Old Perth Technical School
Encyclopedia
The 1910 Perth Technical School is located at 137 St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western Australia
, adjacent to the Old Perth Boys School
building.
A restrained and incomplete example of the Federation Free
Medieval architectural
style, designed by government architect Hillson Beasley, this is one of the few examples of the style surviving in central Perth.
footings and Donnybrook
stone trimmings. There is a square tower, originally intended to be central, with castellated parapet
s. The interiors exhibit fine craftsmanship in joiner
y, with jarrah
timber panelling and art nouveau
leadlighting and glass. A grand staircase of jarrah connects the three levels of the building.
, part of the holding of Henry Willey Reveley. Plans show the manner in which Reveley's Mill and spring-fed mill-pond were linked by a mill-race down the steep slope to Bazaar Terrace (now Mounts Bay Road), along the Perth foreshore.
In May 1900, the Perth Technical College (originally called the 'Perth Technical School') opened in the Old Perth Boys School
building in St Georges Terrace, with courses available to both boys and girls. The curriculum included chemistry, assaying, engineering, art and design, woodwork and metalwork. With the unexpected death of the superintendent of technical education, Alex Purdie, in 1905, his successor, Frank Allen, who was also director of the Kalgoorlie
School of Mines, improved the makeshift facilities in which students had initially been forced to work with an impressive purpose-built technical school, which opened in 1910. Its motto Truth, Beauty and Utility, emblazoned above the front entry, expressed the era’s high hopes for technical education. Allen also extended the curriculum to include blacksmithing, carpentry, engine-driving, fitting and turning, plumbing, commercial studies, pharmacy and surveying. The buildings were designed by the chief architect of the Public Works Department (1905–1917), Hillson Beasley (who also designed the Government House
ballroom (1899), Western Australian Parliament House
(1900), Claremont
Teacher Training College (1902), Perth Modern School
(1909–11), Midland
Courthouse (1907), Fremantle
Post Office (1907) and Fremantle Technical College annexe (1910)). Beasley is noted for his 'blood and bandages' style of red-brick public architecture.
Perth Technical College was the venue for the first tertiary educational activity in the state. In an earlier manifestation, the college incorporated a School of Mines. The main stairwell in the College building contains trapdoors which, when opened, allow creation of a vertical shaft akin to a mine. The college also provided university courses under licence from the University of Adelaide
until the University of Western Australia
was established in 1914. The technical college later became part of the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) programme and several other substantial neighbouring buildings were built or adapted to accommodate disciplines such as art and refrigeration. The college site extended southward from St George's Terrace to Mount's Bay Road. Its facilities were increasingly supplemented by other campuses including the former boys' school in James Street where the college principal's office was located in the 1980s.
Many significant people have studied at Perth Technical College, such as Sir Walter James
(Premier of Western Australia
1902 - 1904), Sir Charles Gairdner
(Governor of Western Australia
1951 - 1963) and town planner Margaret Feilman
.
was persuaded to order preservation of the 1910 building (only), following a public campaign waged by a pressure-group, "the Castle Keepers". At that time, the large site (including the various other college buildings) was valued at about $4 million.
In 1986 Laurie Connell
and Alan Bond
, through his Bond Corporation, both bought 25% stakes in a larger amalgamated site which included Newspaper House, the Royal Insurance Building, and the 1890s WA Trustee Co building, in partnership with the State Superannuation Board. The consortium paid $33.5 million for the site. Two years later, the site was sold to Kerry Packer
and Warren Anderson
, who paid $270 million and had grand plans to build on what they called Westralia Square.
In the early 1990s, plans for a $2-billion development by Indonesia
's Samma Group fell through. Anderson later left the project, with Packer selling his Westralia Square investment in 2003 for $19 million, taking a loss of more than $200 million on the deal. The purchaser was a partnership of Multiplex and Ric Stowe.
In 2008 the City of Perth
granted approval to Multiplex for the construction of a 46-storey tower block on the site for BHP Billiton
. The approval included strict conditions on maintaining the heritage values of the buildings along St Georges Terrace, including Newspaper House, the Royal Insurance Building, the 1890s WA Trustee Co building and the Old Perth Technical School.
In October 2010, the four heritage buildings were advertised for lease as "heritage office space" and described as "meticulously restored" as part of the City Square development. The developer, now known as Brookfield Multiplex, plans to use the Old Perth Technical School and other heritage buildings as entry points for the complex as a whole.
(WA) on 14 June 2004. The building is also included on the City of Perth
's Municipal Inventory and was interim listed on the State Register of Heritage Places on 9 January 1998.
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, adjacent to the Old Perth Boys School
Old Perth Boys School
The Old Perth Boys School is located at 139 St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western Australia. The single-storey limestone building was designed by William Sandford in 1852 and is a significant example of a colonial building constructed in Perth from the mid-nineteenth century.-Built form:The Old Perth...
building.
A restrained and incomplete example of the Federation Free
Federation architecture
Federation architecture refers to the architectural style in Australia, which was prevalent from around 1890 to 1920. The period refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Australian colonies collectively became the Commonwealth of Australia...
Medieval architectural
Medieval architecture
Medieval architecture is a term used to represent various forms of architecture common in Medieval Europe.-Characteristics:-Religious architecture:...
style, designed by government architect Hillson Beasley, this is one of the few examples of the style surviving in central Perth.
Built form
The building is a three-level red-brick structure with limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
footings and Donnybrook
Donnybrook, Western Australia
-Tourism:Donnybrook has many town icons bearing the apple. On the main street, apple-shaped lights line the entrance of the Old Railway Station. These lights have recently been restored. Atop the east Donnybrook hill is a high tower with an apple at the top...
stone trimmings. There is a square tower, originally intended to be central, with castellated parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
s. The interiors exhibit fine craftsmanship in joiner
Joiner
A joiner differs from a carpenter in that joiners cut and fit joints in wood that do not use nails. Joiners usually work in a workshop since the formation of various joints generally requires non-portable machinery. A carpenter normally works on site...
y, with jarrah
Jarrah
Eucalyptus marginata is one of the most common species of Eucalyptus tree in the southwest of Western Australia. The tree and the wood are usually referred to by the Aboriginal name Jarrah...
timber panelling and art nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
leadlighting and glass. A grand staircase of jarrah connects the three levels of the building.
History
The site of the former Perth Technical College was, in the early years of the Swan River ColonySwan River Colony
The Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. The name was a pars pro toto for Western Australia. In 1832, the colony was officially renamed Western Australia, when the colony's founding Lieutenant-Governor, Captain James Stirling,...
, part of the holding of Henry Willey Reveley. Plans show the manner in which Reveley's Mill and spring-fed mill-pond were linked by a mill-race down the steep slope to Bazaar Terrace (now Mounts Bay Road), along the Perth foreshore.
In May 1900, the Perth Technical College (originally called the 'Perth Technical School') opened in the Old Perth Boys School
Old Perth Boys School
The Old Perth Boys School is located at 139 St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western Australia. The single-storey limestone building was designed by William Sandford in 1852 and is a significant example of a colonial building constructed in Perth from the mid-nineteenth century.-Built form:The Old Perth...
building in St Georges Terrace, with courses available to both boys and girls. The curriculum included chemistry, assaying, engineering, art and design, woodwork and metalwork. With the unexpected death of the superintendent of technical education, Alex Purdie, in 1905, his successor, Frank Allen, who was also director of the Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
School of Mines, improved the makeshift facilities in which students had initially been forced to work with an impressive purpose-built technical school, which opened in 1910. Its motto Truth, Beauty and Utility, emblazoned above the front entry, expressed the era’s high hopes for technical education. Allen also extended the curriculum to include blacksmithing, carpentry, engine-driving, fitting and turning, plumbing, commercial studies, pharmacy and surveying. The buildings were designed by the chief architect of the Public Works Department (1905–1917), Hillson Beasley (who also designed the Government House
Government House, Perth
Government House in Perth is the official residence of the governor of Western Australia and was built between 1859 and 1864. The buildings and gardens are listed on the Western Australian Register of Heritage Places and are open to the public from time to time.-Description:The building is a two...
ballroom (1899), Western Australian Parliament House
Parliament House, Perth
Parliament House, Perth is located on Harvest Terrace in Perth, Western Australia. An important building of the Government of Western Australia, it is the home of the Parliament of Western Australia, including the Western Australian Legislative Council and Western Australian Legislative Assembly...
(1900), Claremont
Claremont, Western Australia
Claremont is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia on the north bank of the Swan River.-History:Prior to European settlement, the Noongar people used the area as a source of water, for fishing and for catching waterfowl. In 1830, John Butler, a settler, set up an inn at Freshwater Bay to...
Teacher Training College (1902), Perth Modern School
Perth Modern School
Perth Modern School is an academically-selective co-educational public high school located in Subiaco, an inner city suburb of Perth, Western Australia.The school, established in 1911, now caters for students with high academic ability....
(1909–11), Midland
Midland, Western Australia
Midland is a suburb in the Perth, Western Australia metropolitan area, as well as the regional centre for the City of Swan local government area that covers the Swan Valley and parts of the Darling Scarp to the east. It is situated at the intersection of Great Eastern Highway and Great Northern...
Courthouse (1907), Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
Post Office (1907) and Fremantle Technical College annexe (1910)). Beasley is noted for his 'blood and bandages' style of red-brick public architecture.
Perth Technical College was the venue for the first tertiary educational activity in the state. In an earlier manifestation, the college incorporated a School of Mines. The main stairwell in the College building contains trapdoors which, when opened, allow creation of a vertical shaft akin to a mine. The college also provided university courses under licence from the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
until the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
was established in 1914. The technical college later became part of the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) programme and several other substantial neighbouring buildings were built or adapted to accommodate disciplines such as art and refrigeration. The college site extended southward from St George's Terrace to Mount's Bay Road. Its facilities were increasingly supplemented by other campuses including the former boys' school in James Street where the college principal's office was located in the 1980s.
Many significant people have studied at Perth Technical College, such as Sir Walter James
Walter James
Sir Walter Hartwell James KCMG KC was the fifth Premier of Western Australia and an ardent supporter of the federation movement....
(Premier of Western Australia
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
1902 - 1904), Sir Charles Gairdner
Charles Gairdner
General Sir Charles Henry Gairdner, GBE, KCMG, KCVO, CB was a British Army general during World War II and was Governor of Western Australia from 1951 to 1963, and Governor of Tasmania from 1963 to 1968.-Early life:...
(Governor of Western Australia
Governor of Western Australia
The Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
1951 - 1963) and town planner Margaret Feilman
Margaret Feilman
Margaret Feilman was Perth's first female town planner. She has had a highly successful professional career as an architect, town planner and landscape designer...
.
Redevelopment progress
Proposed demolition of all buildings on the St George's Terrace site was announced in 1985 by a state government agency, the WA Development Corporation, with the extraordinary support of the National Trust (WA), to facilitate major redevelopment tenders. However, premier Brian BurkeBrian Burke
Brian Thomas Burke was Labor premier of Western Australia from 25 February 1983 until his resignation on 25 February 1988...
was persuaded to order preservation of the 1910 building (only), following a public campaign waged by a pressure-group, "the Castle Keepers". At that time, the large site (including the various other college buildings) was valued at about $4 million.
In 1986 Laurie Connell
Laurie Connell
Laurie Connell was a Western Australian business entrepreneur. He was well known for his dealings with the Government of Western Australia and his close relationship with the then Premier of Western Australia, Brian Burke, during the WA Inc period in the mid to late 1980s as chairman of the...
and Alan Bond
Alan Bond (businessman)
Alan Bond is an Australian businessman noted for his criminal convictions and high-profile business dealings, including what was at the time the biggest corporate collapse in Australian history. Bond was born in the Hammersmith district of London, England, and emigrated to Australia with his...
, through his Bond Corporation, both bought 25% stakes in a larger amalgamated site which included Newspaper House, the Royal Insurance Building, and the 1890s WA Trustee Co building, in partnership with the State Superannuation Board. The consortium paid $33.5 million for the site. Two years later, the site was sold to Kerry Packer
Kerry Packer
Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer, AC was an Australian media tycoon. The son of Sir Frank Packer and Gretel Bullmore, the Packer family company owned controlling interest in both the Nine television network and leading Australian publishing company Australian Consolidated Press, which were later...
and Warren Anderson
Warren Anderson (businessman)
Warren Perry Anderson is an Australian businessman and speculative investor whose net worth in 1990 was estimated by the BRW magazine at $190 million, though the following year he was reported to have debts of $500 million. He has been a principal in major developments in Perth, Darwin and Melbourne...
, who paid $270 million and had grand plans to build on what they called Westralia Square.
In the early 1990s, plans for a $2-billion development by Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
's Samma Group fell through. Anderson later left the project, with Packer selling his Westralia Square investment in 2003 for $19 million, taking a loss of more than $200 million on the deal. The purchaser was a partnership of Multiplex and Ric Stowe.
In 2008 the City of Perth
City of Perth
The City of Perth is a local government area and body, within the Perth Metropolitan Area, which is the capital of Western Australia. The local government body is commonly known as Perth City Council. The city covers the Perth central business district and surrounding suburbs...
granted approval to Multiplex for the construction of a 46-storey tower block on the site for BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton is a global mining, oil and gas company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and with a major management office in London, United Kingdom...
. The approval included strict conditions on maintaining the heritage values of the buildings along St Georges Terrace, including Newspaper House, the Royal Insurance Building, the 1890s WA Trustee Co building and the Old Perth Technical School.
In October 2010, the four heritage buildings were advertised for lease as "heritage office space" and described as "meticulously restored" as part of the City Square development. The developer, now known as Brookfield Multiplex, plans to use the Old Perth Technical School and other heritage buildings as entry points for the complex as a whole.
Heritage value
The 1910 Perth Technical School building was entered into the Register of the National Estate by the Australian Heritage Commission on 18 April 1989 and was classified by the National TrustNational Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
(WA) on 14 June 2004. The building is also included on the City of Perth
City of Perth
The City of Perth is a local government area and body, within the Perth Metropolitan Area, which is the capital of Western Australia. The local government body is commonly known as Perth City Council. The city covers the Perth central business district and surrounding suburbs...
's Municipal Inventory and was interim listed on the State Register of Heritage Places on 9 January 1998.
Further reading
- Erickson, D. (Ed) Art & Design in Western Australia: Perth Technical College 1900-2000 (Central Metropolitan College of TAFE) 2000. ISBN 0–9578125–0-7
- Dunne, J. P. I Will Arise: History of Perth Technical College 1900-1980 (Perth Technical College Press) 1980.
- Old Perth Boys School and the National Trust Clement R. H., (The National Trust of Australia (WA))