Barracks Arch
Barracks Arch | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Heritage-listed building |
Location | St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western Australia |
Coordinates | 31°57′08″S 115°50′56″E / 31.952236°S 115.848879°E |
Type | State Registered Place |
Designated | 22 June 2001 |
Reference no. | 2120 |
The Barracks Arch is located on the corner of Malcolm and Elder Streets, at the western end of St Georges Terrace in Perth, Western Australia.
The Barracks
Designed by
A fire in 1887 destroyed the timber flooring of the east wing and the second floor of the central section.[3] Water was pumped by hand pumps from the Swan River and brought by buckets through a chain of volunteers.[3] The burnt sections were later restored.[3]
The Barracks were gradually converted to offices for the
Demolition of the Barracks and retention of the arch
The Government intended to demolish the Barracks to facilitate the building of the Mitchell Freeway after the departments moved to their new location.[3] The Royal Western Australian Historical Society formed a Barracks Defence Council in 1961, and joined the public outcry against demolition in 1966.[3] The Barracks Defence Council worked to keep the arch and five bays of windows either side, and at worst, keep only the gateway and towers.[3] Meanwhile, demolition proceeded, with the third and fourth bays of windows demolished and rubble cleared.[3]
Opinion polls were conducted to gauge the public's preferences. A March 1966 poll by radio station
The Barracks Arch blocks the otherwise unobstructed view from Parliament House down the length of St Georges Terrace and conversely of Parliament House from St Georges Terrace. The arch is within the precinct where parliament itself has planning jurisdiction in priority to the local government, the City of Perth, and it was intended that demolition of the arch would provide unobstructed views. That intention was a prime argument advanced in favour of the demolition.
The Public Works Department retained the arch and landscaped the surrounding area.[3] Over time, conservation plans have worked to keep the structure managed and preserved.[7] The conflict over the Barracks is a point where some organizations measure the start and their progress as effective political force in conservation battles.[8]
Further reading
- Clark, K.L (2009), Barracks Arch, UWA Publishing, retrieved 5 November 2022
- Reid, G. S. (1980) Perth's arch wrangle : the case of the Barracks Arch. Government 2, Vol.2, appendices 1-11
References
- ^ "General Intelligence". The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News. 7 August 1863.
- ^ a b c Information plaque on the Arch, 13 November 2016
- ^ ISBN 0-7244-6862-5.
- ^ Reid, Gordon S. "Perth's Arc de Triomphe : Saving the Barracks Arch" (PDF). Westerly. 1967 (1): 53–60. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- ^ "Barracks triumph". The Canberra Times. Vol. 41, no. 11, 517. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 25 October 1966. p. 2. Retrieved 5 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Archway to history". The Canberra Times. Vol. 40, no. 11, 530. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 26 July 1966. p. 2. Retrieved 5 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ John Taylor Architect; Western Australia. Dept. of Contract and Management Services (1999), Conservation plan for Barracks Arch (1863-7, 1968), Perth, Western Australia, The Dept, retrieved 5 November 2022
- ISBN 978-1-921410-24-6