Heritage listing for State's oldest Chamber of Commerce

19/12/00
The Chamber of Commerce in Fremantle - which is the oldest surviving Chamber of Commerce in Western Australia - has won heritage listing.
Heritage Minister Graham Kierath announced today the two-storey building at 16 Phillimore Street had been placed on the interim list of the State Register of Heritage Places.
Mr Kierath said it was established in 1912 and had cultural heritage significance for its high aesthetic and historic value.
"The Chamber of Commerce Building in Fremantle is closely associated with a number of important individuals who formed the merchant class of Fremantle during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and were influential players in the State," the Minister said.
He said the building was a good example of the work of architect Joseph Allen, who designed a number of buildings in Fremantle in the early 1900s.
"The place is an integral component of Phillimore Street, a streetscape that forms an important heritage precinct," Mr Kierath said.
"The style of the Chamber of Commerce Building reflects the type of commercial structure erected in Fremantle during the expansive gold boom years, and together with adjacent buildings, illustrates the building evolution of Phillimore Street."
The building was originally planned as three levels, but the upper level was never built.
The Fremantle Chamber of Commerce was originally established in 1873 and is the oldest Chamber of Commerce in Western Australia.
"The building is still used by the Fremantle Chamber of Commerce today and this demonstrates continuity of the building's function," Mr Kierath said.
Twelve buildings on Phillimore Street are on the State's Register of Heritage Places on an interim or permanent basis. They include the Frank Cadd Building erected in 1890 (number 33); the Falk and Co Warehouses on the corner of Phillimore and Henry Streets built in 1896; the Adelaide Steamship Company building built in 1898 (10-12 Phillimore Street); and the Phillimore Chambers erected at 7-11 Phillimore Street in 1898.
Media contact: Zac Donovan (08) 9213 6400