HOUSE, 17 CHARLES STREET, SOUTH FREMANTLE WA 6162
DESCRIPTION
Heritage TitleHOUSE, 17 CHARLES STREETAddressCharles Street, 17, South Fremantle WA 6162Summary17 Charles Street SOUTH FREMANTLE WA 6162Geo tag[1] Heritage Place No20451Street Number17Construction Commenced1891Construction MaterialWall – RENDER: SmoothWall – STONE: LimestoneFormer W.A. Heritage ThemesDEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY: Land allocation & subdivisionStatement Of SignificanceHOUSE, 17 Charles Street, or its contribution to the streetscape and the surrounding area. The place has some rarity value as an example of an early 1890s building still remaining in Fremantle. The place is an example of the Victorian Georgian style of architecture.ConditionCondition assessed as good (assessed from streetscape survey only).HistoryCharles Street was largely developed in the last decade of the nineteenth century and much of the housing stock still dates from this time.
HOUSE, 17 Charles Street was first developed soon after it was purchased by James Goode Caporn (1834–1927) in 1890. Caporn was a member of a large Scottish family who had migrated to the Swan River Colony in 1842. The Caporns originally settled at Point Walter before moving to Fremantle, where several family members worked as builders, boatbuilders, and bakers. By the early 1890s, the site on Charles Street had begun to develop, with rate books recording one cottage in 1891, two by 1893, three by 1897, and four by 1900. The limestone cottage positioned close to the front boundary of the lot was likely the first structure built.
During the 1890s and early 1900s, James and Sarah Caporn lived on the property while letting the rear cottages to short-term tenants, many of whom were transient workers drawn to Fremantle during the gold rush and harbour construction era. Among the tenants was Sydney Reidy, who later married the Caporns’ daughter, May Leticia. James worked variously as a baker, riverboat captain, and later as a gardener. Tragedy struck in 1913, when Sarah Caporn died after self-administering arsenic, followed the next year by the death of their youngest son, James Goode Jr. By this time, parts of the property were being demolished or altered, as shown in sewerage plans from 1913 that record an “old brick building” being removed from the rear of the lot.
Around 1919, Jonathan Henry Smith (c.1877–1927) and his wife Anne Arnold Smith (1878–1950) moved into one of the cottages, most likely the weatherboard dwelling at the rear. Jonathan, a mining engineer from Nottingham, had migrated to Western Australia in 1912 and operated a market garden at Bibra Lake before moving to Fremantle for health reasons. The Caporn and Smith families lived on the property together until 1927, when both Jonathan Smith and James Caporn died within months of each other. Ownership of the site passed to Anne Smith, who remained at 17 Charles Street until her death in 1950. During this period, there is no evidence of other occupants, and the place appears to have served as her private residence.
In 1951, the property was purchased by George Guy Harris, a cashier associated with the Freemasons Hotel in Fremantle. Initially Harris continued to reside at the hotel, but by 1958 he was living at the Charles Street cottage. A 1954 sewerage plan shows that the earlier rear cottages had been removed and that an asbestos addition had been constructed along the eastern wall of the limestone cottage, with further galvanised iron and weatherboard extensions to the rear. Harris remained the owner until 1986, when the property was sold to Robert and Margaret Hewitt, who also purchased the adjoining southern lot and proposed demolishing the cottage to build a new residence. This plan did not proceed.
Later in 1986, the property was acquired by Bryn Davis, who undertook significant restoration and redevelopment works. A new studio cottage was built at the rear of the lot in the late 1980s, replacing the earlier timber and asbestos structures. Additions were made to the rear and eastern sides of the original limestone cottage, matching its materials and character. The works received a City of Fremantle award in 1997 for “Contributing to the unique character of Fremantle.” Further improvements followed in the early 2000s, including the construction of a limestone laundry in 2001 and a conservatory and tool shed in 2002. These additions maintained material consistency with the historic cottage, and many fittings such as doors and windows appear to have been salvaged heritage elements.
In 2009, ownership changed again, and the property began to be used for separate tenancies. No major alterations have been recorded since 2002.
This place was identified by the Fremantle Society in 1979/80 as being of cultural heritage significance. (Coded: Brown: "Positively contributing to the built environment")
In August 2025 the place was changed from a LHS Level 3 to Level 2, retained on the Heritage List and Identified as a Contributory Place in the South Fremantle Heritage Area.Physical DescriptionHOUSE, 17 Charles Street is a single storey, rendered masonry house with a symmetrical facade and side skillion built in 1891 and designed as an example of the Victorian Georgian style of architecture. The walls are rendered masonry with a parapet to the front facade. The roof is behind the parapet. The front façade has a central front door and double hung sash windows. There is a skillion section to the side. There is no verandah and the house is constructed on the front boundary line. There are two rendered and corbelled chimneys with pots evident.AssociationJames CapornPlace UsePresent Use – RESIDENTIAL: Single storey residenceOriginal Use – RESIDENTIAL: Single storey residencePresent Use – RESIDENTIAL: Single storey residenceArchitectural StylesVictorian GeorgianIntegrity/AuthenticityHigh degree of integrity (original intent clear, current use compatible, high long term sustainability). High degree of authenticity with much original fabric remaining. (These statements based on street survey only).Place TypeIndividual Building or Group
HOUSE, 17 Charles Street was first developed soon after it was purchased by James Goode Caporn (1834–1927) in 1890. Caporn was a member of a large Scottish family who had migrated to the Swan River Colony in 1842. The Caporns originally settled at Point Walter before moving to Fremantle, where several family members worked as builders, boatbuilders, and bakers. By the early 1890s, the site on Charles Street had begun to develop, with rate books recording one cottage in 1891, two by 1893, three by 1897, and four by 1900. The limestone cottage positioned close to the front boundary of the lot was likely the first structure built.
During the 1890s and early 1900s, James and Sarah Caporn lived on the property while letting the rear cottages to short-term tenants, many of whom were transient workers drawn to Fremantle during the gold rush and harbour construction era. Among the tenants was Sydney Reidy, who later married the Caporns’ daughter, May Leticia. James worked variously as a baker, riverboat captain, and later as a gardener. Tragedy struck in 1913, when Sarah Caporn died after self-administering arsenic, followed the next year by the death of their youngest son, James Goode Jr. By this time, parts of the property were being demolished or altered, as shown in sewerage plans from 1913 that record an “old brick building” being removed from the rear of the lot.
Around 1919, Jonathan Henry Smith (c.1877–1927) and his wife Anne Arnold Smith (1878–1950) moved into one of the cottages, most likely the weatherboard dwelling at the rear. Jonathan, a mining engineer from Nottingham, had migrated to Western Australia in 1912 and operated a market garden at Bibra Lake before moving to Fremantle for health reasons. The Caporn and Smith families lived on the property together until 1927, when both Jonathan Smith and James Caporn died within months of each other. Ownership of the site passed to Anne Smith, who remained at 17 Charles Street until her death in 1950. During this period, there is no evidence of other occupants, and the place appears to have served as her private residence.
In 1951, the property was purchased by George Guy Harris, a cashier associated with the Freemasons Hotel in Fremantle. Initially Harris continued to reside at the hotel, but by 1958 he was living at the Charles Street cottage. A 1954 sewerage plan shows that the earlier rear cottages had been removed and that an asbestos addition had been constructed along the eastern wall of the limestone cottage, with further galvanised iron and weatherboard extensions to the rear. Harris remained the owner until 1986, when the property was sold to Robert and Margaret Hewitt, who also purchased the adjoining southern lot and proposed demolishing the cottage to build a new residence. This plan did not proceed.
Later in 1986, the property was acquired by Bryn Davis, who undertook significant restoration and redevelopment works. A new studio cottage was built at the rear of the lot in the late 1980s, replacing the earlier timber and asbestos structures. Additions were made to the rear and eastern sides of the original limestone cottage, matching its materials and character. The works received a City of Fremantle award in 1997 for “Contributing to the unique character of Fremantle.” Further improvements followed in the early 2000s, including the construction of a limestone laundry in 2001 and a conservatory and tool shed in 2002. These additions maintained material consistency with the historic cottage, and many fittings such as doors and windows appear to have been salvaged heritage elements.
In 2009, ownership changed again, and the property began to be used for separate tenancies. No major alterations have been recorded since 2002.
This place was identified by the Fremantle Society in 1979/80 as being of cultural heritage significance. (Coded: Brown: "Positively contributing to the built environment")
In August 2025 the place was changed from a LHS Level 3 to Level 2, retained on the Heritage List and Identified as a Contributory Place in the South Fremantle Heritage Area.Physical DescriptionHOUSE, 17 Charles Street is a single storey, rendered masonry house with a symmetrical facade and side skillion built in 1891 and designed as an example of the Victorian Georgian style of architecture. The walls are rendered masonry with a parapet to the front facade. The roof is behind the parapet. The front façade has a central front door and double hung sash windows. There is a skillion section to the side. There is no verandah and the house is constructed on the front boundary line. There are two rendered and corbelled chimneys with pots evident.AssociationJames CapornPlace UsePresent Use – RESIDENTIAL: Single storey residenceOriginal Use – RESIDENTIAL: Single storey residencePresent Use – RESIDENTIAL: Single storey residenceArchitectural StylesVictorian GeorgianIntegrity/AuthenticityHigh degree of integrity (original intent clear, current use compatible, high long term sustainability). High degree of authenticity with much original fabric remaining. (These statements based on street survey only).Place TypeIndividual Building or Group
Statutory Heritage Areas
Statutory Heritage Area CustodianCity of FremantleStatutory Heritage Area South Fremantle Heritage AreaHeritage Area StatusContributoryHeritage Area InHerit Number22386Statutory Heritage Area Date14/10/2000
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 2
PARENT PLACE
Parent Place No22386Parent place nameSouth Fremantle Heritage Area
RELATED
HOUSE, 17 CHARLES STREET, SOUTH FREMANTLE WA 6162. City of Fremantle Local History Centre, accessed 04/05/2026, https://history.fremantle.wa.gov.au/nodes/view/36734