The Terrace

Significance

The Terrace as a land form, and its collection of buildings, are key historical convict-built components of Fremantle Prison. It is the dominant façade and main face of the Prison, as it presents on its elevated site to Fremantle. It is the most visible part of the Prison on approach from the west via the Fairbairn Street Ramp and it houses the Gatehouse and historic entry to the Prison on axis with the Ramp. Aesthetically, the Terrace gains strength from its long linear footprint, emphasised by the stone and iron fence (a reproduction of the original) which unifies the frontage; and the steep bank to the northern half which falls dramatically to the west. The individual terrace buildings with their defined lots and gardens, originally residences of the senior Prison staff providing typically direct access to the Prison, have a domestic character which contrasts with the Prison to their rear. This contrast is emphasised by the immediacy of the high perimeter wall of the Prison, with its razor wire, which remains a dominant and visible presence on the Terrace, seen between the buildings.

Historically, as can be seen from early images and renderings, development of the Terrace was largely symmetrical, with the buildings set out for the length of the Terrace in a generally balanced arrangement to either side of the Gatehouse. This symmetry is still evident in the presentation of 10–12 The Terrace and 14–16 The Terrace, which flank the Gatehouse to the north and south respectively, but have elsewhere tended to break down with later development and extensions to the buildings. Kerr (1998) identified 10 The Terrace and 16 The Terrace as having ‘mirror reverse plans’ which reflected ‘an army and institutional preoccupation with precinctual symmetry’.

Those parts of the Terrace of exceptional significance are as follows:

the Terrace overall, including the original convict-era planning and layout of roadway and buildings
convict-era buildings of the Terrace including those building at 8 The Terrace, 10 The Terrace, 12 The Terrace, 14 The Terrace, 16 The Terrace and 18 The Terrace
convict-era stone wall bordering the north end of the Terrace, and the stone steps which lead up from Holdsworth Street

Those parts of the Terrace of considerable significance are as follows:

gardens and settings to the Terrace buildings (not the individual plantings)
2 The Terrace, 4 The Terrace and 6 The Terrace
stables and later addition to 18 The Terrace

Those parts of the Terrace of some significance are as follows:

stone and iron fence which fronts the buildings for much of the length of the Terrace (reconstruction)

Those parts of the Terrace of little or no significance are as follows:

modern fit-outs and fittings to the buildings
all other modern fabric

Principles

PRINCIPLE 194: Maintain the prominence and visibility of the Terrace as seen on approach from the west, including the uninterrupted views from the Fairbairn Street Ramp.

PRINCIPLE 195: Maintain the visibility of the Terrace from Parry Street across the current car park. This does not preclude future works and potential development of the car park, but such should be designed, located and of a scale which would maintain these views.

PRINCIPLE 196: Manage the potential archaeological resource within the Terrace area as a critical element of its heritage values (especially the carpark area adjoining Parry Street which was originally a landscape/garden associated with the Prison from an early date).

PRINCIPLE 197: Retain the symmetrical presentation and ‘mirror reverse’ arrangement of 10–12 The Terrace and 14–16 The Terrace, which flank the Gatehouse.

PRINCIPLE 198: Retain and enhance the setting to the individual buildings, including maintaining the appearance of the separate lots and the stone and iron fence to the front of the properties.

PRINCIPLE 199: Maintain visibility of the west perimeter wall of the Prison to the rear of the Terrace buildings and gardens, to reinforce an understanding of the historical relationship between the former senior officer’s residences and the Prison.

PRINCIPLE 200: Ensure no new or additional structures, or plantings, compromise the existing views from the Terrace of the west perimeter wall of the Prison as seen between the buildings.

PRINCIPLE 201: No new car parking spaces, parking facilities or extensive hard surfaces should be introduced to the Terrace or to the individual building lots.

PRINCIPLE 202: Desirably, remove or at least restrict car parking from the roadway of the Terrace at the north end.

PRINCIPLE 203: Retain and conserve the Terrace buildings and support viable and compatible uses.

PRINCIPLE 204: Prior to removal or demolition of later intrusive additions to buildings, the following steps should be taken:

Undertake an assessment of the significance of the addition and of the impact of the demolition on that significance and of the subject building.
Identify the works required to make good and reinstate or reconstruct the original building form following demolition of the addition, ensuring that the funds and resources are available to undertake these works
Consider ongoing operational needs in terms of the use of the addition, and whether these can still be met in the absence of the addition.

PRINCIPLE 205: A replacement addition should:

generally not exceed the footprint and building envelope of the existing addition
be sympathetic and in keeping with the historic building

PRINCIPLE 206: Where works to individual buildings are proposed, the existing fabric that should be retained includes the following:

external original or early fabric, such as roof forms, masonry walls, chimneys, string courses, window and door openings, and evidence of early elements, such as rebates for shutters and verandahs
internal original or early fabric, such as joinery, stairs and balustrading, fireplace surrounds and mantels, architraves, timber doors, multi-paned and other windows, plaster work, including surviving lath and plaster ceilings and partitions, cornices and any other original or early decorative details, and elements including locks, fasteners and bell pulls

PRINCIPLE 207: Interpretation of the Terrace and its buildings is essential to ‘telling the story’ of the significant history, use and function of this distinctive Prison-related development; and to highlighting and transmitting the OUV (as per the World Heritage listing).

Structures & Spaces Actions

ACTION 91: Selectively remove or prune trees that restrict views of the Terrace buildings and west perimeter wall of the Prison, while conserving significant trees.

ACTION 92: While pragmatically it is recognised that the more extensive car parking to the west side of the southern part of the Terrace is required to support the commercial operations of Fremantle Prison, further landscaping of this area is recommended to help soften the appearance of the car park. Parking in this area should not be extended and should not intrude further into the setting of the Terrace, meaning the current east building line of the car park should not extend further east.

ACTION 93: Hard surface car parking currently intrudes into the north end of the Terrace, between 4–6 The Terrace and 8 The Terrace, and at the south end of the Terrace where it impacts on the relationship between the dwelling at 18 The Terrace and its associated stables building. In preference, car parking should be removed from these areas and pulled back from the settings of the historic buildings, including the stables. Soft landscaping could also be introduced to replace the hard surface areas.

ACTION 94: Emphasise the early character and form of the buildings both externally and internally.

ACTION 95: Consider removal of later intrusive additions to the Terrace buildings, to help reinstate the original building form and historically symmetrical arrangement and presentation of development to the Terrace.

ACTION 96: Later additions to buildings could be replaced by modern additions, where this supports viable and compatible uses.

ACTION 97: Remove verandah/balustrade infills, and non-original verandah floors or slabs.

ACTION 98: Give consideration to preparing individual Conservation Management Strategies or Conservation Management Plans for the buildings of the Terrace, to provide more focused and tailored guidance and policies, and greater detail about original and later building fabric.

ACTION 99: Consider opportunities to allow greater visitor access to the Terrace buildings.

ACTION 100: The section of stone wall which borders the north end of the Terrace (Holdsworth Street) should be conserved as a priority, as an example of the most unaltered section of convict fabric. The patching of cement to the associated stone step treads should be reversed, and the steps restored to original condition.

ACTION 101: Address the condition of the verandahs to the buildings, and the impact of the introduced concrete slabs.