93-95 High Street (pre 1938 - 111/117 High Street)
A two storey rendered masonry building with unadorned parapet and pediment. The ground floor has two doors with multi paned transom windows, The first floor has seven multi paned windows and rendered banding cornices- motifs typical of an Interwar Functionalist style.
An earlier two story building - with a tower, and called the Economic Stores was occupied by Aitken & Co, (drapery, clothing and fancy goods) from April 1896. This article describes each department (reference)
Sept 1896 Thursday night last saw a brilliant display of summer novelties at Messrs. Aitken A & Co.'s, the “Economic," Fremantle, and the crowds of people who attended the show proved the interest which was taken in the new goods imported by this firm… (reference)
1931 An emporium or charm as well as distinction is that of the New Economic store in High-street, Fremantle… the Economic was established as far back as 1863. The founder was the late D. J. Congdon. About eleven years ago it was formed into a company, and since then the business has grown to very large proportions under the executive control of its managing director, Mr. William Fraser Oats…Ladies' costumes range from the utilitarian to the beautiful— some imported, others made by the firm, which employs a highly-experienced costume designer and staff. (reference)
This building was demolished in 1933/4 by the Bank of Australasia. The current building was constructed by Richard Rennie and completed in 1938. The building consisted of banking chambers, strongrooms, and a shop (No. 95). A bank manager's residence occupied the first floor.
In 1952 the WA State Government bought the Lot and the bank became the Fremantle Radiological Clinic, serving this purpose for the next 32 years. To attempt the eradication of tuberculosis, which was epidemic in the early 1950s, the government introduced compulsory chest X-rays in 1952. This reduced the number of cases significantly by the end of the 1950s and the clinic was eventually closed in 1984. ( Fremantle Stuff)
In 1984 the building was let to Alcoholics Anonymous.
OCCUPANTS
Lot 419 owners: 1855 - 1859 Bateman, M A, 1876 - 1879 Congdon, D K
1896- 1900 Aitken & Co, drapers, clothiers, silk mercers
No. 93
1900 - 1932 THE ECONOMIC LIMITED, drapers
(1914 - 1920 E M Blythe, manager), (1921 - 1924 M Guthrie, manager), (1925 E B Collett, manager), 1931 Mr. William Fraser Oats
1933 - 1934 Fremantle Economic Stores, Limited
1934 - 1939 Vacant
1939 - 1949 BANK OF AUSTRALASIA (Athol Norric, Manager)
No. 95
1899
Sack, Mrs L, restaurant
Kennedy & CO. (E.A.), general merchants & importers, indentors & wine & spirit merchants
Hamilton, R M, architect
Cuzens, A J S, commission mer
1899 - 1900 Sargood, Butler, Nichol & Ewen (sample room) & Vines & Co. (F.), wool merchants & Faulding & Co. (F.H.), wholesale druggists
1900 Healy James, tailor
1902 Healy & Fountaine, tailors
1903 Rasmussen Herr, herbalist
1904 Gaunt, H W, dairy product merchant
1905 - 1907 Samuels, G B, fancy repository
1908 Florias Bros. oyster saloon
1909 - 1910 Patten, E E, outfitter
1911 - 1932 THE ECONOMIC LIMITED, drapers
(1914 - 1920 E M Blythe, manager), (1921 - 1924 M Guthrie, manager), (1925 E B collett, manager)
1933 - 1934 Fremantle Economic Stores, Limited
1934 - 1938 Vacant
1938 - 1939 Bateman Ltd M J, engineers electrical & radio experts
1939 - 1940 McMahon, Mrs B, tea rooms
1939 - 1949 BANK OF AUSTRALASIA (Athol Norric, Manager)
1941 - 1945 Rhodes, Mrs Olive, mlnr
1946 - 1949 Moore, Edward, frock retailor
1952 - 1984 WA State Government -Fremantle Radiological Clinic
2002, Rah clothing and High St Blues, retail outlets.
2013 Remedy and LA Clothing retail outlets.
