Reference numberLH000992BDescriptionThe old windmill which supplied water to 'Canvas Town', situated on the corner of Swanbourne and High Streets, was in use from 1898 for 29 years. Canvas Town was one of a number of humpy or shanty communities which sprang up on the outskirts of Fremantle to cope with the influx of population due to the discovery of gold in Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie. The dwellings were generally constructed of wooden frames, often bush poles, covered with hessian or corn sacks and white washed. The Fremantle Municipal Council by-laws provided that the tents be arranged in street lines, numbered and licensed and provided with "closet accommodation."Date1927Photograph FormatPhotographDigital ItemYes
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