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Pakenham Apartments
56 Pakenham Street, corner of Nairn Street, extant building constructed 1912.
These two photos (courtesy of Roel Loopers) show the building in August 2022, after restoration.
The signage on the corner of the building above the door is a modern signwriter's attempt to represent the logo that was formerly painted for Westralian Farmers Coop Ltd (Brian Jury). The corner canopy will be restored.
The logo as it was revealed during restoration (courtesy Brian Jury). You can make out the letters WFCL, superimposed.
Heritage Council:
History
First buildings erected 1877 were warehouses etc owned by W D Moore. It was a lolly factory from 1883 to 1912. It was then occupied by C H Fielding, woolbrokers, followed by Westralian Farmers from 1924 for a Skin and Hide store.
Westralian Farmers' Skin and Hide Store, post 1946, in the still extant building.
In this second photo, the end of the 1876 Phoenix/Eureka flour mill can be seen abutting the store on the right.
In May 2022 the facade is undergoing renovation and the SKIN AND HIDE STORE sign is briefly visible again. It is, however, only painted and will be too expensive to retain.
Trust me: you can see the sign behind the curtains.
Heritage Council continues:
Alterations were made to the building in the 1950s and 1960s. The business was extended to include warehouses around the corner in Nairn St on Lots 442 and 443.
In 1971 the building became a workshop and store room for ship repairs, later panel beating operations. A mural was painted in 1983 on wall of no. 54 by Sam Abercromby, later removed. Various other businesses occupied the building, including conversion in 1986 to design office and studio/showroom for Porter & Partners, as well as Central Oyster Supplies.
Currently (2002), Pakenham Apartments.
Statement of Significance
The place is of historic significance as an example of a commercial building in the Old Port City of Fremantle dating from the gold boom period in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The place is significant because, when viewed from the street, it is a substantially intact example of a commercial building which contributes to the very significant Old Port City of Fremantle.
Physical Description
Single storey rendered and truncated corner facade and two storey attached apartments behind, with a zero setback from the pavement. The façade windows are timber double sash and multi paned to the top sash; there is a simple parapet with engaged low pilasters.
A photograph of a fire c. 1901 at the Eureka Flour Mill, next door in Nairn Street, shows that the present building did not exist at that time.
The building as it was before the 2022 restoration. (Google Maps)
References and Links
Thanks to Brian Jury for the c. 1946 photos of the Skin and Hide Store.
Heritage Council page.
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 12 June, 2021 and hosted at freotopia.org/buildings/pakenhamapartments.html (it was last updated on 3 April, 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.