Old Kerosene Store facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Old Kerosene Store |
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| Former names | Harbour & Lights Department Boatshed Shipwrights Building Campbell's Pottery Studio |
| Alternative names | Kidogo Arthouse |
| General information | |
| Location | Bathers Beach |
| Address | 49 Mews Road |
| Town or city | Fremantle, Western Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 32°03′27″S 115°44′30″E / 32.0576°S 115.7417°E |
| Current tenants | Kidogo Art Institute |
| Completed | 1884 |
| Landlord | City of Fremantle |
| Design and construction | |
| Main contractor | Harwood and Son |
| Official name | Kerosene Store (former) |
| Type | State Registered Place |
| Designated | 20 November 1992 |
| Part of | Round House and Arthur Head Reserve (8965) |
| Reference no. | 846 |
The Old Kerosene Store is a cool old building. You can find it at Bathers Beach in Fremantle, Western Australia. It's right next to the old Fremantle Long Jetty ruins. This single-storey building is made of limestone. It's part of the historic Arthur Head area.
A Look Back in Time
This building was built in 1884 by a company called Harwood & Son. Its first job was to store dangerous things like kerosene. Back then, kerosene was super important for lighting streets and heating homes. The building has one floor and a hipped iron roof.
In 1919, the government's Harbour and Light Department used it. It became a warehouse first. Later, it was a shed for shipwrights. These are people who build and fix ships.
In 1972, people saved the building from being torn down. They fixed it up for art! From 1975, a famous local artist named Joan Campbell used it. She was a potter and had her studio and gallery there. She used it until she passed away in 1997.
The City of Fremantle took over the building in 1982. It was restored again in 1986–87. This was part of a big project for Australia's 200th birthday.
Why This Building is Special
The Old Kerosene Store is really important. The National Trust of Australia (WA) says it's a great example of an early building. It's one of the few left of its kind in Western Australia. It also forms an interesting group with the Round House and the Government Stores.
The Heritage Council of Western Australia officially listed it in 1992. This means it's a protected heritage place. The City of Fremantle also lists it as important.
What's Happening There Now?
In 1998, an artist named Joanna Robertson leased the building. She started the Kidogo Art Institute there. It became a popular art center. The building was renamed the Kidogo Arthouse. "Kidogo" means "small" in Swahili.
In 2010, the City of Fremantle got money to fix up the old port area. This included the former Kerosene Store. This happened before the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships. During the championships, the Kidogo Arthouse had a small bar. It was called the Kelp Bar.
The Kelp Bar
The Kelp Bar was a hit during the sailing championships. Joanna Robertson wanted to keep it open all the time. One problem was needing toilets inside the old building. For a while, the City of Fremantle said no. But on December 13, 2013, they said yes! The Kelp Bar could get a special license without permanent toilets. The Kelp Bar reopened on December 20, 2013. It operated on weekends through January 2014.
