Buildings/passengerterminal.html
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Passenger Terminal
Architects: Hobbs, Winning and Leighton. Builder: A.T. Brine and Sons.
The Passenger Terminal is a large and significant building in the centre of the south wharf of Fremantle Harbour (Victoria Quay) which is still used by cruise ships despite access to its eastern side being compromised by the area being mainly used for the temporary parking of imported motor vehicles.
Hutchison:
Following World War II, Fremantle was a primary ‘gateway’ for immigrants. A new passenger terminal became necessary to cope with the increased demand and the present building was constructed in 1960-62. It replaced two earlier transit sheds, F and G, which had been built to replace three original sheds, G, H and I.
The interior design of the building has a high level of joinery detailing and craft work, which demonstrate the value of Western Australian hardwoods. The western part (F Berth) is lined with wandoo and the eastern part (G Berth) with blackbutt. The parquetry floor of the entrance and G Berth is in Wandoo; that in F Berth is blackbutt. Interior walls are dressed partly with vertical jarrah battens.
There are four murals, designed and executed by the noted Western Australian artist Howard Taylor. The two in F Berth show birds and flowers of the state; the two in G Berth, trees and animals.
Passenger arrivals declined from the 1970s, due to the development of air travel. Cruise liners still berth at the terminal, and it is also used for exhibitions and other events.
It is open to visitors only when cruise liners are berthed there, or when there was a special event.
Interiors of the Passenger Terminal courtesy Alan Pearce, Fremantle Ports, from Facebook 2023.
Baggage handing elevator at the Overseas Passenger Terminal (1960). Photo courtesy Alan Pearce, Fremantle Ports, from Facebook 2023.
References and Links
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 12 May, 2022 and hosted at freotopia.org/buildings/passengerterminal.html (it was last updated on 22 October, 2023). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.