HOUSE, 3 COMMERCIAL STREET, South Fremantle WA 6162
DESCRIPTION
Heritage TitleHOUSE, 3 COMMERCIAL STREETAddress3 Commercial Street SOUTH FREMANTLE WA 6162Geo tag[1] Heritage Place No20523Street Number3Construction Commenced1896Construction MaterialRoof – METAL: Corrugated IronWall – TIMBER: WeatherboardFormer W.A. Heritage ThemesDEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY: SettlementsStatement Of SignificanceHOUSE, 3 COMMERCIAL STREET , a single-storey, single-room width, timber-framed and iron house with an asymmetrical façade is a representative example of late 19th-century residential development in the area. Built in the Victorian Georgian style, the house reflects typical style of the period.
Constructed in 1896, the house reflects the expansion of Fremantle during the late 19th century, a time when the Western Australian gold rush brought economic growth and increased settlement. Its timber-framed construction and iron roofing are indicative of the resourceful building practices of the time, particularly in working-class and middle-class areas where accessible and durable materials were favoured.
Designed in the Victorian Georgian style, the house exhibits key architectural features such as a simple, rectilinear form, restrained detailing, and an asymmetrical façade—a variation that reflects the practical and evolving nature of colonial-era housing. While many Victorian Georgian houses feature symmetrical designs, this adaptation speaks to the flexibility of the style in response to site constraints and functional needs. As an example of modest 19th- century housing, it represents the daily lives of the working- and middle-class residents who contributed to the development of Fremantle. ArchaeologyConditionCondition assessed as fair to good (assessed from streetscape survey only).HistoryThe land along Commercial Street was subdivided by Mesrs Davies, Chamberlain and Wray in 1895. In 1896, George William Hill built a two-room cottage for himself, which he extended to a three-room cottage the following year. Hill is recorded as a saddler. He continued to own the place until 1908, although he rented it out to first John Patterson (1902-1904) and then William Nichols (1904-1908). A 1913 plan shows the cottage as a long narrow timber building with verandahs across its front and rear elevations. A 1993 photographs show the place with its front verandah entirely enclosed with what appears to be masonry, including rough rendered pillars, a single-pane timber door, and a long narrow window across the width of the front. The gable end has faux-brick cladding. The skillion verandah has short-sheeted cgi. A c1960s photo appears to show the place with the front enclosure as described for 1993 above. A photograph from April 1996 shows the place transformed. The enclosure of tPhysical DescriptionHouse, 3 Commercial Street is a single storey, single room width, timber framed and iron house with asymmetrical facade designed as an example of the Victorian Georgian style of architecture. The walls are timber framed and clad with cedar weatherboards and fibre cement sheeting. The roof is gabled and clad with corrugated iron. The verandah has a separate corrugated iron roof supported by timber posts and continues around one side of the building. There is a face brick chimney evident. There is a low level painted brick wall to the front boundary line. Vegetation makes further description difficult.AssociationPlace UseOriginal Use – RESIDENTIAL: Single storey residencePresent Use – RESIDENTIAL: Single storey residenceIntegrity/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
Constructed in 1896, the house reflects the expansion of Fremantle during the late 19th century, a time when the Western Australian gold rush brought economic growth and increased settlement. Its timber-framed construction and iron roofing are indicative of the resourceful building practices of the time, particularly in working-class and middle-class areas where accessible and durable materials were favoured.
Designed in the Victorian Georgian style, the house exhibits key architectural features such as a simple, rectilinear form, restrained detailing, and an asymmetrical façade—a variation that reflects the practical and evolving nature of colonial-era housing. While many Victorian Georgian houses feature symmetrical designs, this adaptation speaks to the flexibility of the style in response to site constraints and functional needs. As an example of modest 19th- century housing, it represents the daily lives of the working- and middle-class residents who contributed to the development of Fremantle. ArchaeologyConditionCondition assessed as fair to good (assessed from streetscape survey only).HistoryThe land along Commercial Street was subdivided by Mesrs Davies, Chamberlain and Wray in 1895. In 1896, George William Hill built a two-room cottage for himself, which he extended to a three-room cottage the following year. Hill is recorded as a saddler. He continued to own the place until 1908, although he rented it out to first John Patterson (1902-1904) and then William Nichols (1904-1908). A 1913 plan shows the cottage as a long narrow timber building with verandahs across its front and rear elevations. A 1993 photographs show the place with its front verandah entirely enclosed with what appears to be masonry, including rough rendered pillars, a single-pane timber door, and a long narrow window across the width of the front. The gable end has faux-brick cladding. The skillion verandah has short-sheeted cgi. A c1960s photo appears to show the place with the front enclosure as described for 1993 above. A photograph from April 1996 shows the place transformed. The enclosure of tPhysical DescriptionHouse, 3 Commercial Street is a single storey, single room width, timber framed and iron house with asymmetrical facade designed as an example of the Victorian Georgian style of architecture. The walls are timber framed and clad with cedar weatherboards and fibre cement sheeting. The roof is gabled and clad with corrugated iron. The verandah has a separate corrugated iron roof supported by timber posts and continues around one side of the building. There is a face brick chimney evident. There is a low level painted brick wall to the front boundary line. Vegetation makes further description difficult.AssociationPlace UseOriginal Use – RESIDENTIAL: Single storey residencePresent Use – RESIDENTIAL: Single storey residenceIntegrity/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 Date27/08/2025
Local Government Non-Statutory Local Heritage Survey
Local Government Non-Statutory Local Heritage Survey CustodianCity of FremantleLocal Government Non-Statutory Local Heritage Survey Date27/08/2025Local Government Non-Statutory Listing Local Heritage Survey Management CategoryLevel 3
PARENT PLACE
Parent Place No22386Parent place nameSouth Fremantle Heritage Area
RELATED
HOUSE, 3 COMMERCIAL STREET, South Fremantle WA 6162. City of Fremantle Local History Centre, accessed 06/04/2026, https://history.fremantle.wa.gov.au/nodes/view/36808