I went inside the Barracks Arch
You've probably spotted the Barracks Arch before, at the end of St Georges Terrace and along the Mitchell Freeway. It's a small remain of a much bigger complex. From 1866, this was the barracks for the Enrolled Pensioners Guard and their families. Their primary focus was to transport and guard convicts during Perth's transportation period.
Eventually, transportation stopped and the guards were phased out. The barracks had several purposes over the decades, including a school (which became Hale) and a police barracks. From the early 1900s, it became the headquarters of the Public Works Department - continuously expanding with temporary structures.
Once they barracks were at capacity, they all moved to the newly built Dumas House in 1966. With the Mitchell Freeway beginning construction soon after, the barracks were on the chopping block. Parliamentarians were also keen to see it go (with David Brand as the premier) since it blocked their view down St Georges Terrace from Parliament House.
There was public backlash about the demolition, but even with the formation of The Barracks Defence Council (which included members of the National Trust and the Royal Western Australian Historical Society) the wings could not be saved. There was a very public debate about saving the arch, and as you can see, it survives to this day.
I've always wanted to go inside and thanks to the City of Perth and iCity tours, I gained entry to film several months ago.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barracks_Arch
https://www.museumofperth.com.au/forgotten-stations
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/wa-afternoons/history-repeated-barracks-arch/102548920 l
https://heritage.engineersaustralia.org.au/wiki/Place:Barracks_Arch
https://www.facebook.com/share/1AC7phYAxP/
https://freotopia.org/buildings/pensionerbarracksperth.html
https://mywikis-wiki-media.s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/eha/WA00_Barracks.pdf
https://freotopia.org/buildings/barracks.html
https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/state-records-office-of-western-australia/convicts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plan_for_the_Metropolitan_Region,_Perth_and_Fremantle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Stephenson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convict_era_of_Western_Australia
Library resources:
Index entries:
Photos:
1848 watercolour
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b4815239_35
1856 Illustration
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2801162_001
Saint Georges Terrace 1961
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b4175924_1
1868 (view from the barracks down the terrace)
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b3983550_1
1868 (with pensioners)
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b3983489_1
1896 (from the barracks down the terrace)
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2122927_1
1870 (from the barracks down the terrace)
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b1874410_1
1870
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2522460_1
1872 album
Pensioner Guards 1887
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2121922_1
South Perth Mill 1898
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b1931376_1
1937
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2405720_10
1940
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2404940_1
1951
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b7409884_1
Plan for Perth and Freo
https://www.museumofperth.com.au/plan-for-the-metropolitan-region-perth-and-fremantle-1955-report
1965
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2466425_1
1964
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2080540_2
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2407046_1
1965
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2466425_1
1966
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2553855_1
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b3983549_5
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2553855_1
1966 demolition album
1966 album before and after demolition
1966 mostly demolished
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2646540_1
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b4563979_1
Phone directory 1966
https://x.com/MuseumofPerth/status/522235691720540160/photo/1
1967
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b4019158_1
1969 album
1972 new freeway
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2565460_1
1972 narrows bridge under construction
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b3983549_10
Video:
1960
1965
1966
1967
1968
1970
