Fothergill Street sewer vent

The vent in 2023.

The Fothergill Street sewer vent is located at the southern end of the Prison carpark. InHerit gives its address as 1 The Terrace, but most people would think of it as being on Fothergill Street.

The base of the vent, in 2023.

inHerit says:

Statement of Significance:

The place is a remnant of visible infrastructure associated with the implementation of Fremantle's deep sewerage system. The vent may be one of the latest remaining examples of the use of sewerage vents in the Fremantle metropolitan area.

Physical Description:

Sewerage Vent, Fothergill Street, Fremantle is a cylindrical structure located in the Fremantle Prison carpark, adjacent to Fothergill Street. The vent comprises sections of steel welded together and extending approximately 8 metres in height. The bottom section has a concrete collar and is set into the surrounding bitumen surface. The vent is in fair condition although it exhibits substantial surface corrosion. There are no adornments or decorations present on the structure and the top vent cowl is missing. There is no evidence of the presence of an access panel on the vent to provide visual access to the vent or the underground piping system.

History:

An unknown number of sewerage vents were constructed on an ad hoc basis, to assist in reducing odours associated with the completion of the new sewerage system. The group of six sewerage vents that make up the collective group listing of P23992 Metropolitan Sewerage Vents were erected between 1911 and 1935, and are located in the local government areas of Perth, Subiaco and Vincent.

Other sewerage vents are known to have been erected in Fremantle, although none from this period have been identified.

In 2015 the Fothergill Street vent was identified by Penny O'Connor of the State Heritage Office. The same year an unadorned sewerage vent was identified in Shenton Road, Claremont. Although not definitive, it is likely that this vent was constructed in the 1940s. Atlhough there has been no historical research undertaken with regard to the Fothergill Street vent, the similarities between the two vents suggest that they are likely to be contemporaneous.