Nomenclature of Fremantle Streets

This page describes Kate Caldwell's history of Fremantle street names as it was published in The Fremantle Advocate in 1931. The research was also published in Journal and Proceedings in the same year.

Wikidata ID: Q123515127

• Part I, May 14: Adelaide to Arundel (and introduction)
• Part II, May 28: Ashburton to Chudleigh
• Part III, June 4: Church to Douro
• Part IV, June 11: East to Holdsworth
• Part V, June 18: Holland to Mandurah Road
• Part VI, June 25: Manning to Price
• Part VII, July 2: Quarry to Skinner
• Part VIII, July 9: Solomon to York

Transcription

Part I

Nomenclature

RESEARCHES BY MISS CALDWELL.

Following is the first instalment of Miss Kate Caldwell's historical survey of the nomenclature of Fremantle streets. This paper has been prepared for the WA Historical Society, and will be published in "The Advocate" each week. Further reference to Miss Caldwell's work appears elsewhere in this issue.

In the record of street names which are in Fremantle Municipality information is included which may not appear to have much relevance to the subject matter. For instance, salaries and hospital statistics. The idea, however, has been to preserve as accurate a record of the progress of the city as possible. Such information as is official has beep obtained from the early maps in the Titles office, through the courtesy of Mr. Ashley Cooper, the Blue Books of the Colony, and old records in the Chief Secretary's Department. Thanks are due to Mr. F. I. Bray for research into these records. Unless corroborated, too much reliance cannot be placed on oral testimony, for life in the early days of the colony was extremely casual. Previous to the Titles Act many lots that had been abandoned had been "jumped," and in many cases when the real owners came to register they found that caveats had been lodged by creditors, in many cases hotel-keepers, for accounts long overdue. Fremantle, like most towns in Western Australia, possesses valuable land which is reputed to have passed for a bottle of rum. This as it may be, but the owners no doubt thought that a bottle in hand was worth two blocks in the bush, and that is all that most of the town was for many years. The old settlers had very little material comfort, especially before the production to any extent in the colony of flour and other commodities, and after paying rates on land for years, it was problematical whether it would have any saleable value in the lifetime of the owner; so it was only natural that they should say, with Esau, "What profit shall this birthright do to me." Hence it was bartered.

Thanks are due to Mr. Joseph Hope, of Hope and Klem, without whose help the compilation of much of this paper would have been impossible.

Adelaide

Queen Adelaide, consort of William IV., after whom the City of Adelaide was named. This is one of the earliest streets, appearing in the survey of 1833.

Alma.

This street does not appear on the survey of the town in 1844, and did not come into existence until after the convict period, when the Convict Establishment (1855) and Comptroller's residence, the Knowle, were built. Many of the pensioners who came as guards no doubt saw military service in the Crimea, and from the battle of Alma in that campaign (1854) the street would derive its. name. The Knowle, which took up the greater portion of the northern side of the street was later converted into an Old Men's Depot, and when it was afterwards taken over as the Fremantle Public Hospital the old men were removed to the barracks, now the Immigrants' Home, South-terrace.

Previous to 25th October, 1897, when the first board was appointed, all that was established in Fremantle was a casualty hospital, the staff consisting of a sister-in-charge, two servants and an orderly. In the report for the year 1895, the total number of patients was 155, with a daily average of 18. There were 17 deaths in the period under review. The hospital was under the supervision of Dr. A. R Waylen, who is shown by the Blue Book to have paid it two surprise visits in 1894. He joined the service ip March 1859 and was appointed Colonial Surgeon in August 1872. In pasting, it may be mentioned that Dr. Waylen, who had a house at Point Walter, held the degree of M.D. Amherst. Hon. J. G, H. Amherst, private secretary to the Governor, Sir Fred Napier Broome, 1885-1889.

Arundel.

Edward George Fitzalan Howard, first Baron Howard of Glossop (1818-1883), second son of the 13th Duke of Norfolk, was M.P. for Arundel in England, from 1853 to 1868. Howard-street joins Arundel-street, thus making the connection. Between this street and Howard-street was situated the old water jetty. The Fremantle Sea baths which were demolished in the early part of this century, were built over the spot. Eastward of the jetty was a well and a pump-house. Water was conveyed by a pipe to the jetty, where it was put into casks and shipped on lighters for transferance to overseas vessels anchored in the Roads.

(To be continued.)

Part II

NOMENCLATURE OF FREMANTLE STREETS.

(by Miss K. Caldwell)

No. II

Ashburton-terrace.

The original owner of the land whereon this street was made was Mr. H. J. Higham, and Ashburton was the name of his station in the Nor'-West.

Attfield.

Dr. G. Attfield, Imperial Surgeon between 1854 and 1879. He married a daughter of Surgeon-General Roe, and died in England at an advanced age.

Bannister.

Captain T. Bannister was the buyer of the first allotment in Fremantle. He was an early explorer and at one time Government Resident in the town. On December 14, 1930, he set out with Mr. Smyth, of the Governor-General's department, and two servants to tramp to Albany via Kelmscott. They duly arrived on February 4, 1831. Bannister, near the Williams River, bears his name.

Barnett.

Dr H. C. Barnett, whose first Government appointment was in 1868, was appointed superintendent, of the Asylum in April, 1872, at a salary of £500. He was also Colonial Surgeon till 1895, when the office was abolished. At the time he acted as District Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. His private residence was on the cliff overlooking this street. Mr. J. K. Hitchcpck, in the History of Fremantle, mentions the belief that was never contradicted in Fremantle, that he had amputated his own leg when at sea (he had come to the colony as a ship's surgeon). What he himself did tell one his patients was that he had had an accident when kangarooing and the limb had to be amputated. Some time later it appeared as if the limb was becoming gangrenous, He was then at York, and as the case was desperate, and he knew what he would not be able to make the rough journey to Perth, with the help of his man, and no doubt a local anaesthetic, he was able to cut off a further portion of the leg ami thus arrest the mortification.

Bateman.

The Bateman family arrived in 1830, John Bateman being the first postmaster. The firm of J. and W. Bateman Ltd., general merchants, founded by his sons, is still in existence.

Beach.

This street is self-explanatory, the street running parallel with the river.

Beard.

George Beard, town councillor, 1906 to 1909.

Bellevue Terrace.

The origin of this street name is doubtful, but the short portion northward of Fothergill-street, was originally called Higham-street, John Joseph Higham being one of the Town Councillors. His parents arrived in the Colony in 1853 and started business at the corner of High and Packenham Streets, on the block where the Bank of Adelaide now stands. On the father's death Mrs. M. Higham built on the block at the south west cornet of High and Market streets, the property being still known as Higham's Buildings. Previously it was a vacant allotment, covered with rushes and pools of water, where the ducks of the town used to repair and refreshment, and where small boys used to search for eggs.

Blinco.

Henry Blinco, chief warder, Fremantle prison. He was born in 1832 and died in 1907.

Brennan.

John Chas. Brennan, a Town Councillor for many years.

Broome.

Sir Fred Napier Broom, Governor from 1885 to 1889. The town of Broome in the Nor'-West also bears his name.

Bostock.

The Rev. G. J. Bostock, B.A., Trinity Hall, Cambridge, came to W.A. in 1858 with Bishop Hale and other clergy His first parish was Gin Gin from whence he was transferred to Fremantle in 1860. There he remained until 1875, when, on account of ill health, he returned to England. He became Rector of Kirby Wharfe, Yorks, and died there in 1883. While in Fremantle he built rooms for the Young Men's and Young Women's clubs alongside the old Rectory in Cantonment-street.

Burt.

Sir Arch. Paul Burt, of St. Kitts, in the West Indies, succeeded Judge Mc- Farland in February, 1861. later being appointed Chief Justice. He died in November, 1879. His son, Sep. Burt a leading lawyer in Perth, became first Attorney-General under Responsible Government, the Forrest Ministry being in power. This position earned a salary of £1,000 per annum. The street named in the 70's was no doubt in honor of the Chief Justice. Cadd. F. Cadd and Co. Ltd fowarding agents, was Mayor of of the town 1904-1905. Canning Road. This road leads to the Canning River and district, which were explored by Capt. Stirling and party in 1827, before the foundation of the Swan River Settlement, being in honour of the great English statesman, Canning, who was Foreign Secretary at the time. Cantonment. This street appears on Surveyor- General Roe's very earliest map, Cantonment-road being a continuation thereof and leading to the base of what was at first called Cantonment Hill, the hill on which very recently the signal station has been built, Owing to con-, fusion the name of Cantonment-road was changed to Queen Victoria street Letters are extant written from the Cantonment, Fremantle, but apprentaly none alive knows of. the exact situation of the Cantonment. As the streets were surveyed before 1833 right out to the present junction of the Canning road, it would seem to have been some where in that locality. Carnac. This Street. is on an elevation from which Carftac can be seen but not the other islands. This may account for its name. Carnac Island or Bertho- lett of the French, was named after Lt. John Ruett Carnac of H. M. Frigate Success. Carrington Possibly after Earl Carrington, at one time Governor of N.S.W. Central Avenue. Thip is the central street in what was known as Chester Park, but which is now Hilton Park. When the land was subdivided and put up for sale a competition was held for a suitable name, for the district and this name was se-, lected as being most appropriate. The location appears to have been originally granted to one McDermott. About 30 years later it came into possession of Richard Davis who, after his arrival from England in 1853, had carried on the Half Way House at Pt. Walter. With the advent of steam the -boats / were not using the canal and it became silted up and the toll house fell into disuse. He threfore removed to Bicton and later to Chester Park property, which he in turn sold to Chester. At the time of the subdivision it was owned| by Simpson. Chester This street is not in Chester Park, but in the district originally called Chesterfield, bounded by Douro-road, but it is named after the family who were very early settlers. At one time one of the sons carried on a butchering business in the town. Chudleigh A town in Devonshire, the birthplace of ex-Councillor R.- B. Carter, draper, Fremantle.

(To be Continued.)