Warehouse Complex — Streets of Freo

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