Bateman Street, 1, Fremantle WA 6160
DESCRIPTION
Heritage TitleHOLDSWORTH HOUSE 1 BATEMAN STREETAddressHoldsworth House 1 Bateman Street FREMANTLE WA 6160Geo tag[1] Heritage Place No4550Construction Commenced1895Construction MaterialRoof – METAL: ZincalumeWall – TIMBER: WeatherboardFormer W.A. Heritage ThemesDEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY: Land allocation & subdivisionPEOPLE: Local heroes & battlersStatement Of SignificanceHouse, 1 Bateman Street is included in the precinct listing for Ord and Bateman Street. The precinct is rare as an intact group of Federation period residences. The early owners and developers of the precinct were prominent Fremantle businessmen Lionel Holdsworth (expiree, accountant and mercantile clerk) and Henry Dixson (tobacco merchant). The precinct contributes to the Fremantle community's sense of place through its distinctive streetscape. The houses between 20 and 24 Ord Street have strong landmark qualities as fine two-storey examples of Federation Filigree architecture, accentuated by their location above street level. The precinct contains a rare collection of fine Federation Filigree style residences. The 2001 addition to 3 Bateman Street is of little significance. There are no intrusive elements. This statement of significance was taken from the Heritage Council of Western Australia’s Register Entry for the Ord and Bateman Street Precinct (January 2005). ArchaeologyConditionWith minor exceptions, the condition of the precinct outside the publicdomain is fair to good. There are no properties in poor condition.HistoryHouse, 1 Bateman Street is included in the precinct listing for Ord and Bateman Street. The precinct comprises 10-24 Ord Street; 8-14 KnutsFord Street; and 1-9 Bateman Street. By 1832, the townsite of Fremantle had been laid out, and some building had commenced. By 1833, a dirt road had been made from Perth to Fremantle, named the Perth-Freemantle (sic) Road. Over the next decade, the towns of Fremantle and Perth developed, and four tracks were established leading from Fremantle: to Perth, to Canning Bridge, which was opened in 1843, to the Canning district and Kelmscott, and south to Mandurah. Development in the Swan River Colony was slow through the period to 1850, when the commencement of transportation of convicts to the small colony heralded a period of rapid development. A wide program of public works was carried out by convict labour, including the building of Fremantle Prison. In the 1860s, the construction by convicts of a new Perth-Fremantle Road and the bridge over the Swan River at North Fremantle led to increased traffic on the road. In 1872, the Perth-Fremantle Road became a public highway. During this period, most people continued to reside within the early townsites, and in close proximity to their place of employment. In the late 1880s and early 1890s, sub-division commenced of some of the large lots to the south and east of the town of Fremantle, along the roads to Mandurah and the Canning district. The Fremantle merchants who had acquired wealth through their commercial enterprises began to move into the East Fremantle area, to take advantage of the higher ground to the east of High Street and views to the Swan River and the ocean. The Gold Boom that followed the discovery of gold at Coolgardie in 1892 brought an influx of population to Western Australia. The population of Fremantle increased rapidly, and residential development of the areas to the east, south, and north of the townsite proceeded apace through the 1890s, and into the first decade of the twentieth century. In 1901, the population of the Municipality was 14,700, a little over half the size of Perth. Other than High Street, which bears the traditional name for a central street, most of the street names within the precinct honour Governors of the Swan River Colony or members of their families, or people associated with the development of the precinct. Governor Sir Harry Ord (1877-80), who signed the documents setting aside the land for Fremantle Park (1877), is commemorated in Ord Street. The continuation of this street is Hampton Street, in honour of Governor John Hampton (1862-68). Bateman Street commemorates the Bateman family, well known wealthy Fremantle merchants. KnutsFord Street was named after the birthplace of Lord Holland, after whom another East Fremantle street was named. The section of KnutsFord Street north of Ord Street was formerly Hill Street, as shown on sewerage maps. Post World War Two Sewerage Maps of Fremantle District show the precinct at that period. Ord & Bateman Street Precinct comprises 10-24 Ord Street, 8-14 KnutsFord Street, and 1-9 Bateman Street. The majority of the buildings in this group were built in the period 1892-1902, which may be divided into pre Gold Boom (1891-92), Gold Boom (1893-97) and turn of the century periods (1898-1902). Those dating from the pre Gold Boom period are 20-22, and 24 Ord Street, and 8 and 12 KnutsFord Street. Those dating from Gold Boom period are 12, 14, and 16 Ord Street, 14 KnutsFord Street, and 1 Bateman Street; and from the turn of the century period, 10 and 18 Ord Street, and 3, 5, 7, and 9 Bateman Street. These places in Bateman Street were all built in the space of three years, 1901-03. For the most part, the places were built as single residences, constructed of limestone and brick with iron roofs, and the majority were 'modest working class cottages'. The houses are either in the Federation Bungalow or Federation Filigree styles. In contrast with nearby streets, there are several two-storey buildings clustered in Ord Street and nearby at 1 Bateman Street. Of these, 20-22 Ord Street are semi-detached, as are some single storey cottages at 8 and 12 KnutsFord Street; and these are the only semi-detached residences in the precinct. In the pre Gold Boom period, Ivanhoe (c. 1890, demolished 1964), was one of the earliest and the largest residences built on the block. It was built for James Lilly (b. Tasmania, 1845, arr. c. 1877, d. Claremont, 1905), steamboat proprietor, shipping agent and Manager at Fremantle for the Adelaide Steamship Company. Set in large gardens, with stables, cottages, and pigsties, Ivanhoe was described by contemporaries as 'magnificent'. In 1964, Ivanhoe was demolished, and part of the grounds, now 6 Ord Street, at the corner of High and Ord Streets, was developed by Caltex Oil Company as a service station. Ivanhoe Flats, 8 Ord Street, at the rear of the service station, was built by Multiplex in 1968-72. The site of this well-known former residence, which was previously an important element of the streetscape, has not been included in the study area of Ord & Bateman Street Precinct. The flats and service station abut the precinct to the north. Lionel Holdsworth (b. England, 1826, d. Fremantle, 1900), an expiree, accountant and mercantile clerk, after whom Holdsworth Street is named, owned much of the precinct in the early 1890s. In 1891-92, Hugh Dixson, tobacco merchant, principal of the Adelaide Company, Dixson and Sons Tobacco Factory, purchased a number of lots from Holdsworth, which he proceeded to develop. In 1891-92, two pairs of semi-detached cottages were built for him at 8 and 12 KnutsFord Street. As the first occupants were tobacco twisters and the foreman of the tobacco company, it seems likely that they were employed by Dixson, and it is possible that he had the cottages purpose built to accommodate his workers. In 1892, at Lots 2 and 3 of 918, Dixson had built as an investment a pair of semi-detached two storey residences at 20-22 Ord Street in the Federation Filigree style and, in the same style, a two-storey residence at 24 Ord Street. The early tenants were police sergeants from the prison, and superintendents from the hospital, both of which were located nearby. In 1896-97, nos. 12, 14, and 16 Ord Street were built as investment properties for Lionel Holdsworth, and on completion all were leased to tenants. 1 Bateman Street is unique in the precinct, as the only residence constructed of timber weatherboards. In 1895/1896, the house, incorporating a two storey section to take advantage of the sloping ground, was constructed for Lionel Holdsworth. The place has been classified by the National Trust of Australia (W. A.), and is included in the City of Fremantle Municipal Inventory. It is also known as Holdsworth House. The residences within the precinct continue to be occupied as single residences, with the exception of 10 Ord Street, which is in use as doctor's rooms. In 2000, a walking guide of four residential blocks was published that included the precinct as block three. The Heritage Council’s documentation contains Management Strategies for the precinct as follows: There should be no demolition of significant places within the precinct. Ord & Bateman Street Precinct should be protected by the conservation of the existing heritage buildings, street frontages, and gardens, together with careful management of the public domain. The character and intactness of the different elements of the precinct should be conserved and strengthened, and new development should be controlled to retain the heritage significance of the precinct and its diverse components. The need for the evolution of the place should be recognized and change managed to conserve the visual harmony of the precinct. To achieve these aims the following management strategies should be implemented: • The Heritage Precinct included in the State Register and under the City of Fremantle’s Town planning scheme should be delineated to coincide. • Development guidelines specific to the precinct that are based on the Statement of Significance should be prepared to guide new development, together with alterations and additions to heritage places within the precinct. • The guidelines should refer to the importance of retaining the heritage stock, the design of any new places and the need to respect the existing scale, proportions, and plan form of the existing buildings and streetscape guidelines. The guidelines should emphasise the need to evaluate change in terms of the overall context of the precinct. • Guidelines should relate to the broad precinct management strategies, or an overall precinct management strategy for residential precincts. This information was taken from the Heritage Council of Western Australia’s assessment documentation for the Ord and Bateman Street Precinct. The documentary evidence was compiled by Robin Chinnery, Historian, with research assistance from Dr. Leonie Stella. The physical evidence was compiled by Philip Griffiths, Architect. The above is gratefully acknowledged as their work. Physical Description1 Bateman Street (1895, Holdsworth House) is a two storey Federation Filigree style residence set close to the front boundary, with a timber picket fence. It is single storey on the Bateman Street side and with the benefit of the reverse slope is two storey on the interior side. A wide carport obscures much of the house from Bateman Street. The house is constructed in timber frame and clad with weatherboards. The house has a hipped zincalume roof, tall masonry chimneys, surrounding bull nosed roof verandah carried on stop chamfered timber posts with timber friezes, post brackets, and a Chinoiserie balustrade. The windows are double hung sashes, and the doors are glazed and/or paneled with sidelights and awning lights. The street frontage garden is brick paved with plantings of Palms, Pines and Creepers. Ord & Bateman Street Precinct comprises 10-24 Ord Street; 8-14 KnutsFord Street; and 1-9 Bateman Street. It is set on a limestone ridge that rises sharply from Ord Street and continues on to become Monument Hill. The houses were all built within the decade between 1892 and 1902. The houses on Ord Street are either substantial duplexes or single residences, while the remainder are modest working class residences, some of which have been greatly expanded in the last decades of the twentieth century. To the north of the precinct the large villa Ivanhoe has been demolished and replaced with Ivanhoe Flats and a service station on the corner of High and Ord Streets. The buildings in the precinct are constructed in ashlar, random coursed and rubble limestone, tuck-pointed face brickwork and stucco, with corrugated metal roofs, with a small number of places having tiled roofs. Bateman Street runs along the contour of Monument Hill and rises towards its centre. The east side of the street is taken up by retaining walls to the bottom of Monument Hill. The houses are simple workers’ houses, with entries at street level. The houses extend out over the side of the hill allowing sweeping views to the west. The first three houses were almost identical, but change through time has made them vary, one of them significantly. There are several street trees including Coastal Morts and Chinese Tallow.AssociationLionel HoldsworthPlace UseOriginal Use – RESIDENTIAL: Two storey residencePresent Use – RESIDENTIAL: Flats\Apartment BlockPresent Use – RESIDENTIAL: Two storey residenceIntegrity/AuthenticityINTEGRITY The precinct retains a high level of integrity.10 Ord Street is used for non-residential purposes (medical practice). The remainder of the places retain their residential use. AUTHENTICITY Most properties have undergone change and many have gone from decline to later be conserved. Much of the conservation and restoration is confined to the more fragile elements such as roof finishes and verandahs. Most interiors have been adapted for modern living. The authenticity of the precinct remains moderate to high.Place TypeIndividual Building or GroupState Registered1
Statutory Heritage Areas
Statutory Heritage Area CustodianHeritage Council of WAStatutory Heritage Area Ord & Bateman Street PrecinctHeritage Area StatusState RegisteredHeritage Area InHerit Number13806Statutory Heritage Area Date21/01/2005
Local Government Statutory Heritage Listings
Local Government Statutory Listing CustodianCity of FremantleLocal Government Statutory Listing TypeHeritage ListLocal Government Statutory Listing StatusYesLocal Government Statutory Listing Date8/03/2007
Local Government Non-Statutory Local Heritage Survey
Local Government Non-Statutory Local Heritage Survey CustodianCity of FremantleLocal Government Non-Statutory Local Heritage Survey Date18/09/2000Local Government Non-Statutory Listing Local Heritage Survey Management CategoryLevel 1A
Non-Statutory Listings and Surveys
Non-statutory Listings CustodianNational Trust of Australia (WA)Non-statutory Listings TypeList of Classified PlacesNon-statutory Listings GradingClassifiedNon-statutory Listings Date03/10/1995
PARENT PLACE
Parent Place No22527
RELATED
Bateman Street, 1, Fremantle WA 6160. City of Fremantle Local History Centre, accessed 06/04/2026, https://history.fremantle.wa.gov.au/nodes/view/26602