26 - 36 High Street (pre 1938 - 44/54 High Street) originally Black Swan House
Fothergill's Building, 32 High Street, also known as the Adelec Buildings, 28-36 High Street was designed by Architect: F.W. Burwell and built by J McCracken c. 1906.
It is a two storey corner building designed in the Federation Free Classical style. The walls are rendered and have ashlar effect, engaged with pilasters with decorative capitols. The ground floor has a truncation across the corner and has ashlar effect pilasters separating each shop. The first floor has decorative engaged pilasters aside pairs of arched stucco with keystone above the semi circular fanlight with a pair timber casement windows below. The name ‘Adelec Buildings’ appears in the parapet.
The property was originally owned by Capt. Edward Henry Fothergill, merchant and mariner. E H Fothergill was Mayor from 1909 to 1910 and Councillor from 1920 to 1923. His father ran the Cleopatra Hotel and E H Fothergill lived at 8 Hampton Road. The trustees of his estate undertook the construction of the building known as the Fothergill Building.
Before there was the Fothergill Building there was the Black Swan House started by W. F. Williams, a tailor and ‘outfitter’ in 1892 (reference):
1894 Attention is called to the advertisement of Mr. W. F. Williams, Black Swan House, Fremantle, from which it will be seen that in addition to the usually large and varied stock of tailoring and general outfitting goods, just arrived for the winter season, Mr. Williams has also added to his stock all kinds of miners requisites, including tents, rugs, blankets, flys, water bags, belts, straps, sheath knives, etc. (reference)
1895 That extensive establishment, the Black Swan House, conducted by Mr. W. F. Williams, is among the more largely patronised houses at the port. Gentleman, or working man, artisan or clerk, will find all his requirements for an outfit of any description or dimensions at a remarkably cheap rate. (reference) See Ad for Batger & Daddo (tailors) who bought the business in 1898 and Kelly & Co (boots) in 1899.
Dixon Hearder (born South Wales 1879) arrived in WA in 1894 and in 1901 was called to the WA Bar. He opened a practice in High Street, Fremantle in 1902, received a commission in the Fremantle Artillery and in January 1905 was gazetted Captain and obtained command of the Corps which he retained until 1908. In civic life he represented the East Ward in the East Fremantle municipality. In 1908 he married Dorothy Booth. He had an office from 1911-1913 in this building (no 34). He served in 1915.
1915 LADIES' TOILET SALOON, Mrs. K. Taylor advertises in our miscellaneous columns that she has just returned from Sydney and Melbourne, and has opened up toilet rooms at No. 5O High-street, Fremantle (opposite Hotel Orient). All the latest and most up-to-date methods of face and scalp massage and hairdressing; also, manicure, pedicure, chiropody, etc. Mrs Taylor also advertises that children's hair is carefully attended to, and that hair combings are made up in any style. (reference)
1926 And still another proud Chev. owner is Mrs. Kay Taylor, of High-street, who would be lost without her weekend run to the hills. (reference)
1926 Mrs. Kay Taylor is being rushed with applicants for permanent waving. The wet weather is taking the curl out of the shingles, so something has to be done. The wave is lovely, and washing it as often as you like, makes not the slightest difference. (reference)
1926 Complaints were made about Mrs Taylors training of girls who paid for tuition at the Toilet Saloon:
Our information is to the effect that the course of tuition given by Kay Taylor is totally inadequate for this purpose, and mothers have found out to their regret, that they have expended their money to no good purpose and the girls have, practically wasted several months of their time… (reference)
1927 Snaden's Pianos Limited- We have pleasure in announcing the opening of a branch of our Business at 48 High-st, (Central), Fremantle -Where we have full stocks of Pianos, Players, Phonographs, Player Rolls etc. Our local manager (Mr. R. Horner) will at all times, be pleased to attend to the requirements of clients… (reference)
OCCUPANTS
Lot 61 owners: 1829 - 1837 Dod, P H, 1855 - 1879 Francisco, Alex
No. 26 (was 44 pre 1938)
1908 "Sunday Times" (office)
1909 Westralian Union Flour Milling Co. Ld. (show rooms)
1911 - 1916 Higham, J J & F G, estate agents (1911 Higham, J J)
1915 - 1916 Scottish Union & Nat. M. Co
1917 Vacant
1918 - 1919 10th Light Horse Comforts Fund (1918 Depot)
1920 - 1921 Bolton, Jackson, independent & estate agent (1920 Bolton, Harry E) W A Insurance Co Ltd (Bolton & Jackson, agents)
1921 - 1925 Beach, Hicks, Ltd, exporters & importers
1926 Vacant
1927 - 1932 Greco, N, tailor
1933 - 1934 Lewis F & J, refreshment rooms
1932 - 1935 Dando I V, refreshment rooms
1935 - 1937 Gibson F, refreshment rooms
1937 - 1938 Foley D H, com. agent
1938 - 1945 Harrison W, com. agent
1946 - 1949 Bill's com agents
2020 Breglia’s Piccolo Lunch Bar
No. 28 (was 46 pre 1938)
1913 - 1916 "Daily News" (E H Brewer, rep)
1917 - 1919 Vacant
1920 - 1934 Steel, Syd, tobacconist & hairdresser
1934 - 1939 Ireland Mrs Annie, tobacconist & hairdresser
1939 - 1941 Ireland Phillip, tobacconist & hairdresser
1941 - 1942 Vacant
1942 - 1949 United Electric Co Ltd, electrical appliances-retail
No. 30 (was 48 pre 1938)
1909 - 1912 "Daily News" (office) (1912 E H Brewer, rep)
1913 - 1914 Rainsford, B, watchmaker
1914 Rainsford, H C
1915 - 1916 Dickinson, A E, watchmaker
1917 - 1919 Vacant
1920 - 1922 Cryer, William F, furniture dealer
1923 George, Bertram, Vita Studio
1924 - 1926 Smith & Co, W furniture dealers
1927 Kakuller, A, fruiterer
1927 - 1944 Snaden's Pianos Ltd, piano dealers
1945 - 1946 Brown Miss Shirley, dancing teacher
1947 - 1949 Beryl-Anne, florists
No. 32 (was 50 pre 1938)
1908 - 1909 Graham J H, tent & tarpaulin maker
1912 Rainsford B, watchmaker
1912 - 1913 Rainsford H C
1914 Harris W H, poultry supplies
1915 Frederick J. sailmaker
1916 - 1921 Taylor, Mrs K, ladies' toilet saloon/beautician
1922 Philip & Slocock, toilet rooms
1923 - 1927 Taylor, Mrs Kay, toilet rooms
1928 Levings, Mrs J, toilet rooms
1929 - 1938 Morris, Miss E, toilet saloon
1938 - 1940 Vacant
1940 - 1943 Four Square Gospel Mission
1944 - 1946 Vacant
1947 - 1949 Roberts W J, taxation consultant
1985 Peppy’s Tea and Coffee, S.C.F opportunity shop
No. 34 (was 52 pre 1938)
1897 Day James, hairdresser & tobacconist
1898 Batger W, civil & military tailor
1899 - 1902 Batger & Maddison, tailors (1899 Batger & Daddo)
1905 Sumpton, W J, fruiterer
1909 Macrorie, Mrs E, costumiere
1911 - 1912 Hearder, Dixon, solicitor represented May Ahearn of the Black Angels fame in 1912
1913 King's Music Depot, James, J, propr. King's
1914 Michaels, Michael, tailor
1916 McCaw, Mrs S G, tea rooms
1919 WA Association of Soldiers and Sailors' Relatives (head office; A E Pady, general secretary)
1921 - 1922 Cryer, Wm F, furniture dealer
1923 - 1924 Vacant
1925 - 1926 Carpenter & Cooper, grocers
1927 - 1929 Smith & Co. W, house furnishers
1930 - 1932 Cowell, Alfred, confectionary and cool drinks
1933 - 1940 Vacant
1940 - 1943 Yellow Carrying & Parcel Express Co, forwarding agents
1944 - 1946 Sweeney Noel, haulage contractor
1947 - 1949 Johnson & Collins, customs agents
No. 36 (was 54 pre 1938)
1893 - 1898 Williams, W F, tailor, hatter & hosier & miners' outfitter -Possibly the Black Swan House
1898 Batger and Daddo, Black Swan House
1901 - 1904 Shrimski, Mark, clothier
1905 Samuels Morris, pawnbroker
1909 - 1917 Fitzgerald, Mrs S E, registration office
1910 - 1917 Macrorie, Mrs E, costumiere
1918 Jackson, Harry, drill room
1919 - 1925 Thompson Co Ltd, J A (E Randell, manager), sewing machine agency
1926 Fothergill & Co Ltd, agents for Buick cars
1927 - 1929 Smith & Co. W, house furnishers
1930 - 1932 Cowell, Alfred, confectionary and cool drinks
1935 - 1943 Yellow Carrying & Parcel Express Co, forwarding agents
1944 - 1949 Sweeney Noel, haulage contractor
A Heritage Assessment was prepared in July 2010 by the City of Fremantle for a DA submission to Council for replacing the existing awning with a verandah and for the building to be known again as the ‘Fothergill Building’. The name was changed accordingly from Adelec Buildings back to Fothergill's Building in the MHI database in 2010.
