PTA in the Community
The Fremantle Railway Station, built in 1907, provided an essential link between the commercial port and the rest of WA and was designed to be “an imposing building … of great convenience to the merchants and public of Fremantle.”
It was designed by New Zealander William Dartnell, Chief Engineer of Existing Lines of the Railway Department. Built in a matter of months in federation free classic style using elaborately carved Donnybrook stone on the façade, it featured a spacious black-and-white tiled hall separating various offices from the ladies’ waiting-rooms and refreshment area.
An article in The West Australian celebrated the opening with praise for the electric platform lights, white glazed wall tiles, rolled glass skylights and even the modern lavatories. It concluded that, “in many respects, the new Fremantle Station is the most up-to-date in the State.”
Now, more than 100 years later, it is being brought back to its former glory by the conservation efforts of the PTA, which has been undertaking a multi-million dollar staged conservation program since 2005.
The station was classified by the National Trust in 1974 and is listed on the Register of the National Estate and Register of Heritage Places. All work is being carried out in accordance with an approved Heritage Conservation Plan.
Stage one removed multiple layers of paint from the entry façade and repaired the underlying Donnybrook stone; the second upgraded the station’s electrics. At balance date the third stage, restoring the elaborate finishes, was almost complete.
Two original skylights have been repaired, with frames and glass replaced, a glass archway window in the entrance foyer has been uncovered and restored, and the main entrance doors have been removed and restored. Outside, the brickwork has been repointed, some stone mouldings replaced, cast iron rainheads and downpipes - reproduced to match the originals have been installed.
One of the quirkier elements of Mr Dartnell’s design was the inclusion, on two plinths above the entrance, of six carved swans. Though the official State emblem depicts the iconic WA black swan, early photographs and paint chips show the railway swans were originally painted white by their creator - Fremantle plaster modeller Walter Burvil.
By 1951, the outermost swans in each group had been painted black but the Heritage Council has recommended that all the swans be painted white again, to be authentic to the original design.