many major building projects around England, churches in Bristol, Cardiff, Clifton, Eye, Horsley and Stroudswater. As well as churches he also supervised construction of Stanstead College, a military prison in Gosport and fortifications at Portland Castle and Southsea Castle. He was also employed as a clerk of works in the offices of Sir Charles Barry.

Fremantle Town Hall Town hall and multi-purpose hall in Fremantle, Western Australia

Fremantle Town Hall is a town hall located in the portside city of Fremantle, Western Australia, and situated on the corner of High, William and Adelaide Streets. The official opening, on 22 June 1887, coincided with the celebration of Queen Victoria's Jubilee and it was formally named by the mayor, Daniel Keen Congdon and the state governor, Sir Frederick Broome, as the Town and Jubilee Hall.

Garrick Theatre (Guildford)

The Garrick Theatre is the longest continually running amateur theatre group in metropolitan Western Australia, located at 16 Meadow Street in Guildford, Western Australia. The original structure was built in 1853 and is considered to be one of the few intact parts of a convict depot demonstrating the way of life in the Convict era of Western Australia – current use as a theatre was preceded by use as Commissariat Store and Quarters and later as an Infant Health Centre.

Tourism in Perth Tourism in Perth

Tourism in Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, is an important part of the Australian state's economy, contributing to the prosperity of businesses in the city, as well as other regions of the state.

Falk & Company Warehouse Heritage registered building in Fremantle, Western Australia

Customs House and former Falk & Company Warehouse is an historic three-storey brick building located in Fremantle, Western Australia. The building has a number of prominent ornate façades on Phillimore Street between Henry and Pakenham Streets. It houses the Fremantle regional office of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, Centrelink, and a number of other Australian Government offices.

Commissariat Store, Brisbane Heritage-listed building in Brisbane, Queensland

Commissariat Store is a heritage-listed storehouse at 115-127 William Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is bordered by William Street, Queen's Wharf Road and the Brisbane River, and is the birthplace of Queensland. It was designed by William John Dumaresq and built from 1828 to 1913 by convict labour under the direction of Captain Logan as a permanent Commissariat Store for the Moreton Bay penal settlement. It is also known as Government Stores, State Stores Building, and Colonial Store. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

Trinity Church, Perth Church in Perth, Western Australia

Trinity Church is one of the oldest church buildings in the City of Perth, and one of the few remaining 19th-century colonial buildings in the city. It is located at 72 St Georges Terrace in Perth, Western Australia.

Daniel Scott (harbourmaster) Western Australian harbour-master

Daniel Scott was a Western Australian harbour-master. Originally from Liverpool, England, he moved to the newly established Swan River Colony in 1829. Scott was the first chair of the Fremantle Town Trust in 1848. In addition to his civic and harbour duties, he was involved with launching a number of enterprises in early Western Australia, including the first whaling business, the first ship builders, and a lead mining business.

History of Fremantle Prison Aspect of history surrounding Fremantle Prison

The history of Fremantle Prison, a former Australian prison in Fremantle, Western Australia, extends from its construction as a prison for convicts, using convict labour, in the 1850s, through to its modern-day usage as a tourist attraction. The design for Fremantle Prison was based on the Pentonville Prison in Britain, and it would be the longest, tallest prison cell block in the southern hemisphere. Construction began in 1851, and was completed by the end of 1859. The prison was transferred to the colonial government in 1886 for use for locally sentenced prisoners. Following a Royal Commission held in 1898−99, some changes were made to Fremantle Prison, including knocking down the inner wall between two cells, introducing a prisoner classification system, and constructing internal walls in the main block to create four separate divisions. A new cell block, New Division, was completed in 1907 and occupied in 1908.

Architecture of Fremantle Prison Building design of Fremantle Prison

The architecture of Fremantle Prison includes the six-hectare (15-acre) site of the former prison on The Terrace, Fremantle, in Western Australia. Limestone was quarried on-site during construction, and the south-western corner and eastern portion of the site are at a considerably higher ground level. The Fremantle Prison site includes the prison cell blocks, gatehouse, perimeter walls, cottages, tunnels, and related infrastructure.

Construction of the new Toodyay Convict Hiring Depot began in February 1852 and was completed by 1856. The depot was closed in 1872. The site chosen, Avon Location 110, was an area of Crown land measuring just over 45 acres (18 ha). It was situated approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) upstream from the site of the previous Toodyay Convict Hiring Depot (1851) located at the Toodyay townsite. The previous depot had only ever been a temporary arrangement born of necessity when accommodation was required at short notice. The new depot site was surveyed by Francis Thomas Gregory in 1852.

Sydney Cove West Archaeological Precinct

Sydney Cove West Archaeological Precinct is a heritage-listed precinct that contains The Rocks police station, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, car park, parks, shops and roads located at 112-156 George Street, in the inner city Sydney suburb of The Rocks in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The precinct previously contained a commissariat store, Maritime Services Board offices, dockyard and Department of Labour & Industry offices. Buildings in the precinct were developed in various stages since 1797 to date, with heritage-listed buildings dating from 1797 to 1939. The precinct is also known as the Museum of Contemporary Art, Maritime Services Board, Colonial Government naval dockyard, Commissariat Stores, Colonial Hospital, Kings and Queens Wharf and First Fleet Park. The property is owned by Property NSW, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 5 August 2011.

References

  1. ↑ Bosworth, Michal (2004). Convict Fremantle: a place of promise and punishment. Crawley, Western Australia 6009: University of Western Australia Press. ISBN   1920694331.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  2. ↑ Heritage Council. "Commissariat Buildings". Assessment Document. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 20 November 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. ↑ Crawford, I. M. (Ian M.); Delroy, Ann; Stevenson, Lynne; Western Australian Museum (1992), A history of the Commissariat, Fremantle, 1851–1991 (Rev. ed.), Western Australian Museum, ISBN   978-0-7244-8429-4
  4. ↑ "Register of Heritage Places Assessment Documentation 2016". Heritage Council of Western Australia. 18 November 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  5. 1 2 Wynne, Emma (15 September 2015). "Fremantle convict-built warehouses offer window into Perth's maritime past". ABC News. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Register of Historical Places - Assessment Documentation 2001". Heritage Council of Western Australia. 22 June 2001. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  7. ↑ Palmoja, Gordon; Western Australia. Public Works Dept (1984), 'Commissariat' Maritime Museum, Cliff Street, Fremantle, Western Australia, Public Works Dept, retrieved 17 May 2013
  8. ↑ Palmoja, Gordon; Western Australia. Architectural Division (1970), C̀ommissariat' Maritime Museum, Cliff Street, Fremantle, Western Australia, The Dept, retrieved 17 May 2013
  9. ↑ Ridgway, Peter. "Contributing to Australia's Maritime History: The Australian Association for Maritime History" (PDF). The Australian Association for Maritime History. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  10. ↑ "WA Shipwrecks Museum - About". Western Australian Museum. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  11. ↑ "Heritage List" (PDF). City of Fremantle. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  12. ↑ "Commissariat". The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News . Perth, Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 18 June 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  13. ↑ Stout, Stephen Montague; HRRC (1864), Fremantle ca.1864 , retrieved 17 May 2013 – the notes section of the trove entry is important to read for details of the photographs use
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.