Museum of Perth – Demolished Icons of Perth Project
The City of Perth experienced a major building renaissance, beginning in the 1960s and into the 1970s, due to the discovery and subsequent mining of iron ore in the north west of Western Australia. With the sudden increase of the population of Perth the infrastructure of Perth had to improve greatly. New roads, schools and housing estates had to be constructed to accommodate the sudden increase in population.
The most significant changes were seen in the city skyline where new office buildings had to be built to house the many new workers to the city. The downside to this reinvigoration of the city was the loss of many buildings with historical and cultural sentiment.
The Demolished Icons of Perth project showcases the history of the buildings that were destroyed and subsequently what now stands in their place.
Most were demolished between 1960 to 1980. Some historic buildings remain intact and, thankfully, Perth’s city skyline now has a blend of old and new.
HOTEL ADELPHI (1935-1967)
In 1933 Australian department store chain Foy and Gibson placed property adjacent to their factory on the market, including an almost three acre block on the Mill Street corner of St George’s Terrace (now 191 St George’s Terrace).
VIKING BUILDINGS (1912-1970)
The Viking Buildings (soon renamed Viking House and later, National House) were situated at 49 William Street, Perth. Termed a skyscraper in newspapers of the day, it was also the home of the National Insurance Company.
MITCHELL CHAMBERS/ J MASEL & SON/ GAYNE’S (1902-1960)
Though it was not built until 1902, the original “Sketch Plans for Gayne’s Corner” were drawn in 1896 from designs by Perth architect Thomas Benjamin Jackson for John Mitchell and his wife Harriet.
AMP CHAMBERS (1915-1972)
AMP Limited bought ‘Carr’s Corner’, at 140 St George’s Terrace, in 1910. In 1915 AMP Chambers was built on it. Designed by well-known Perth architects Charles Lancelot Oldham and Alfred Edward Cox and their firm Oldham & Cox, the six-storey building was designed in the ‘Renaissance Revival’ architectural style. The completed building was clad in limestone and the interior of the building was finished in Western Australian Jarrah.
EMU BREWERY (1938-1992)
The Emu Brewery, founded as the Albion Brewery in 1837, could trace its history to the first decade of the Swan River Colony. Founded as the Albion Brewery in 1837 by James Stokes on the banks of theSwan River on the corner of Mount and Spring Streets, the business changed hands and names, several times, until the Swan Brewery bought it in 1927.
EMPIRE BUILDINGS (1902-1981)
The Empire Buildings, designed and built by renowned Perth architect Sir John Joseph Talbot Hobbs, was located at 158–160 Murray Street, on the north west corner of Barrack Street. It consisted of three floors with a basement, and had a 99 foot frontage on Murray Street and a 70 foot frontage along Barrack.
Demolished Icons of Perth Map
To view the full Demolsihed Icons of Perth project visit demolishedicons.com thanks to facebook.com/lostperthfound.
Also Recommended
