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Fisher Beard
Fisher Beard & Co. was a drapery store in High Street. Walter Fisher Beard moved his business into Adelaide Street in early 1909, as reported in the West Australian of Tuesday 9 March 1909, p. 3. A postcard (below) in the possession of Mike Kouwen shows the High Street premises (on Lot 329) announcing (on the reverse side) a removal sale starting 20 February 1909, confirming the move's occurrence in February-March of that year.
The building still stands as the northwestern portion of the High Street Mall. Pellews was also in the building and I think it's not incorrect to call it the Atwell Building.
The 34 Adelaide Street building (1909) still stands (below). It will be familiar to older readers as Charlie Carter's. It is currently (2023) a Red Dot store.
Heritage Council:
History
Adelaide St is one of the earliest streets of Fremantle, appearing in the 1833 survey. It is named for Queen Adelaide, consort of William IV.
The first time this building appears in the rate books is in the 1909/10 rate period. The building is owned and occupied by Walter Fisher Beard and is described as shop and rooms. From 1910 to 1928 the building was owned by Beard who operated Fishers, Beard & Co Drapers from the premises. The shop was also known as Fremantle’s 'Big' Drapery Emporium.In 1929 Charlie Carters Grocers began operating from the building and were still doing so into the 1980s. The front of the building was partially demolished in 1986 when the owners Charlie Carters Pty Ltd carried out renovations. However the shop front was not original but had been built in the original style.
In October 1992 the owner Serenity Holdings applied to the Fremantle Council to upgrade the shop front of the existing supermarket to create two commercial tenancies; a chemist and a retail/variety store. This included the repainting of the existing façade and the removal of the existing window frontage to create an open shop front whilst retaining the existing awning. This was supported by council. The hope was that the upgraded shop front would reflect an 'old world' character and allow for greater interaction between the open shop front and the footpath.
The building was originally numbered 25 - 29 but changed to the current number circa 1936. The building is part of Lot 332.
Physical Description
Two storey rendered building which has an engaged low wall balustraded parapeted roof, engaged pilasters and decorative stucco surrounding the first floor windows. The ground floor windows and awnings are not original.
Statement of Significance
The place is a modest example of a commercial building dating from the first decades of the twentieth century that forms part of a group of similar places and makes a contribution to the Fremantle Town Centre streetscape.
West Australian, Tuesday 9 March 1909, p. 3:
TRADE ENTERPRISE AT FREMANTLE.
FISHER BEARD'S NEW PREMISES.
A MODERN ESTABLISHMENT.
During later years, despite the plaint of the ubiquitous "croaker," building erection and extension representing the outlay of thousands of pounds has been evidencing itself at Fremantle. Under this head, during 1908 alone, £25,000 has been expended, this total not including the distribution of a further £15,000 incidental to the completion of a new fire station and an up-to-date Customs House.
One of the latest additions to Fremantle's lengthy list of noteworthy edifices is that just completed in Adelaide-street for Mr. Fisher Beard, the well-known Port draper, who has just vacated, after a ten years' occupancy, premises in High street. The new building is an imposing two-storied structure, with a frontage of 52ft. and a depth of 40 yards. Yesterday morning a "West Australian" reporter accompanied Mr. Beard through the premises, and was more than favorably impressed with their general up-todateness. As reflected in his latest enterprise, Mr. Beard is anything but a pessimist. "Rather venturesome, did you say this move of mine? Well, perhaps, it is," he remarked. "As soon as my intention became public property, I was the recipient of warnings innumerable against the folly of moving from the so-called principal business street in Fremantle to a short-distance round the corner into what is, however, recognised as the finest of Fremantle streets. But these warnings did not impress me. I have sufficient confidence in Fremantle and myself to believe that an established and prosperous business cannot suffer through being transferred to far more commodious premises in a position quite as accessible, for, remember, the East and North Fremantle tram-cars pass my doors before they turn into High-street. The practical terminus for passengers on the Marmmion-street and Beaconsfield cars is, and always has been, the Town-hall, which is nearer to my new premises than to the old ones. But perhaps what caused more comment than anything was that in building I should have abandoned the principle of contract and adhered to the principle of day labour, under professional supervision. I was warned that I had no conception of the troubles and disputes that would ensue through the consequent direct contact with the workers, but what has happened? The shop is built, I have not suffered any worry and annoyance consequent on this arrangement. The one fixed idea running through my mind was the conscruction of a large and handsome interior unobstructed in any way from wall to wall. I had had sufficient experience of the waste of space and interruption of effect due to pillars, and was determined to do without them if I could. The architect, Mr. Mc Neece, has more than realised my ambitions in this respect. To carry the front, Mr. McNeece had wrought locally at the works of Makutz and Co., a girder weighing seven tons. This enabled him to provide a grooved floor front entirely of glass, the effect of which cannot but catch the eye. At every 15ft. to carry the upper floor truss rod girders of a type familiar to bridge builders, and necessary where wide spans occur, have been placed. The height of the ground floor is 18ft. You will perceive that light is admitted into the interior from the east, south, and west, the principal features being the continuous run of 52ft. of glass 5ft. high over the verandah, every sheet of which can be opened to provide ventilation to the fullest extent. For economy of space, light, and sufficiency of air supply there is not. I maintain, a shop in Australia, or New Zealand to rival mine. I am convinced that Mr. McNeece has reduced to a minimum the discomfort of shopping on the most trying of summer days and nights.
"Yes, the artificial lighting on Saturday night was the theme of much comment. That's the new lamp - the carbon flaming arc type. It gives a light equivalent to daylight, and was installed by Messrs. Unbehaun and Johnstone, of Perth. Under its rays the most delicate shades in colour can be distinguished and matched. Then again those porcelain reflectors dispel the glare usually associated with arc lamps, at the same time diffusing the light in such a way that the illumination of the whole premises is uniformly bright. Yes, the lighting has been made a big item--eight lamps of each 2,600-candle power in the shop, four of each 1,400-candle power in the windows, and four of each 2,600-candle power in the verandah."
Surely the arrangements of the premises are unusual?
That's because I've adopted through the centre of the shop the American system of island counters slightly modified to the dictation of my fancy. In this way I am able to make a full display in eleven distinct departments. It is a new departure on my part to cater for gentlemen's mercery and house furnishings. Hitherto I've held my own as a ladies' draper, and now that these premises provide both accommodation and opportunity I've decided to fall into line and expand my business. Here on the first floor are the firm's dressmaking and millinery departments. I have provided two fitting rooms for my lady customers, each in the shape of an octagon with a full length mirror in every panel, so that the fit and style of an entire costume can be appreciated from eight different points of view simultaneously. Messrs. Singer and Co., have installed eight high-class machines, which are driven by electric power in our dress making department. When I opened in Fremantle eleven years ago this month, it was in a very small way indeed, and I have every reason to be grateful to Fremantle for the continued and increasing success that has been my lot since then. It is with not a little pride that I feel I have made some return for these favours, by being sufficiently enterprising to display my confidence in the permanence of Fremantle, by placing upon her handsomest highway a building that is worthy of it. I am voluntarily carrying out the policy which the present Municipal Council is advocating and imposing on others, of beautifying Fremantle by rebuilding it."
References and Links
as above
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 26 Febuary, 2023 and hosted at freotopia.org/buildings/fisherbeard.html (it was last updated on 30 March, 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.