FALK & COMPANY WAREHOUSE (CUSTOMS HOUSE FACADE), 41 PHILLIMORE ST

October 6, 2021

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 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 c1909, but remained in the family as part of his estate until after 1940.

The Falk Building for P Falk & Co. was constructed in 1888, with additions designed and built by F. W. Burwell in 1896. In 1903, more substantial additions by the same architect were built. These additions wrap the corner and front on to both Henry and Phillimore St. Falk remained the tenant until 1905.

Commonwealth offices were built in 1985, however the façade of the Custom's House was kept. Oldham Boas Ednie-Brown architects and Interstruct, builders, carried out the $13.7m project of redevelopment.

Currently (2002), commercial and office use.
Currently (2002), residential apartments.

Lots

Residents

WAREHOUSE, 43 PAKENHAM ST

September 30, 2021

43 Pakenham St (was 89 pre 1938), Felton, Grimwade and Co., Bread in Common

The building at 43 Pakenham Street is a single storey, face brick Federation Free Classical style warehouse building. A panelled parapet is set above a slightly projecting cornice and a frieze tops the façade. The façade contains a large centrally located doorway. It is thought that originally the face of 43 Pakenham Street would have been similar to the façade of 31 Pakenham Street. The ceiling is of beaded T&G Oregon boarding, suggesting that the enclosure is original.

In 1898 Benjamin Fysh was an Importer of all brewers, sundries and produce:

1899 FIRE AT FREMANTLE. WAREHOUSE DESTROYED. At about five minutes before 11 o'clock on Feb. 3, a young man named Rowland Long, who resides in one of a terrace of houses in Packenham-street, Fremantle, on the south side of High-street, observed flames issuing from an arched right-of-way in a building occupied by Mr. Ben. Fysh, the agent for the Euroa Butter and Ice Factory, on the opposite side of the street… The horse-brake was speedily got out, and dispatched to the scene of the fire, and was immediately afterwards followed by the hose-reel from No. 2 station. Three lines of hose were run out from plugs at the intersection of Packenham and Nairne and Collie streets. The front door of the building was burst open, and the fire was found to be burning fiercely in the midst of large quantities of corks, staves, hops, bacon, and cases of lime-juice.
Though the pressure of water was excellent, the three streams directed on to the flames were for a time insufficient to cope with the conflagration, which had evidently originated in a corner of the office, and everything in the front portion of the warehouse, which was constructed of brick, was destroyed. The flames rapidly spread to the rear portion of the premises, which was constructed of galvanised iron… The firemen, under Superintendent Fraser (read bio) and Fireman Hartley, combatted the flames until midnight before they could assure themselves that the water had subdued them. The front portion of the building was gutted, but very little damage was done to the rear portion, by reason of the work performed by the members of the brigade. A perfect deluge of water was poured into the shop, and the passage into Packenham-street became a rushing stream of water several inches deep, on which innumerable corks, with large quantities of hops, were floating out into the street. The building, as well as that on the north of the archway, which was similarly built, are both owned by Miss Alice Illingworth, a sister of Mr. F. IIlingworth, M.L. A….There were vegetables and butter stored in Mr. Fysh's ware-house at the time of the fire…Mr. Fysh carries on several agencies besides that of the Euroa Butter and Ice Factory, among them being that of Messrs. Smith, Kenihan and Co., prominent Victorian bacon-curers. (reference)

1901 Felton, Grimwade and Co. were wholesale druggists and manufacturing chemists who expanded from their Melbourne office following the mining boom in Western Australia.

1899 Visitors to the Exhibition, particularly those interested in mining, will at once notice the excellent display of Messrs Felton, Grimwade and Co., embracing particularly ASSAY MATERIAL AND CHEMICAL AND SCIENTIFIC APPARATUS. They make a specialty of supplying the mines with all requirements -in Cyanide, Assay Material, or in Chemicals. In regard to cyanide they are now daily booking large orders… (reference)

The bulk store was established in Fremantle to enable its Western Australian orders to be supplied promptly, particularly to the goldfields where a branch was also established. The firm was well known for Kruse’s fluid magnesia and Bosisto’s “parrot Brand” eucalyptus oil. Felton, Grimwade and Bickford Ltd opened a new laboratory and works, in Subiaco in 1954 ( reference)

During 2013 the building was restored and adapted for use as a bakery and restaurant operating as ‘Bread in Common’. The project with Spaceagency architects won several architectural awards by the WA Institute of Architects in 2014.

OCCUPANTS

Lot 114 owners

1829 - 1837 Johnston, G F

1855 - 1877 Lefroy & Vigors

1898 - 1900 Fysh, Ben, importer, agent for Euroa Butter & Ice factory

1901 - 1949 Felton, Grimwade & Bickford Ltd (1901 - 1919 bulk store, 1920 - 1947 wholesale chemists)- 1920 - 1922 L L Herring, manager

1933 Mrs. C. Ceasar. 89 Packenham-st. Fremantle (reference)

Bosisto's eucalyptus oil, The Sydney Morning herald 15 Feb 1894 p 7

Felton, Grimwade & Co exhibit, 1899

Felton, Grimwade & co, 1901

Bread in Common 2021

Elder Shenton & Co Building

July 14, 2021

Elder Shenton & Co Building, 37-45 Cliff St, Herald Newspaper office

Architect J.J. Talbot Hobbs (1903)

Architecture This two storey rendered, truncated building with parapet, straddles the corner of Cliff St and Croke Lane. The building has zero setback from the pavement. Cliff Street façade has engaged pilasters and an ashlar effect on the ground floor and arched timber sash windows. The first floor has slightly arched windows with stucco above and a string course. The parapet is corniced. The Croke Lane façade features a decorative stucco arch over the drive through entrance on the ground floor; the windows are multi-paned casement with multi-paned transom lights.

History: Lot 11 and 12 were originally owned by Dan Scott (1829- 1859) and Mrs D Scott (1876-1880). Records reveal a number of buildings located on both lots from 1868, when the Fremantle Literary Institute amalgamated with the Working Men's Association and was housed in a small building at the corner of Cliff and Dalgety (now Croke Lane) streets. George Shenton was the owner from 1881- with a warehouse and office on lot 11, and buildings on lot 12: a cottage, 2 warehouses, and offices.

In 1896, a new two storey building running the length of lot 11, with a distinctive facade was erected. A warehouse was erected for Elder Shenton and Co to the designs of J. Talbot Hobbs, for the sum of £1, 326, and completed in 1903. The upper part of the facade of the building was removed c. 1925 and four separate buildings on the site were amalgamated.

The building was renovated in 1957 by Frank Manford to a specification by Allen & Nicholas Architects. Currently (41) Cliff Street houses the ‘Fremantle Herald’ office.

1898 Spirit merchant Mr Geoge Shenton (reference)
Advertising: steamship owners William Howard Smith and Sons (reference)

That Greer's O.V.H. Whisky is the best in the market goes without saying, judging by its consumption, which is the largest of any brand of whisky in the colony. The sole wholesale agents for W.A. are Messrs. G. H. Adam and Co., Cliff-street, Fremantle. (reference)
The W.A.T.C. having dismissed the protest entered by the owner of Wilfred against Queen's Toast, who won the Handicap Hurdles at the Fremantle Jockey Club's races on the 11th, holders of totalisator tickets on Queen's Toast can obtain a dividend of about 41s. at the office of Messrs. Payne and Humble, Cliff-street, Fremantle. (reference)

OCCUPANTS

1897 - 1902 (41) Shenton George, merchant, shipping agent, importer of wines & spirits(1897: P. & O. Steam Navigation Co.; 1897-1898: shipping agent)

1897 - 1915 Nobel’s Explosives Co, Glasgow

1898

Adams & co. (G. H.), manufacturers' agents, wine & spirit, indent & general merchants

Payne & Humble, customs agents

Laurie, Robert, customs agent & stevedore

Henrique, F, A, mercantile broker

McCulloch Carrying Co, Limited (William O J Doherty, manager), carriers

Gibbs, George G, customs, shipping & estate agent

1898 - 1900 Smith & Sons Limited (William Howard) (1898: C. M. Newman, manager), steamship owners & coal importers

1902

(41) Fremantle Produce & Gne. Auctioneering Co., A Maxwell, manager

Cohen, E, accountant

1904 - 1909 Firth & Sons Thomas, steel manufacturers, Sheffield (Elder, Shenton & Co. agents)

1904 - 1918 (45) Elder, Shenton & Co. Ltd. merchants, importers & shipping, stock & station & general commission agents

1904 - 1931 (41) Calthrop Bros, general importers, produce merchants &c.

1905 - 1918 Palatine Insurance Co Ltd (Elder, Shenton & Co Ld. agents)

1907 - 1909 Australian Alliance Assurance Co. (W H Evans, representative)

1910 - 1915

Government Stores Department, James Macgregor, in charge

Harbour Master's office (Capt. C. J. Irvine, harbour master; George J Sinclair, secretary navigation department; Capt. Thomas. W. Smith, shipping master)(1915 Alexander C Butcher, State engineer surveyor)

1911 - 1938

(35-37) Samson & Son (L.), wine & spirit merchants wholesale, & grocers wholesale Sun Insurance Office Ltd., Lionel Samson & Son, chief agents

1915 Union Marine Insurance Co. Ltd. Elder, Shenton & Co. agents

1919 - 1920

(45) Elder, Smith & Co Limited, merchants, wool & produce brokers, shipping, live stock and land salesman

Llyods, London (Elder, Smith & Co Ltd, agents)

1921 - 1926

(45) Kreglinger & Fernau Ltd, wool brokers (Edmond Antoine, manager)

Swan Wool Scouring Co of WA Ltd (C W Morgan, secretary)

1921 - 1927 (45) Swan Wool Scouring Co of WA Ltd (1921-1926: C W Morgan, secretary; 1927: E Antoine, managing director)

1930 - 1938 (45) Currie, Dilion and Co, customs, shipping & forwarding agents

1936 - 1938 (41) Western Star Milling Co. Ltd., store