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03 - Fremantle Quarry St Motors

Fremantle Quarry St Motors

BECAUSE ALL HISTORY IS IMPORTANT series

A number of listings are recorded for this 1,233m² Quarry Street property at no.63 with a 24m² floor size:

  • Sold in March 1991 for $87,500

  • Listed for sale on 8 January 2009 for 121 days but not sold

  • Listed for sale on 22 September 2009 for 290 days (0.79 months) but not sold

  • Listed for sale on 31 March 2016 for 45 days but not sold

  • Listed for sale on 31 October 2016 for 963 days (2.6 years) but not sold

  • Listed for sale on 8 January 2020 but not sold

  • Currently FOR SALE BY OWNER

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It is difficult to determine the credibility of the Old Listings website but they have number of property listings:

  • Listed for sale in May 2010 for $2,200,000

  • Listed for sale in August 2010 for $2,200,000

  • Listed for expressions of interest in May 2016

  • Listed for offers in January 2017

  • Listed for offers in February 2017

  • Listed for sale in September 2017 for $2,395,000

  • Listed for sale in October 2017 for $2,395,000

  • Listed for expressions of interest in May 2018

  • Listed for sale in October 2018 for $ 3 million

  • Listed for call for details in June 2019

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It makes you wonder why the property is so difficult to sell, considering its somewhat prime location. Currently the zoning code for the property is classed as 'Commercial - Improved'. If it was amended to a single or grouped dwelling (R35<), it would be considerably spacious, particularly when juxtaposing it against blocks of the same or similar size with three squished dwellings.

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From a financial perspective, amending the zoning code to mixed use development encompassing an apartment complex (R35>), would easily return your capital as well as a substantial profit, particularly if the project as a whole (credible developer, quality building products and resources, highly trained builders, no unforeseen issues etc.) is a smooth and well thought-out experience.

The History

Prior to 1947 and before mid-1970, the block at 63 Quarry Street appeared to contain two dwellings on either end, with a covered garage or equal-sized building centre left. Interestingly, there is no established number 61, which appears to suggest that it may have either amalgamated into one block over the years or the house at the rear was an informal arrangement.

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An ad was published in The West Australian classifieds on 28 April 1939, although the intention of the ad isn't clear. They were either offering £450 to build a Jarrah House at no.61, somewhere else or as an employment position.

61 Quarry Street Fremantle ad

Also living at no.61 were two twin boys, Trevor and John Attenborough, who were featured in a Western Mail special on 4 January 1945, in an attempt to brighten up the lives of deployed servicemen overseas.

Their Fathers are in the Forces - The Western Mail - 4 January 1945

By July 1970 and until mid-1979, no.63 was used for parking cars, most likely from the car sales yard opposite (with Queen Victoria Street on its other side). The number of cars parked there was very much sporadic, with some years showing very few cars (irrespective of what day of the week it was) and others years showed an abundance. Perhaps this reflected the economy of the times!

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Sometime in the two years between June 1983 and June 1985, the existing office in the photos below, was constructed with just over 20 cars parked in the front half of the yard. The organisation of the yard certainly resembles a car yard and perhaps following the March 1991 sale of the property, what could be presumed to be Quarry St Motors following the purchase, less than half the number of the previous cars are present and parking is rather disorganised.

Quarry St Motors

The business name Quarry St Motors was registered on 8 April 1983 and ASIC shows it was due for renewal on 8 April 2017, with no cancellation date given. The Australian Business Register lists the business name as still being current.

 

Manila Holdings Pty Ltd is the registered entity name for Quarry St Motors, which was registered on 5 August 1980. They are also the entity name for a number of other businesses, most which have since been cancelled:

  • Manila World Wide Tours & Travel (Aust) (registered 14 March 2008 - current)

  • Packard Motor Company (registered 8 April 1983 - cancelled 6 April 1992)

  • Cellulite Medical Clinic (registered 6 April 1992 - cancelled 27 January 1995)

  • The Cellulite Doctor (registered 17 November 1994 - cancelled 17 January 1998)

  • Cellulite Clinic of London SW1 UK (registered 23 November 1994 - cancelled 19 June 2002)

  • Beyond Cellulite (registered 27 January 1995 - cancelled 5 April 1998)

  • Viagra Clinic (registered 17 June 1998 - cancelled 3 December 2001)

  • Aboriginal Art Galleries (registered 22 October 1992 - cancelled 23 December 1995)

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Satellite imaging in 2007 shows the no.63 yard home to a small quantity of junk, a few randomly parked cars in the rear, as well as various types of yard equipment.

 

By the end of 2008 and minus the cars, the yard is pretty much abandoned, aside from small increases of junk building up behind the office over the years until the present day.

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There are now warning signs positioned at the front of the office and according to a local, issues with squatters and drug users leaving large quantities of rubbish and drug paraphernalia behind, are to blame. Squatters in particular, were setting up camp on the front verandah, behaving disorderly at times, particularly those deemed intoxicated, as well as acts of aggression and violence, which caused neighbouring properties to continually request police attendance.

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In retrospect of Quarry St Motors, other than licence registration listings under the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act 1973-1982 in past government gazettes and an old painted sign along the right side of the property, there is almost no information, documents, photos or advertisements for the car yard that once operated from here.

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