101-107 High Street (pre 1938 - 123/125/127/129 High Street)
A two storey rendered building of co-joined retail shops that extend along the corner of Market St and High Sts. The name 'Higham's Buildings' is seen below the decorative stucco pediment in the parapet facing High Street, (there are three decorative pediments down Market Street) 'EST. d 1853' is in stucco across the corner.
The first buildings on this site were a store and residence owned by Mrs Mary Higham in 1853. The first buildings were replaced in the 1890s by the 'new' Higham buildings and added to in the 1900s. The building remained in the Higham family until 1974.
Mary Higham (1819-83), arrived in Fremantle with her husband, John and their two children aboard the Sabrina in 1853. They opened a small bakery and Mary had four more children within five years. When John died (40) Mary was left to support six children. In 1859, With the help of a teenaged son, Edward, she started a clothing and furnishing emporium, M. Higham and Sons, at the corner of High and Market Streets. While she gained respect from the male merchants of the town she was still restricted from their political, business and social organisations and Edward often stood in for her. After expanding the emporium (she won the contract to provide shingles for the Lunatic Asylum) her company diversified - in the manner of Fremantle's dominant merchants - into pastoral activity, pearling and shipping. Mary Higham resigned from running the company in 1881, handing it over to her son, John, two years before she died. (reference-Metropolitan Cemeteries Board - Founders & Felons and others who shaped Fremantle's History, 10 Apr 2020 by Bonnie Aanderson)
1905 Evangelos Florias was granted a colonial wine licence for a restaurant in High-street. (reference) This was for the Central Oyster Saloon.
1945 Discharged N.Z. soldier, 22 year-old Andrew Francis O'Brien was released on a bond of £10 in Fremantle Police Court… O'Brien admitted a charge of having assaulted John Roberts Little…on January 25 O'Brien went into the Allied Victory Cafe, Fremantle, and without provocation threw Little to the floor…Counsel for O'Brien said that his client served in Greece, Crete and Tunisia, where he was bombed and wounded. He had periodical 'black-outs' and committed offences during those fits. (reference)
AIF 1916, John Humphrey Coyle (Regimental number 2805) Occupation Labourer, Single, Age at embarkation 20. Next of kin Gertrude Coyle.
OCCUPANTS
Lot 417 & 432 owners: 1829 - 1837 (417)McDermott, Marshall, 1855 - 1859 (417)McDermott, M (432)Sainsbury, J, 1876 - 1878 (417)Higham & Son (432)Sainsbury, John
No. 101
1899 Watson’s Chambers Watson William, dairy produce merchant
Thompson & Co. estate agents
Woods & Hudson, sail & tent makers
Garrett & Thomas Misses,
1900 - 1904 Watson William, dairy produce merchant
1904 - 1907 Florias, E, Central oyster saloon
1908 - 1911 Fuller, Naughton L D, butchers
1912 Baker J & L, butchers
1913 Rebuilding
1914 - 1916 Prince, Percy T, shoe store
1917 - 1927 Saggers, Ernest, merchant
1928 Vacant
1929 - 1934 Fletcher, E R, fancy goods
1934 - 1939 BANK OF AUSTRALASIA
(1935 - 1937 A. B. Cowle, manager), (1937 - 1938 G. F. O. Bristol, acting manager), (1938 - 1939 J. S. Turner, acting manager)
1939 - 1941 Ballie, John, electrical engineer
1941 - 1944 Vacant
1945 - 1946 Allies Victory cafe, restaurant
1947 - 1949 Paris Cafe, restaurant
No. 103
1899 Watson, William, dairy produce merchant
1900 Richards & Co. drapers
1901 - 1905 Silbert & Sharp, fruiterers
1906 - 1912 Parry & Co. E. chemists
1908 - 1911 Day, Harry R, dentist
1912 Blaxland, Walter, medical practitioner
1913 Rebuilding
1914 - 1916 Silbert, Sol, fancy goods
1917 - 1924 Clegg's Arcade, fancy goods, (A Lucraft, ppr)
1925 - 1930 Fletcher, E R, fancy goods
1931 - 1938 Parry, E & Co, chemists
1938 - 1939 Bradshaw, Malcolm, chemist
1939 - 1949 Rees, M G, chemist & Ennis, George, dentist
1940 - 1941 Sparrow, V N, chiropodist
1940 - 1943 Laubman & Pank, opticians
No. 105
1901 - 1902
Fraser, Davies & Day, grocers
Saunders & Nathan, tobacconists- later moved to corner High and Henry st - the Rialto
1903 - 1907 Davies & Day, grocers
1903 - 1909 McLaren, F J, tobacconist
1908 Kennedy, Miss M, refreshment rooms
1909 Warby, T C, refreshment rooms & oyster saloon
1912 Cooper & Cornish, dairy product merchants
1914 - 1916 Cannon, W, tailor
1917 - 1919 Hampton & Walker, T, small goods
1920 Walker & Sons, T, small goods
1921 - 1929 Stevenson & Finch, tailors & mercers
1930 - 1949 Finch, J C, outfitter
No. 107
1899 - 1904 Hunter & Co. (The) (1899 John Daniel Massey, manager), boot importers
1905 - 1909 Breckler Bros, boot importers
1910 - 1912 McLaren, Frederick J, tobacconist
1913 - 1927 Beisley, W J, hairdresser, tobacconist & nurserymen
1928 Fletcher, D, hairdresser & tobacconist
1929 Fletcher, George, hairdresser & tobacconist
1930 - 1937 Fletcher, Roy, hairdresser & tobacconist
1937 - 1941 Gennoe, R H, hairdresser & tobacconist
1941 - 1949 Foord, Sid, hairdresser & tobacconist
