Barracks Arch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Barracks Arch |
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The Barracks Arch from the front, with Parliament House in the background
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| General information | |
| Type | Heritage-listed building |
| Location | St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 31°57′08″S 115°50′56″E / 31.9522°S 115.8488°E |
| Type | State Registered Place |
| Designated | 22 June 2001 |
| Reference no. | 2120 |
The Barracks Arch is a famous landmark in Perth, Western Australia. You can find it at the end of St Georges Terrace, where Malcolm and Elder Streets meet. It's a special part of Perth's history.
Contents
What Was the Barracks?
The Barracks building was designed by an architect named Richard Roach Jewell. It was built between 1863 and 1866. Its main purpose was to provide homes for the Enrolled Pensioner Force. These were former soldiers who came to Australia. They often worked as guards on ships carrying convicts. In return, they received small pieces of land and part-time guard jobs.
Why Were the Barracks Built?
In the 1860s, a lot of convict work moved from Fremantle to Perth. This meant many Enrolled Pensioners and their families needed a place to live. The Barracks provided housing for them.
Architect Jewell designed the building to look like a medieval castle. It had three floors. The building was made of brick, which was cheaper than stone. It had lines of lighter bricks under the windows. This made the building look wider. The roof was made from wooden shingles.
Life at the Barracks
The Barracks were finished in 1866. Later, more sections were added to house 21 extra families. Each family apartment had two rooms. These rooms were about 13 feet by 11 feet (around 4 by 3.3 meters). Most rooms also had a fireplace.
Outside the main building, there were other useful buildings. These included a cookhouse and a wash-house. There was also a firing range and a gun-room. Stables were built for horses. A court for a game called "fives" was added later.
Fire and Changes
In 1887, a fire damaged the Barracks. It destroyed the wooden floors in one part of the building. The second floor of the middle section was also burnt. People formed a chain to pass buckets of water from the Swan River to put out the fire. The damaged parts were later repaired.
Between 1900 and 1904, the Barracks slowly changed. They became offices for the Public Works Department. By 1904, it was their main office. Famous people worked there, like C. Y. O'Connor. His office was right above the arch. The "fives court" was used as a drawing office. The Public Works Department moved to a new building in 1966.
Saving the Arch
After the departments moved out, the government planned to knock down the Barracks. This was to make way for the Mitchell Freeway. But many people wanted to save the building.
Public Outcry
In 1961, a group called the Royal Western Australian Historical Society formed the Barracks Defence Council. They joined the public in protesting the demolition in 1966. The council wanted to save the arch and five sections of windows on each side. At the very least, they hoped to save just the gateway and its towers. But demolition work started anyway. Some parts of the building were already pulled down.
Public Opinion Matters
To see what people thought, several polls were held. In March 1966, a radio station asked people to vote. They received 2,747 votes to keep the arch and only 59 votes to demolish it. A newspaper poll in July also showed strong support for keeping it. It had 9,681 votes to keep it and 1,345 against.
The government also did a poll. It showed that 49% wanted to keep the arch. 35% wanted it gone, and 11% had no opinion. 5% thought it should be moved somewhere else. The Premier, Sir David Brand, felt these results were not clear enough. He said that Parliament would decide.
Parliament's Decision
On October 19, 1966, Parliament voted on whether to demolish the arch. The motion to knock it down was defeated. This meant the arch would stay! 26 votes were against demolition, and 18 were for it.
The Barracks Arch stands in front of Parliament House. It blocks the direct view from Parliament House down St Georges Terrace. Some people wanted to demolish it to create an open view. But the arch was saved. The Public Works Department then looked after the arch. They also improved the area around it.
