Mills & Wares Park

Mills & Wares Park is on Jenkins Street, South Fremantle, between that and Wardle Street.

Fremantle Herald, 19 August 2023:

Wares our nice park?

by JESSICA MASSAGA

RESIDENTS living in the village surrounding South Fremantle's Mills and Wares Park have slammed Fremantle council for allowing it to deteriorate into an eyesore.
The residents say the park's universal access ramp has been closed for months, the steel roof on a pergola is rusting, and timbers are rotting.
But the community's biggest concern is a heritage-listed facade that was once part of the biscuit factory, which has become so unstable they fear it may fall.
The park was named after the Mills and Wares biscuit factory that operated there between 1898 and its closure in 1992, when the City of Fremantle took ownership of the land and its redevelopment as a park.
Business owner Sean Hefferon said the park was previously a big part of South Fremantle's identity, but due to the council's neglect, this central heart had gone to ruin.
Mr Hefferon said he first alerted the council late last year, which resulted in a temporary fence around the facade and some temporary timber supports to keep it upright.
"The above the actions are appreciated, however, after nine months..." he said.
Mr Hefferon said the temporary fence blocks the universal access ramp, making the park inaccessible for wheelchair users and harder for older people and families to access.
The Biscuit Factory Village opens directly onto the park and shares some residual steel framing from the original buildings. Mr Hefferon said village owners paid to maintain their half of the steel structure, but the council hadn't come to the party.
The village's council of owners chair Ian Ker said the lack of communication from the council was disappointing.
Elderly residents had complained the steps they are now forced to use are usually slippery because of leaves.
"There is a great contrast at the moment to what the City of Freo has done and what we have done," Mr Ker said.
A spokesman for Fremantle council said the heritage-listed wall was expected to be fixed in the next two to four weeks."The City of Fremantle is aware of the community's concern for the appearance of Mills and Wares Park," they said.
"That is why it has been included in the list of assets due for renewal and/or upgrade in the City's 10-year financial plan.
"The City of Fremantle is committed to providing access to green spaces for the community to lead safe, happy and healthy lives."

References and Links

as above

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 18 August, 2023 and hosted at freotopia.org/parks/mills&warespark.html (it was last updated on 18 August, 2023), and has been edited since it was imported here (see page history). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.