The old Fremantle Police Quarters (at least from 1881) were demolished c 1901 to make way for the Fremantle Municipal Tramways car barn and Electric Lighting Board Depot, erected in 1905 as the Fremantle tramway system developed. The car barn was designed for the Fremantle Municipal Tramways and Electric Lighting Board by J.Herbert Eales and built by Abbot and Rennie.
In 1911 the Fremantle Municipal Tramways and Electric Lighting Board became owners of all of Lot 6 (part of which they had already acquired in 1906).
For a history of the Tramways read this article from 1925 which gives an overview of the first 20 years (reference)
In 1952, the tramways closed and the building was sold to Elder Smith & Co for a wool store.
In 1966 it was sold to Lionel Samson & Son Pty. Ltd. and used as a dispatch centre for their wholesale liquor business. In 1885 the building was sold and redeveloped as apartments.
The original building had a two storey section facing High Street and a one storey car barn behind for the trams. Only the facade now remains. The original barn contained five tracks, one of which was used for cleaning.
From 2002 it has held Chalkey’s cafe on ground floor corner.
OCCUPANTS
Lot 6 owners: 1829 - 1837 Wood & Okeley, 1855 - 1879 Helpman, F
1896 Fremantle Police Quarters demolished for the Tramways carbarn built 1905
1899 - 1900 Jackson, William H
1901 Hume, John
1902 Petersen, Hans
1906 - 1952 Fremantle Municipal Tramsways & Electric / Lighting Board (office)
(1906 - 1926 Albert Mitchell, manager), (1927 - 1929 J T Bold, sec and J Ridgway, engineer)
Upstairs:
1930 - 1935 Laurie and Co Ltd, Robt, stevedores
1941 - 1945 Navy & Army Canteen
1952 Elder Smith & Co
1966 Lionel Samson & Son Pty. Ltd
