Claremont Railway Station

Claremont Railway Station, comprising a two storey former Station and Station Master’s Quarters designed in the Federation Arts and Crafts style, two railway platforms linked by a passenger overbridge, Signal Cabin, Goods Shed, Camphor Laurel tree on the site of the former third platform and areas of former cattle yards, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:

the Railway Station and Quarters, constructed in 1886, is the earliest extant railway station building on the Fremantle to Guildford line, opened in 1881;
the Railway Station and Quarters is a fine early example of the Federation Arts and Crafts style of architecture typical of the work of the Public Works Department under the direction of Chief Architect George Temple Poole;
the place includes one of only four station buildings constructed in Western Australia in the 1880s which incorporated the station and the Station Master’s Quarters in one

building;

from 1905 to the 1970s, the place has been a major access point to the Royal

Agricultural Showgrounds for which purpose the cattle yards adjacent to the station were developed; and the place is a landmark in the Claremont town centre where the station buildings visually terminate the northern end of Bay View Terrace, the main commercial centre of the town. Town of Claremont Local Government Inventory, 2014.

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Battye library photo 013467PD: Sir John Forrest leaving Claremont Station to open new road, 1902.

SLWA photo 229063PD: Claremont Railway Station, c. 1910.

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Claremont Hotel and Bay View Terrace (Humble Street before 1884) from the footbridge over the railway line at the station. Gugeri Street going off to the right (named for Peter Gugeri, a vigneron who was a Perth City Councillor, President of the Horticultural Society, Commodore of the Perth Yacht Club, etc.)

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Another shot from the footbridge over the railway line at the station with houses in Gugeri Street and a level crossing. The signage is different from that in the previous photo, so it's a different occasion.
Just out of view on the left was the first United Buses premises, run by 'Robby' Robinson. The first house on the left was that of the Camerons, and then came the Dadds.
The third house from the left was 1945-1964 the abode of the Robertson family, my uncle Norman, aunt Gertrude, and cousin Graeme. The next, vacant block was a woodyard when they moved in, and was later acquired by United Buses, which is how I remember it in the 1950s, as a yard full of buses.
Graeme Robertson's company later, c. 1998-2018, traded in the Claremont Congregational church and hall in Stirling Highway, before moving to Denmark (WA).

References and Links

Bolton, Geoffrey & Jenny Gregory 1999, Claremont: A History, UWAP.

Town of Claremont Local Government Inventory, 2014.

This is the entry from the Dictionary of Western Australians for Peter Gugeri:
GUG(G)ERI, Peter Anthony, b. 12.8.1845 (London), d. 25.10.1931, son of Andrea & Mary (nee Lane). To Victoria 12.12.1870. To W.A. 2.1871 per Rangoon, m. 1st 16.9.1873 (Rottnest) Katherine Jane JACKSON b. 4.6.1854 d. 17.4.1889, dtr. of William Dockrey & Kathleen. m. 2nd 27.10.1890 (N.S.W.) Belinda Mary MORRIS b. 7.12.1864 (N.S.W.) d. 11.3.1945. Chd. Maria Constance Josephine b. 1874 d. 1940 (Subiaco), Matilda Adeline Ida b. 1877 d. 1932, Catherine Rose Mary b. 1878 (RC Perth), Anthony Dennis b. 1880 d. 1949, Acilia Mary Agnes b. 1881 d. 1947, Andrea Francis Wm b. 1884 d. 1950 (Victoria), Elizabeth Mabel b. 1886, Felix Patrick St Bernard b. 1889 d. 1889, Amelia Barbara b. 1891 (W.A.), Eileen Mary b. 1893 d. 1903, Philomena Belinda Dorotby b. 1895, Dominic Aloysius Joseph b. 1899, Leo Edward Divers b. 1900, Vincent b. 1903 d. infancy, Emma Deborah Ferdenanda Edith b. 1905, Mary Lane b. 1908 d. 1908. Educ. St Mary's College, Wolverhampton. 3 years College Como, Italy. Studied wine industry. Inherited uncle's property in Switzerland. Leased "Houghton" vineyards 1871. In 1874 Wine & Spirit Merchants, Perth. Owner of his own vineyards at Gugeri Siding north of Mundaring 1882-1893. JP 1872. Perth City Councillor 1884. Bd of Educ. Active in RC Cburch. Vice President &President Horticu1tural Society. Commodore Perth Yacht Club. Member of Commission for Colonial & Indian Exhibition. Heavy losses suffered in collapse of Kimberley Goldfields. Employed 3 T/L men 1871-1873, one in partnership with Ferguson.

Freotopia

This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 31 March, 2022 and hosted at freotopia.org/buildings/claremontrailway.html (it was last updated on 13 May, 2024), and has been edited since it was imported here (see page history). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.