.png)
Nedlands 1935 Florence House
Remaining vacant for what appears to have been a short time, the site was reserved for the future Captain Stirling Woolworths/Nedlands Square precinct development.
Built in 1935 on a 1,012 m² block of land, the only sales record for this property was on 31 July 2007 for $20!!
For the past nine years, since plans were first being developed in 2015, the Woolworths project team have worked through countless obstacles to have this project approved, consulting the community and stakeholders on all levels, as well as addressing an array of traffic, access and heritage concerns.
A development application was lodged on 9 August 2019 for "the construction of a supermarket, speciality shops, food and beverage tenancies and kiosks, pharmacy, medical centre and a gym" at a cost of $25m.
This would involve the redevelopment of the 88-year-old Captain Stirling Hotel and demolishing five neighbouring houses on the proposed site, including this Florence Road House.
Plans were finally approved by the Joint Development Assessment Panel on February 9, 2023.
At the time of the Captain Stirling Hotel's closure on Friday 1 December 2023, demolition of the five neighbouring houses had begun with construction of the Nedlands Square precinct expected to be completed in 2025.
Prior to taking these photos in September 2023, tenants had been occupying the property.
On the day I photographed what I could, sounds of two men could be heard from one of the rooms but whether they were copper pipe thieves or squatters is something I am unsure about, particularly as there were no vehicles in close proximity to the property. I decided to remain outside photographing what I could before leaving.
A neighbour across the street hadn’t seen any squatters and had no knowledge of why anyone would be at the property, as the tenants had moved out and contractors were yet to start demolition work.
