Fremantle Technical School | |
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General information | |
Type | Heritage-listed building |
Location | Fremantle, Western Australia |
Coordinates | 32°03′23″S 115°44′55″E / 32.05645°S 115.74859°E |
Type | State Registered Place |
Designated | 1 October 2002 |
Reference no. | 1007 |
The Fremantle Technical School building, also known as the Fremantle Technical College building, is a two-storey building of red brick construction located at the corner of South Terrace and Essex Street in Fremantle.[1]
The building adjoins the single storey former Infants and Girls School, which was built from 1877 to 1878; a small forecourt is formed by the recessed central bay former Infants and Girls School and the technical school building, which terminates the north end of the site.[2]
The public school was later transformed into a technical school, in 1902.[3]
Hillson Beasley, the chief architect of the Public Works Department of Western Australia, approved the plans for the Fremantle Technical School on 20 July 1912.[2]
Planned as the western wing of the old school, the building was estimated to cost £5,000. It has 270 feet (82 m) of frontage along South Terrace and was made from brick with a local limestone base. It features a Donnybrook plinth and facings, and a roof of Marseilles tiling. Designed to have ten new classrooms each to hold 30 students it provided access to the first floor via a wide stairway opening onto a large landing. Each floor had five classroom with the rooms on the ground floor surrounding a large open hall space.[3][1]
The foundation stone was laid by the then Minister for Education, Thomas Walker, on 31 October 1912.[2]
The brick and tile building was built in the Federation Free Style with banded stucco and stone.[4]
The official opening of the building was held on 16 July 1913, although classes had been held in some classrooms prior to the event.[5] It was opened by Thomas Walker together with the Mayor of Fremantle, Frederick James McLaren, in attendance.[6]