Union Bank

86 High Street (pre 1938 - 106 108 High Street), Former Union Bank of Australia, ANZ Bank Building, formerly No 84

This distinctive two storey building features rendered brick with an ashlar effect and a recessed facade entrance. There is a plain parapet above and decorative pilasters beside stucco architrave windows on the first floor. The ground floor has two entrances; a central entrance with prominent stucco surround, and an entrance with French doors on the right side.

The Union Bank of Australia (fmr) at 86 High Street was designed by Hobbs, Smith and Forbes in 1929 and built in 1930 for the Union Bank of Australia Ltd., by R. V. Ritchie. The building replaced two two-story brick shops on the site. (reference)

1907 A progressive euchre tournament arranged by Mesdames J. Blinco, F. J. Townsend, A. A. Northcote, J. O'Hara, and Christie, in aid of the Fremantle stall, provided a merry evening at the Victoria Hall on Tuesday evening, for a dance followed the tournament… Miss Welsford and Mr Dineen won the booby prizes… (reference)

18 May 1930 New premises for the Union Bank, now approaching completion, promise to be the finest of their kind in Fremantle. With a frontage to High street of 48ft, the cement-faced building wears an impressive appearance, harmony and solidity being its chief features. With a basement and two lofty storeys it dwarfs the adjacent buildings, and looks palatial in comparison with the buildings it has displaced… (reference)

Miss Hilda Jones was a state registered Elocution Teacher (1931)

1935 Mr. Alexander Watson, examiner of Trinity College, London, visited Fremantle for the purpose of examining a number of pupils prepared by Miss Hilda Jones, L.T.C.L a in the Art of Speech. Mr. Watson, an authority on Elocutionary Art, commented very favorably on the work being accomplished by Miss Jones in Fremantle. (reference)

1936 MR W. Trelevan, who is staying with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. Trelevan, of the Union Bank, Fremantle, will return to Melbourne in the Moldavia, on Tuesday to complete his studies at Newman College. He will be accompanied by his sister, Betty, who will visit relatives in Victoria. (reference)

1936 The Fremantle Children's Dental Clinic secured two rooms in the Union Bank premises, in High-street, Fremantle. It was an initiative of the Teachers Union and was available to children between the ages of six and nine years who attended schools in the Fremantle district and whose parents' weekly wage was not in excess of the basic wage… Messrs. Claude Terry and Alan Mummery, two Fremantle dentists had given every possible help to get the clinic started and the dentist in charge was R. E, Clarke. (reference)

Between 1952 and 1956 ownership/occupancy passed to the Australia and New Zealand Bank Ltd. (ANZ). The bank continued to use part of the building until 1990 when it relocated.

In Nov 1991 the building opened as giftware markets and these closed in July 1992. The place was vacant from at least 2002 until 2008 when the place changed ownership.

Restoration during 2008 included; external painting, internal adaptation/fit out to the ground floor and first floor; reconstruction of side elevation windows according to archival plans, reconstruction of western side timber paneling to match original. The owners/architects (Gentra) received a Heritage Award for Conservation of a Heritage Place.

2018 World of Renovation

OCCUPANTS

Lot 413 owners: 1829 - 1837 Watts, James P, 1855 Davey, 1856 - 1859 Manning, H, 1876 - 1878 Leach, William

1900 - 1902 Swan Soap & Candle Co. Limited

1900 - 1910 Wilson & Co. Harry, auctioneers

1902 - 1903 Isaacs, S E, fancy emporium

1904 Max, Miss E, refreshment rooms

1905 Lynch, Mrs S E, registry office

1906 - 1909 Welsford Miss Nellie, refreshment rooms

1910 - 1913 William J. Beisley, florist & hairdresser

1914 - 1915 Buckeridge Bros. watch maker

1916 Dunkerton, J W, watch maker

1917 Newman & Son, C F, florists

1917 - 1919 Cannon, Walter, tailor

1918 - 1923 Jones, John, ironmonger

1920 Peek, Huie, tailor

1921 - 1922 Bull & Bodkin, auctioneers ( link)

1924 Annesley, Mrs A D, dining rooms

1924 - 1927 Simpson, Mrs A, dress house

1925 McMahon Miss, dressmaker & Westralian Woollen Coy (A Nelnies, manager)

1925 - 1928 Farrington & Co A B, ironmongers

1926 - 1928 Watchman & Sons M, merchants

1929 - 1949 UNION BANK OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

1929 - 1934 W H Butler, manager, 1934 - 1938 J Treleaven, manager

1931 - 1936 McAulifie, P J, dentist,

1931 - 1949 Hallion, B J, medical practitioner

1931 - 1934 Haynes, Harold, solicitor

1934 - 1938 Martin, Francis W, solicitor

1936 - 1949 Childrens' Dental Clinic

1939 - 1940 Jones, Miss Hilda, teacher of elocution

1939 - 1949 Travers, Miss June, ladies hairdresser

1940 - 1941 Vincent Roy, elocution teacher

1941 - 1942 Sutherland - Groom, Mrs Dorothy A, elocution teacher;

Credit Men's Association of W A Ltd (The), debt collectors

Dobra Bros, fertilizers

1946 - 1949 Murphy, Frank J, accountant