2 Henry St

2-6 Henry St (was 4-8 pre 1938)

Former Falk Building, Seppelts Building Facade, ACTA Building

No. 2 Henry Street, on the corner of Henry and Phillimore Streets.

Until 1896 the property was owned by Mr Horwood. A new building was constructed in 1888-89 for P. Falk & Co. to F.W. Burwell’s design. Burwell was responsible for substantial additions in 1903 (Builder James Brownlie); he was probably responsible for the gracefully curved facade which is all that remains of the original building.

2 Henry St still has the curved facade of the Falk Building but the interior - and that of 4-8 Henry St- was completely rebuilt for the occupation of various commonwealth government departments - which have since moved on.

OCCUPANTS

Lot 73

1829 - 1837 G. F. Johnston

1855 - 1857 Leake, L

1858 - 1859 Horwood, J J

1876 - 1878 Horwood, J J (Junior)

1898 Falk & Co (P.) (L. Alexander, manager), wholesale tobacconists & jewellery importers.

1935 - 1938 Barnard Ltd Eric, customs, forwarding & shipping agents

1939 - 1942 Daly Bros, shipping agts

1942 - 1945 United States Navy (stores)

Lot 74 owners:

1829 - 1837 Gellibrand, J T

1855 - 1857 Leake, L

1858 - 1859 Horwood, J J

1876 - 1878 Horwood, J J (Junior)

1926 - 1929

Manford Limited, Frank, customs & forwarding agents

Brown & Dureau Limited, merchants, brokers & manufacturers agents

1926 - 1938 Paterson & Co Ld, merchants

1930 - 1936 Nestle and Anglo-Swiss Cond Milk Co (A/Sin) Ltd (1930 - 1932 A O Hill, manager)

1936 - 1938 Woolworth's Bulk Store

1938 - 1942 Barnard Ltd Eric, customs, forwarding & shipping agents

1939 - 1942 Agence Consulaire de France

1945 United States Navy (stores)

warehouse 4-8

1910 Falk & Co. Ltd. P. importers

1910 - 1914 Vacuum Oil Co. Propy. Ltd (Charles Noble, representative)

1911 - 1928 Manford & Co, Frank, customs & forwarding agents

1912 - 1928 Brown & Dureau Limited, merchants, brokers & manufacturer agents (J. A. Newman, manager)

1912 - 1917 Jones & Co. Ltd, H, jam manufacturers

1913 - 1914 Markwald, Henry, indent agent

1916 - 1928 Paterson & Co Ld, merchants

1918 - 1919 Barrow, Noseda & Co Ld, produce merchants

1920 Lempriere & Co, O T, ore buyers

1923 - 1928 CARBARNS & CO, D F Dairy, grain and general produce merchants, 18 Henry St., Fremantle

2 Henry St/ 41 Phillimore Street

Notre Dame University ND49 - ND 50- School of Physiotheraphy and Gymnasium, Classrooms and Research Hub

Formerly Falk & Company Warehouse, Customs House Facade

2 Henry Street (was 4 pre 1938) & 41 Phillimore Street (was 58 pre 1938)

Customs House and former Falk & Company Warehouse was a historic building with a number of prominent ornate façades on Phillimore Street between Henry and Pakenham Streets. The facade of the building and new extensions now extend south until the Lance Holt School (no 10) on Henry St.

Originally built on Lot 55

Architecture: Two storey, rendered, prominent and corner building, with original façade only intact, a brick building has been built behind the façade, which has a zero setback from the pavement. The façade, which extends predominantly into Phillimore Street, has engaged pilasters and a parapet with two pediments.

History: There were simple buildings on the corner of Henry and Phillimore Streets from as early as 1880. It is only as a result of the reclamation work undertaken in the 1880s for the harbour and railway works that development of this site became possible, as previously it had been on the water's edge.

The lot was originally owned by Harrod until 1896, when it was purchased by Gallop, and then to Lilly and Co. in 1898 it appears in the rates record as the property of James Lilly until c. 1909, but remained in the family as part of his estate until after 1940.
The Falk Building for P Falk & Co. (est 1886 in Victoria) was constructed in 1888, by architect F. W. Burwell in with substantial additions designed by Burwell and built by James Brownlie in 1903. These additions wrapped the corner and front onto both Henry and Phillimore St. Falk remained the tenant until 1905.

2 May 1889 New Business Premises at the Port, Messrs. P. Falk & Co. celebrated the opening of their new premises in Henry street, Fremantle, yesterday afternoon. At the invitation of Mr. Alexander the popular local representative of the firm, a numerous company assembled, among whom were present Messrs. Elias Solomon (Mayor), W. S. Pearse, M.L.C., W. E. Marmion, M.L.C., … (reference)

1898 In the early hours of this morning an attempt was made to burglariously enter the warehouse of Messrs. T. Falk and Co., Henry-street, Fremantle. At about ten minutes to 3 o'clock this morning, the watchman of the locality, Mr. T. Lowden, in going his rounds, found that Messrs. Falk and Co. back door had quite recently been tampered with… (reference)

One of P. Falk & Co’s Managing Directors, Mr Lawrence Alexander, was briefly elected Mayor of Fremantle in 1901 and 1902, after the serving Mayor E.W. Davies, considered insane, was removed from office. (reference):

1927 It is not unlikely that Mr. Lawrence Alexander, manager of Messrs. P. Falk and Co., Ltd., will be found to be something of a record-breaker in the business world of Australia. As a young man of 26, he received the Company's power of attorney for this State, and took over the management of the business in April, 1888. In those days the Falk establishment was situated in very humble premises at Fremantle. It had been operating here for 20 months before Mr. Alexander was sent across from the East as its third manager. Now after a connection of 41 years with Western Australia, it has still only had three managers. (reference)

1914 Suicide- George R. Rowe (44), manager at Fremantle of P. Falk and Co., Ltd., committed suicide on Saturday morning by shooting himself in the head and taking poison. Deceased was finishing his employ with the firm, and was to have handed over to his successor that morning. (reference)

In 1985 Commonwealth offices were built, on the site of a number of Victorian warehouses and offices, with only the facades of these being retained and the entire interior of the site being demolished and rebuilt. The most prominent of these older buildings, and the one whose façade now serves as the main entrance to the Customs House, was that of P. Faulk and Co. Oldham Boas Ednie-Brown architects and builders, carried out the $13.7 million redevelopment project. It housed the Fremantle regional office of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, Centrelink, and a number of other Australian Government offices and commercial offices.

2021 Currently used by Notre Dame for their School of Physiotherapy Gymnasium and Computer Labs.

OccupantS:

No. 2 Henry St.

Lot 74 owners: 

1829 - 1837 Gellibrand, J T

1855 - 1857 Leake, L

1858 - 1859 Horwood, J J

1876 - 1878 Horwood, J J(Jnr.)

Postal:

1898 - 1899 Falk & Co (P.) (L. Alexander, manager), wholesale tobacconists & jewellery importers

1935 - 1938 Barnard Ltd Eric, customs, forwarding & shipping agents

1939 - 1942 Daly Bros, shipping agents

1942 - 1945 United States Navy (stores)

No 41. Phillimore St

Lot 73 owners: 

1829 - 1837 Johnston, G F

1855 - 1858 Leake, L

1859 Horwood, J J

1876 - 1878 Horwood, J J(Junior)

Postal:

1902 - 1911 Preston & Co. H. J. merchants & importers

1912 - 1929 Nestle & Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company(1914-1929 William Lohoar, manager)

1935 - 1938 Barnard Ltd Eric, customs, forwarding & shipping agents

1939 - 1949 Daly Bros, shipping agents

1-3 Mouat St

Notre Dame University ND43 - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Howard Smith Building (fmr)

1-3 Mouat St (was 9-11 pre 1938)

Lot 27 was originally owned by Lionel Samson (1829-1879)

Architecture: A Three storey stone and brick corner building with zero setback from the pavement. The building has a decorative parapet with two highly decorative pediments; one of these faces Phillimore Street. The ground floor is stone and the first and second floors are painted tuck point brick with engaged pilasters; ashlar effect to the first floor, Corinthian to the second floor.

History: The Howard Smith Building was built c. 1900 for a Victorian shipping company founded by Captain William Howard Smith in 1854. They are not recorded as working from this building but rather the Frank Cadd Building next door in Phillimore St.

By 1893 Messrs. Howard Smith & Son had expanded into Western Australia and were loading coal at Newcastle, NSW, for Roebuck Bay, WA.

1896 The oft-recurring trouble with the goods traffic has again reached fever heat. Ship-owners and merchants, in casting around desperately for a remedy, have revived the old idea of laying a light line of railway to Owen's Anchorage for the special accomodation of timber ships, so as to leave the Fremantle Pier comparatively free for steamers, The steamship agents at Fremantle, on Wednesday invited members of the Ministry and prominent officials to visit Owen's Anchorage… included F. Newman (Howard, Smith and Son, Limited) (reference)

1900 Photo of Mr F W Newman (Representing Howard Smith & Sons) and other members of the Steamship Owners Association WA Branch (reference)

In 1902 they were based in the Phillimore Chambers (reference)

1904 S.S. " BOMBALA'“ LATEST INTER-STATE COASTING TRADER. WE publish herewith a photo of the s.s. "Bombala," the latest addition to the fleet of the Howard Smith Co., Ltd. Her saloon passenger accommodation is exceptionally luxurious, and the cabins; both on deck and below are very roomy and well ventilated… she has started on a four-weekly service between Sydney, Melbourne Adelaide, and Fremantle… (reference)

1931 HOWARD SMITH'S PROFITS. A substantial reduction In profits is disclosed by Howard Smith, Ltd., as a result of its operations for the year ended December 31, net income for the term being only £18.801 compared with £75,874. The directors explain that trading was very, seriously affected by the acute depression throughout Australia… (reference)

In 2002 Notre Dame became a national university and made the decision to make health education a priority and, therefore, to establish a Medical School and Schools of Health Sciences, Nursing and Physiotherapy in Fremantle… The Foundation Dean of Health was Professor Michael Quinlan, and the Foundation Head of Nursing was Professor Doreen McCarthy, formerly head of nursing at Royal Perth Hospital and supported by Selma Alliex. From the Founding and Establishment of Notre Dame, 1986-2014 by Peter Tannock 2014

The building is currently occupied by the School of Nursing and Midwifery of Notre Dame University, which enrolled the first 24 students on 14 Feb 2000. The University spent A$2.78 million on refurbishing both the Howard Smith and the neighbouring Australian United Steam Navigation Company Building prior to moving in. The architect for the renovation was Marcus Collins and the builder was Bill Fairweather.

OCCUPANTS

1829-1879 Lot 27: Samson, Lionel

No. 1 (was 9 pre 1938)

1900 WA Forwarding Co.

1900 - 1901

Allen Joseph F, architect

Nunn C M, licensed surveyor

Denny Bros, engineers

1901 - 1908 Commercial Travellers' & Warehousemen's Association of WA (Incorp.) W S Lecky, secretary

1910 (known as No 13) Masonic Club, George B Humble, secretary (1910), John Griffiths (1911)

1913 - 1914 (13) W A Whaling Co. Ltd, A Stang, representative & J. P. consul for Norway

1914 Prior, David H

1916 - 1921

Davies, George

Lewis, Archibald H

1917 - 1920 Anderson, Captain Magnus V

1918 Bagster, C H, dentist

1919 Veale, R S

1921

Collyer, A F

Peter, James

1922 Buffalo Club Ltd (E P Cooper, secretary)

1923 - 1949 MELBOURNE STEAM-SHIP CO. LTD.

1923-1935 A W Leonard, manager for WA

1935-1938 John Munro, manager for WA

1938-1946 H.L. Morgan, manager

1947- C.C. Porter, manager

Agents at Geraldton, Bunbury, Albany, Kalgoorlie, Esperance, Ravensthorpe, Wagin, Busselton, Flinder's Bay & Dongarra and Australian Paint & Composition Co Ltd (The) (from 1931).

No. 3 (was 11 pre 1938)

1923 - 1949 Fremantle Stevedoring Co. Ltd.

1927 - 1949 Bunbury Stevedoring Co. Ltd.

1936 - 1943 Anderson, Mrs A

1944 - 1949 Casserley, Mary

2 High st. DALGETY'S BOND STORE

Built in 1902 as Dalgety's Bond and Free Stores, 2 High St

1889 A man named William Carney was charged at the Albany Police-court on the 22nd inst. by the local collector of Customs with having on the previous day illegally unshipped from the R.M.S. Arcadia 161bs. of tobacco, without payment of duty. The case was proved and the defendant was ordered to pay £5 8s. (thrice the value of the tobacco) and also to pay 11s. 6d. costs, in addition to the smuggled tobacco being forfeited. (reference)

1900 The Orient Cafe: Late Chief Steward of S.S. Bullarra, begs to Notify the public that he has purchased the business of the Orient Cafe (No. 2), High-street, Fremantle, and solicits the continuance of your patronage. Cold Luncheons and Salads, Oyster Suppers, Ice Cream, Strawberries, and Passion Fruit, and Cream to be had Fresh Daily. Private Rooms for Ladies. Afternoon Tea a Speciality. (reference)  

13 Feb 1901 AUCTION Sale- Furniture, Mirrors, Ice chest etc. Orient Cafe, No. 2 High-st., Fremantle. G C. Waghorn has received instructions from M. Todd to Sell a quantity of Furniture, Glassware, Shopfittings etc., comprising A.B. chairs, Gipsy tables, ice chest (new), squash chest (new), 2 mirrors, marble-top counter, glass jars, ham, ice machines, scales and weights, patent till, cigarettes, cigars, 600 g.i. tank (new), saucepans, curtains, linoleum, confectionery, glassware, and a host of sundries. (reference)

1902 Article about Dalgety’s new buildings in Fremantle- the warehouse, which has frontages to the railway, High-street, and to Philimore-street, has some 30,000ft. of floor space. The building was designed by and carried out under the supervision of Mr. J. Talbot Hobbs, F.R.I.V.A., of Perth and Fremantle. It is seldom an architect gets a commission to spend on one plot £30,000. This is the largest contract let (privately) in this State for a building, and the result seems to have given the greatest satisfaction to all concerned. The contractor for the building is Mr. W. H. Vincent, and the cost is nearly £30,000. (reference)

1917 Messrs. Dalgety & Co., report having held their usual weekly sale of hides, tallow etc, at the Wool and Produce Exchange, Dalgety's Buildings, Cliff-street, Fremantle, Friday, 9th February; Kangaroo Skins-This market is exceptionally keen, probably owing to the limited number of skins arriving… Kangaroo Skins: Greys- over 2|lb weight Is 5d2s, Reds- | lb weight and over 3s to 3s 6d, joeys to 2s per dozen, Euros- Is 6d to 2s 3d. Coast Wallaby to 2s per dozen. (reference)

1927 The building acquired by Elder, Smith and Co, Ltd is regarded as one of the finest in Fremantle. It occupies all the land between Phillimore street, Cliff street, High street with the exception of the portion used by the Union Bank and contains about 60 offices on two floors, and two-storey stores with a basement which measures 60ft by 200ft.  (reference)

OCCUPANTS

Lot 1 & 2a owners: 1855 - 1859 Government, 1876 - 1879 Shenton, G

1897 Carney, William

1898 Marshall, Hugh

1899 Henderson, Peter

1900 Johnson, Peter & Hume, John

1901 Johnson, Peter

1902 - 1938 Dalgety's Bond & Free Stores- had a long lease and continued to occupy the building (reference)

1938 - 1949 Elder Smith & Co Ltd (stores)

2000- redevelopment by Architect Ralph Hoare. Currently residential flats/apartment block and commercial shop.

FORMER DALGETY'S BOND STORE.JPG