Port/boomdefence.html
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See also: boom defence jetty.
Boom Defence Buildings
Boom Defence Building 2 (photo: Hutchison) with the facade of the Navy Commander Residence on the extreme right.
Hutchison:
Where Fleet Street veers left there is a group of buildings that were erected, during World War II, to provide support accommodation for the operation of the anti-submarine defence system at the entrance to the harbour. The large brick building was Boom Defence Building No. 2, which was used for making and repairing torpedo nets. During the America’s Cup Defence it was refurbished for use as a media centre. In the 1990s the building was converted for use by the Maritime Studies Department of Fremantle Technical and Further Education College. The smaller, two-storey, timber-framed building in front of it was the Navy Commander’s Residence. Behind this building is Boom Defence Building No. 1, a large brick building like Building No. 2. It was, at first, also used for the construction and repair of torpedo nets. After the war, it was used for general port-related activities.
Boom Defence Building 1 - backing onto Slip Street (my snap 22 May 2022)
Jack Kent describes both Boom Defence Buildings in the 1991 report:
BOOM DEFENCE BUILDING 1
History
This building, together with Boom Defence Building 2, was constructed during World War Two to provide support accommodation for the operation of the state defence systems in place across the entrance of the inner harbour. This boom defence building was built first in 1941-42 to make and repair torpedo nets. Nets were also made for the overseas market such as the port of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka.
The building later became used for general port related activities and was the Wet Weather Clothing Store in 1964. The history of defence activities on Victoria Quay, particularly in a context of the state wide network of defence facilities, has not been fully researched.
Construction
The building form is very simple and consists of brick external walls supporting a single span arched roof clad in corrugated asbestos-cement sheeting. It has a good standard of detailing and is principally intact.
Assessment of Cultural Significance
The aesthetic qualities of Boom Defence Building 1 can be appreciated on two levels. Firstly, it is a well proportioned, carefully detailed building, which, although is basically industrial in character, remains an attractive piece of wharf architecture.
Secondly, it contributes positvely to the immediate surrounding character of its location. Although different in style and use of materials its scale and generally utilitarian character adds significantly to the streetscape of Slip Street (and to a lesser extent. Fleet Street), that is rich in wharf activities and operations.
The building, together with buildings 9, 10 and 11 [the Navy Commander Residence, Boom Defence Building 2, and a Workshop/Store], forms part of a unique group and provides a physical evidence of navy use of the wharf during the Second World War, and to this end, remains largely intact. This group of buildings add to the intensity of historic themes of Victoria Quay with the history of its own. This history deserves to be fully researched before the significance of Boom Defence group of buildings and associated structures can be fully determined.
BOOM DEFENCE BUILDING 2
HISTORY
This building, together with Boom Defence Building 1 (building No. 8) was constructed during World War Two to provide support accommodation for the operation of the defence systems in place across the entrance of the inner harbour.
This Boom Defence Building was constructed soon after the other one, in 1943, to make and repair torpedo nets. These nets were also made for the overseas market, such as the port of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka.
Boom Defence Building 2 was later used by FPA staff as office accommodation prior to the FPA Administration Building being constructed in 1963. It later served as a waterside workers assembly area before being used as an indoor hockey stadium in 1982-85.
During the America's Cup (1986-87) the building was refurbished to become a media centre. The designs were prepared by the BMA with the FPA workforce carrying out the alterations. The building was air-conditioned and contained a photographic laboratory for processing film taken during the races, while journalists in the main hall could view direct television coverage from their desks.
In 1989 work began on converting the building into an annexe for the Maritime Studies Department of TAFE. The complex will provide a second campus for the Maritime College in South Terrace.
Construction
The building form is very simple and consists of brick external walls supporting a single span arched roof clad in corrugated asbestos-cement sheeting. It has a good standard of detailing and although internally refurbished, remains principally intact.
Assessment of Cultural Significance
The aesthetic qualities of Boom Defence Building 2 can be appreciated on two levels. Firstly, it is a well-proportioned, carefully detailed building, which although is basically industrial in character, remains an attractive piece of wharf architecture.
Secondly, it contributes positively to the immediate surrounding character of its location that is rich in wharf related activities and operations.
The building, together with buildings 8, 9 and 11 form part of a unique group that is physical evidence of navy use of the wharf during the Second World War. Its ' open plan' design has made it a very versatile and adaptable building giving it many uses and consequently making it richer in historic and social significance.This group of buildings add to the intensity of historic themes of Victoria Quay with the history of its own. This history deserves to be fully researched before the significance of Boom Defence group of buildings and associated structures can be fully determined.
Both of the Boom Defence Buildings are assessed in the 2000 Port Masterplan as being of "very high relative degree of significance". The Navy Commander Residence is seen as being of "exceptional relative degree of significance". In the report, Boom Defence Building 2 is called "TAFE Hall".
David Hutchison, Fremantle Walks, 2006:
Boom Defence Jetty
This projects seawards from the slipways and was part of the boom defence system, which was completed in December 1939 to defend the harbour during World War II.
References and Links
Hutchison, David, 'Walk 1: Victoria Quay', Fremantle Walks.
Hutchison, David, Jack Kent, Agnieshka Kiera, Russell Kingdom, Larraine Stevens, Tanya Suba, 1991, Victoria Quay and its Architecture its History and Assessment of Cultural Significance, City of Fremantle; Part II: Jack Kent: 'Architectural evaluation of existing buldings and assessment of their cultural significance', 54 pp. This is page 12.
Fremantle Ports website.
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 17 May, 2022 and hosted at freotopia.org/port/boomdefence.html (it was last updated on 11 January, 2024). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.