My first visit of the H.B. Brady warehouse in Bayswater, was late on a Saturday night sometime in October 2020. It was certainly a memorable one, what with our uncertainty of whether or not we would run into the squatters who had some weeks prior, threatened some young men with a blood-filled syringe. They had come during the day to photograph their nice shiny, dream car against the colourful backdrop of street graffiti.

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Thankfully we didn't experience them or any such threats. Mind you, it was quite memorable for the fact that a group of four children, who appeared to be from the same family, had come to trash the place. The oldest girl looked to be about 16 years old and the three younger siblings probably between the ages of 9-14. Shortly after a destructive session, that was too short-lived for us to peacefully intervene, one of the two boys who looked to be about 11 years old, had stabbed himself. Not intentionally of course. It just happened. I think it was when he was climbing up the stairs (or trashing something there?), he'd put his hand on a protruding metal object that for an obvious reason, penetrated the palm of his hand.

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Me being the typical ex-serving Brownie (Hurrah for Tintookies!) and Guides, I was always equipped with anything and everything I needed, especially with a well-stocked pencil case full of basic first aid equipment (and latex gloves). Unfortunately, it was a bit of a contentious issue for him to be bleeding so much when my supplies were rather limited. That and his fear of calling for an ambulance, which would presumably attract the police, like shark to a blood. He'd come to the conclusion, with barely any influence from his siblings, that he was better off bleeding out than attracting the attention of police.

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Cutting the story short, it was a preposterous effort to convince this little man that he would not be left with any serious side effects if he was to hold a (clean) female sanitary pad in his hand. I'm not sure if he had some kind of Cinderella story in his head where - POOF - he suddenly turned into a female but with his three siblings and my three mates ganging up on him with our sensibility, he relented. Possibly because his energy was also waning like his blood levels.

Then all four children swiftly disappeared into the shadows of the night, possibly fearing that we would notify the police (or Crisis Care?). It was on our minds and it was an ethical one at that, which consumed all four of us as a duty of care but we too finally left.

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It has since been demolished. Kaput!

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History

The HB Brady warehouse was said to have closed in 2011, although it had a few uses until 2015 but not to full capacity, possibly by Dixie Cummings. The office section is said to be the only part that was heritage listed as it is an example of pre WWII factories, with the remainder of it demolished for the purposes of Metronet.

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​​Timeline

• 2015 (9 March) - The H.B. Brady Holdings Pty Ltd and H.B. Brady Co. Pty Ltd company names are deregistered.

• 2013 (18 October) - The Yilgarn mining lease held by H.B. Brady Co. Pty Ltd is forfeited due to a breach of covenant, being failure to comply with the prescribed ependiture condition (Government Gazette).

• 2006 December - HB Brady are found guilty in the Perth Magistrates Court for failing to ensure the dangerous parts of a machine was guarded, breaching the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996. They are fined $3,5000 with costs of $7,360.

• 2005 April - A labour hire worker, operating the bagging machine used to pack plaster into bags, partially amputates his finger when the v-belt becomes jammed.

• 2001 - The Brady family calls in administrators for their business H.B. Brady Co Pty Ltd, trading as Bradys Building Products

• 1955 (22 December) - H.B. Brady Holdings Pty Ltd is registered as a company name.

• 1955 - Harry Brady's 20 tonne, 12m vessel is commissioned. Named the Karen Sue after his two grand-daughters, it is powered by two 6-cylinder diesel engines of 100hp each and cruises at a speed of 7-8 knots.

• 1948 - H.B. Brady & Co begin harvesting gypsum from the salt lake at Lake Brown on an intermittent basis. Gypsum is extracted for the production of plaster.

• 1923 (07 March) - The H.B. Brady Co. Pty Ltd is registered as a company name. It was previously registered as H.B. Brady Coy. Limited

• 1919 - HB Brady Co Pty Ltd begins trading, a Western Australian owned and operated company founded by Harry Brady.

• 1917 (08 November) - Harry is discharged from the 44th Infantry Battalion, 3rd.

• 1917 (25 August) - Harry returns to Australia

• 1917 (22 June) - Wounded in action

• 1917 (18 June) - Wounded in action

• 1917 (10 June) - Harry is wounded in action whilst serving in France and admitted to the First Southern General Hospital in Birmingham, England after suffering from gas posioning.

• 1917 (04 April) - Harry is admitted to hospital for tonsilitis

• 1917 (03 March) - Harry is sent to service in France

• 1916 (19 November) - Is absent without leave for four days, given five days field punishment and has 10 days pay forfeited.

• 1916 (26 September) - Is absent without leave for nine days, given 28 days field punishment and has 38 days pay forfeited.

• 1916 (13 August) - Harry is absent without leave for six days, has 14 days pay forfeited and is given seven days detention.

• 1916 (24 January) - Harry Brady enlists in the Australian Imperial Force, at the age of 23 years and eight months. Interestingly, his writes 'Fresh' for a description of his complexion.