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Fremantle Anglo Persian Oil Co
In 1919, the Western Australian Parliament passed a special Bill, giving Anglo Persian Oil Co authority to lay pipelines under Fremantle’s streets and to build large oil storage tanks at a cost of £31,495 (about A$3.3 million today). The deal let Fremantle Council charge the company rates but ensured it wouldn’t hold a monopoly, leaving room for competitors if they wished.
Construction soon followed on a nine-acre site east of the water reserve, near Swanbourne Street. The first tank, capable of holding two million gallons of oil, was connected to Victoria Quay by more than a mile of pipelines running under the streets to a depth of three feet. By 1921, Fremantle was officially in the oil business. The new system allowed ships to refuel faster and more cleanly than coal, a significant turning point in the modernisation of Australian shipping.
In the beginning
The Anglo-Persian Oil Company was a British company, established in 1909, following the discovery of oil in Persia on 26 May 1908. In 1914, the British Government acquired a 51 per cent stake in the company.
In 1935, when Persia officially changed its name to Iran, the company amended their name to the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. After Iran nationalised its oil industry in the early 1950s, the company was renamed British Petroleum Company (BP). The change was formally approved by shareholders in December 1954.
Expansion and modernisation
As demand for oil grew, so did the scale of works. By the mid-1920s, a second tank had been installed, bringing total capacity to 4.5 million gallons. Pipelines were duplicated and bunkering points (a connection outlet consisting of a pipe fitted with valves, where flexible hoses can be attached to a ship for refuelling) along Victoria Quay were increased from eight to nineteen. This meant that two ships could now refuel at the same time, while an oil tanker could continue unloading its cargo, even as other vessels bunkered.
These improvements, costing around £15,000 (about A$1.6 million today), made Fremantle’s facilities among the most advanced in Australia. Statistics show how quickly the port was rising in importance. In 1925–26, more than 71,595 tons of oil was bunkered in Fremantle and by the following year, the figure had jumped to nearly 100,000 tons. Coal remained in use, with both Collie coal and imported coal still in demand but oil was becoming the dominant fuel.
The infrastructure was spread across the working harbour, instead of being limited to a single industrial complex. Facilities were located along North Quay, Victoria Quay and around Rous Head, where fuel tanks, pipelines and wharf connections were installed.
Growth of Anglo-Persian
At the same time, the Anglo-Persian Oil Company was becoming a major global oil producer. The oil found in Persia was lighter and cleaner than other oil sources, making it cheaper and easier to refine into petrol, kerosene and fuel oil. Its wells in Persia were already producing about 4.5 million tons of crude oil each year. Additional wells had also struck oil and were sealed, kept in reserve to meet future demand. Many of these wells were shallow, which made extraction quick and cost-effective. Their location near the Persian Gulf allowed oil to be piped directly to the coast and loaded onto ships, keeping transport costs low
By the mid-1920s, the company controlled more than 700 miles of pipelines, over 1,500 storage tanks and nine refineries around the world. Since 1914, it had reinvested nearly £19 million (about A$2.04 billion) into expanding its operations, while still paying out more than £8.5 million (roughly A$912 million) in dividends to shareholders.
Independent experts spoke highly of the company’s Persian oilfields and shareholders supported it remaining British-owned. The British Government held a £2.2 million stake (about A$236 million), which gave it control and helped protect consumers from inflated prices set by foreign oil monopolies. As the Royal Navy shifted from coal to oil, Persian oil provided Britain with a secure, government-backed fuel supply that was not dependent on foreign-controlled companies.
Constructing a refinery
By the late 1940s, Fremantle Harbour had reached the practical limits of what it could handle for fuel operations. There were growing safety concerns about large fuel tanks operating close to busy port activity and insufficient space to accommodate a modern refinery. At the same time, increasing pressure from shipping, rail operations and surrounding urban growth made further expansion difficult.
The State began developing Kwinana as a heavy industrial area, taking advantage of the deep waters of Cockburn Sound, rail connections and expansive flat land. The site provided space to separate hazardous industry from residential and port activity and the State guaranteed the electricity and water needed for refinery operations.
Negotiations between the Western Australian Liberal Government and the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company had begun in 1951, after the State sent representatives to the eastern states to argue Western Australia’s case as the preferred refinery location (p.1876).
In 1952, the Oil Refinery Industry (Anglo-Iranian Oil Company Limited) Act was ratified by Parliament. This State Agreement formally established the Kwinana Industrial Area and set out the terms under which the refinery would be built and operated on the shores of Cockburn Sound.
Construction began in the same year and was completed in 1955. When the Kwinana refinery opened, crude oil imports moved to Cockburn Sound and refining began in Western Australia for the first time, reducing Fremantle’s role to storage, bunkering and general port operations.
Imported crude oil could now be processed locally into petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, lubricants and bitumen.
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Naphtha - a light liquid made from crude oil, mainly used to make petrol and plastics.
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Kerosene - a mid-weight fuel once used in lamps, now commonly used in jet engines and heaters.
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Diesel – a heavier fuel than petrol, used in trucks, trains, ships and some cars.
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Bitumen - the thickest residue of oil refining, used for road surfacing and roofing.
To support the growing trade, two additional tugs, Cockburn and Parmelia, were brought into service, arriving from Djakarta.
After Indonesia gained independence in 1945, the country continued to use a Dutch-influenced spelling system. The sound now written as “j” was spelled “dj”, so Jakarta appeared in documents as Djakarta. In 1972, Indonesia introduced a new standard spelling system that removed these older Dutch spellings. From that point on, “Djakarta” became “Jakarta”.
The Cockburn, a former wartime minesweeper, had been converted into a powerful fire-fighting tug, fitted with Rolls-Royce engines and foam monitors capable of blasting a jet over 200 feet. Both tugs anchored in Cockburn Sound, ready to serve the first tankers arriving at Kwinana.
The operations today
The refinery built at Kwinana is the same refinery site that exists today. While the site has remained in continuous use since, the facilities have repeatedly been expanded, rebuilt, upgraded and partly reconfigured over the past seventy years.
Whilst the site still plays a role in fuel production today, it’s no longer the dominant refinery it once was. Parts of the operation have been shut down or converted and Australia now relies far more heavily on imported refined fuels than it did in the mid-20th century.
The refinery has since entered into an agreement with the Western Australian Government to continue operating at Kwinana until 2050.
The former BP bunkering tank site at Knutsford Street was cleared in 2005, with the demolition of all the site’s oil tanks. The land is now owned by the Public Education Endowment Trust (PEET), a Western Australian entity established under the Public Education Endowment Act 1909 to manage land and funds, with proceeds supporting public school initiatives.
The site has recently been subdivided for development, encompassing 37 to 59 Knutsford Street and adjoining lots on Amherst Street, including Lot 1192 to 1213 (eastern frontage) and Lot 1191 to 1214 (western side). This combined holding forms Development Precincts 2 and 3 and is zoned “Development” to guide and facilitate subdivision and redevelopment. Precinct 2 has a minimum target of 65 dwellings and Precinct 3 has a minimum target of 45 dwellings.
August 2023
Fremantle Freezing Meat Works
For many years, small private slaughterhouses were scattered across Perth and its suburbs, catering to local communities. Around Hamilton Hill and Bibra Lake there were not only several of these small slaughterhouses but also about ten piggeries.
Even though health inspectors carried out checks and laws were meant to keep standards in place, conditions were often far from clean. Animals were kept in overcrowded, unhealthy and sometimes cruel environments, which encouraged the spread of disease. As Western Australia’s population grew rapidly, the problem became harder to ignore.
There were repeated calls to establish public abattoirs that could enforce proper hygiene and safety rules but progress was slow. Part of the delay came from resistance to breaking up the meat industry monopoly, which was plagued by financial scandals and increasingly difficult to control from a public health perspective. With only a limited number of government health inspectors to monitor so many sites, it took more than fifteen years before serious plans for a public slaughterhouse and freezing works finally moved forward.
Constructing the Works
By June 1916, the majority of Perth’s small private abattoirs had been forced to close, following years of concern about poor hygiene and animal welfare. The final operation, run by the well-known firm Connor, Doherty & Durack, lasted a little longer but was eventually shut down in 1917.
With private slaughterhouses gone, the pressure was on the State Government to create a properly managed, large-scale facility. Western Australia’s livestock industry was expanding quickly, yet the state lacked the infrastructure to prepare meat for export. Local producers found themselves at a disadvantage, struggling to compete with the eastern states where freezing works and abattoirs were already well established.
In response, the Western Australian Government under the Lefroy Government, granted a charter to the WA Meat Export Co Ltd to construct the Fremantle Freezing Meat Works at Robbs Jetty (Owen Anchorage), which was designed by architect McKenzie. By the time works began in August 1919, the Government had been offered control of the abbattoir, which attracted considerable criticism, particularly due to the very large sum of funds involved in its establishment.
It was also known as the West Australian Meat Export Works. The site chosen was steeped in its own history, the grounds of the old Robb Jetty Explosives Magazine. The magazine, which had once stored volatile materials for shipping, was relocated further south to Woodman Point to make way for the new works.
Construction was expected to be completed within a nine month period but it would take a much longer period of time than anticipated. In October 1921, the abbatoir was expected to not be in full swing until the beginning of the following year, due to the low price of meat in England. At the same time, the Wyndham Freezing Works were experiencing their own difficulties with a shutdown forecasted for the near future due to difficulties in attracting labour.
The Fremantle Freezing Meat Works was more than just a slaughterhouse; it represented a turning point in the regulation of the meat industry. Operating under the Abattoirs Act of 1909, it became one of three state-regulated abattoirs (the other two being located in Midland and Wyndham) designed to meet strict health standards, ensure fair access to facilities and strengthen WA’s presence in international markets. It could chill and freeze carcasses so they would survive the long voyage to Europe by sea without spoiling. Whilst the government owned and operated it, farmers, pastoralists and exporters could pay a fee to have their stock processed there for shipping.
Robb’s Jetty was originally too short for large ships to berth close to shore. As a result, cattle bound for the abattoir had to be driven off the boats and forced to swim to the beach, which saw many swept away or drowned. Those that survived were herded into nearby paddocks to graze until it was time to move them to the abattoir.
Calls were made to extend the jetty as early as 1893. The following year, £200 was spent to extend it to 166.1 metres, allowing larger vessels to unload livestock safely onto the jetty itself. Despite its importance, the structure was eventually dismantled during the 1960s.
Transport improved again in 1898 when, after years of lobbying, the government extended the railway line south to Robb’s Jetty. This new connection eased congestion in Fremantle’s town centre and ended the hazardous practice of driving cattle through busy streets to load them onto rail wagons. The line also included a siding for the Fremantle Smelting Works, which had relocated from North Fremantle to take advantage of the improved rail line. In time, each abattoir complex at Robb’s Jetty gained its own siding from the main line, directly linking the precinct with Fremantle for the efficient movement of both stock and processed meat.
Over the decades, the works handled enormous volumes of cattle and sheep from across the state, arriving by ship, barge and later rail. The processing works didn’t just handle meat, it also generated valuable by-products such as hides, wool and tallow (refined animal fat). These were sold to private merchants and fed into other industries, with hides supplying tanneries, wool going to textile buyers and tallow used in everything from soap-making, lubricant and candle production. Beyond livestock, the abattoir also functioned as a cold-storage hub, storing supplies of potatoes, fruit and manufactured ice, which helped service Perth’s growing population and supported local markets.
Potatoes in particular, were being stored to avoid a glut in the market. Some twenty potato growers took advantage of the storage offer, which led to approximately 600 tons of potato being stored there at one time with farmers paying a weekly fixed rate of £21. Despite being stored in a coolroom, it was yet to be made operational, which led to 70% of the consignment being left to rot. Aside from the costs being charged, the farmers were then left responsible for sorting and dumping the ruined potatoes, with some farmers losing virtually their entire stock at a cost of £300.
At some stage, the abattoir passed into private hands and was run as a commercial enterprise until around 1942, when the Commonwealth intervened to provide financial support. As difficulties mounted, the government went a step further and purchased the facility outright. Following the takeover, it was renamed the Western Australian Meat Preservers and later became known as the Western Australian Meat Exporters.
History Today
The abbattoir was permanently closed in 1994, although other sources state that it closed in 1992 and the buildings were demolished in 1994.
One of the most distinctive features of the site was its tall brick chimney, which still stands today as a landmark. This chimney was part of the boiler house, the powerhouse of the operation. The boilers generated steam to drive machinery, operate the freezing plant’s compressors and provide hot water for cleaning and sterilising equipment. Without it, the facility couldn’t run.
When the abattoir closed in 1994, all but the chimney stack were demolished. The chimney stack was spared and preserved as a heritage structure in 1996, with Landcorp funding the chimney’s restoration at a cost of $50,000. It served as a lasting reminder of a site that played a major role in WA’s meat export industry for nearly a century.
Fremantle Gas & Coke
Long before Fremantle was connected to natural gas or electricity, the town was lit up and heated with coal gas, made right in the middle of town. The company behind it was the Fremantle Gas and Coke Company and its story begins with an engineer named Robert S. Newbold.
Robert Newbold
Robert Newbold, formerly with the Melbourne Gas Company, was sent to Fremantle in 1883 to establish a gasworks on Cantonment Street. It was known as the Fremantle Gas Company, although some sources refer to it as Needle’s Gas, owned by A.G. Rosser.
His initial task was to provide gas for the town’s streetlights but as the network expanded, the supply was extended to homes for cooking and heating. At the time, Fremantle had no public lighting and relied on candles, oil lamps, and kerosene. Within two years, the gasworks had laid more than two kilometres of mains. The arrival of electric lighting in 1904, switched on in an instant, meant there was no longer a need for someone to walk the streets each evening lighting the gas lamps (1).
Although it's hard to find out what kind of training Newbold had, he clearly had the skills and experience needed to design and operate a functional gas plant. He also played a part in the community, serving on the Fremantle Town Council and leading the local volunteer fire brigade.
Raising the Capital
The Fremantle Gas and Coke Company Limited, established in 1885, proposed taking over the Fremantle Gas Company. It was a limited liability company, which allowed people to buy shares and invest, without risking their personal assets beyond what they invested.
A prospectus (an investment invitation) was issued on 29 July 1885 and the first directors met at the Emerald Isle Hotel in Fremantle to get things moving. The company grew through public share subscriptions, people investing money in exchange for a stake in the company.
By 1929, the company’s growth prompted the directors to double the company’s capital, from £30,000 to £60,000, to fund upgrades to the aging plant and to expand its services.
Gas and Coke
As well as producing gas, the company also manufactured coke, a solid fuel made during the gas-making process. The coal was originally shipped in from Newcastle (NSW) and, in later years, brought by rail from the Collie Coalfields. It was heated in large ovens to release gas but what remained was coke, which was sold as a clean-burning fuel for stoves, blacksmithing and industrial boilers.
The gas was stored in large round tanks known as gasometers, which became landmarks in Fremantle until they were removed in the 1970s.
Location
The main gasworks were on Cantonment Street, with the company’s showroom and offices at No. 8 Cantonment Street. In 1953, a new modern showroom building was constructed, where it still stands today. Located behind, was the old Wesley Manse building which was constructed in 1893 and later used by the company as a workshop. Both buildings are heritage-listed and remain in use today, restored and repurposed for commercial use.
A new gas plant was built in Spearwood on a 43-acre site at a cost of £250,000. The facility featured an 80-foot chimney stack, a retort house (the gasworks building where coal was heated in sealed vessel without air, producing coal gas, tar and coke), a 500,000 cubic feet gas holder (also known as a gasometer, a large cylindrical storage tank that holds gas after production), a tank stand and its own water supply. At the time, it was considered one of the most modern gasworks in Australia, supplying gas to the Fremantle district, including Melville, Cottesloe, Peppermint Grove and part of Claremont.
The gas plant operated in Spearwood until its reported relocation to O’Connor in 1976, though no further details about the O’Connor site have been found. The Spearwood site today comprises a housing estate between Angus Avenue and Leonard Way.
Changing Times
The Fremantle Gas and Coke Company remained a major local utility provider for more than 100 years, serving thousands of homes in the Fremantle area but by the 1980s, natural gas had replaced coal gas and the company was no longer needed in its original form.
In 1986, the State Energy Commission of Western Australia (SECWA) purchased the property for $39.7 million, giving its previous owners, Western Continental Corporation a $15 million profit. The transaction later came under scrutiny during the WA Inc Royal Commission, which examined questionable government dealings of the era.
References
(1) Freo: A Portrait of the Port City, Stan Gervas (1996). Gervas Books. p.38
Fremantle King’s Warehouse
The Commonwealth of Australia announces, in an advertisement published on 30 January 1904, that the Department of Trade and Custom's King Warehouse will close, as of 1 March 1904. No further elaboration is given, nor any further ads published in support of this. Either the King’s Warehouse only closed for a short period of time or relocated to a different venue on Cliff Street.
Sometime after this published notice, it appears there may have been another warehouse under the name of Fremantle Bond and King’s Warehouse. It could be the case the Fremantle Bond shared their space with the King’s Warehouse, atleast for some time.
The King’s Warehouse appears to have been used by the Customs Department for seizing and storing cargo and contraband from ships, as well as a general receival and dispatch warehouse for cargo, particularly if payment such as duties was required before being moved.
1901
November 08 – A 21 year old man was charged with unlawfully entering the King’s warehouse, which at the time, was being used by the Department of Agriculture. A railway watchman noticed that someone had forced entry into the premises. He closed the door and placed two guards outside it, before setting off for the police. A short time later, the thief stuck his head out the door and was caught by the two guards. He claimed he was starving and entered the building in search for food.
1904
March 16 – A public auction is held to sell unclaimed goods at the King’s Warehouse, as well as sundry seized and smuggled goods, on behalf of Customs.
1906
September 22 – Burgulars entered the King’s Warehouse and made off with a large quantity of plate stored in bond, valued at £1,000.
November 06 – P&O’s RMS Mooltan was found to have 60lb of tobacco concealed in a linen press. Despite inquiries made to identify the owner, no person came forward and the tobacco was subsequently seized and stored in the King’s Warehouse.
1909
June 03 – Upon visiting an Italian wine saloon on the corner of Wellington and Queen Streets in Perth, Customs officials seized two sacks containing 90 bottles of French brandy, which were discovered on the premises. Around the same time, a visit was made to the storeroom of the Pier Hotel in Fremantle where 11 bottles of the same kind of brandy was discovered. In both cases, the people held responsible were unable to establish a satisfactory reason for possessing the liquor, which would result in charges instigated by Customs.
1911
May 25 – The mine sheds located on Fremantle’s wharf are identified with letters ranging from A to I. At the end of Victoria Quay, there are more storage facilities. Located on the northern side of the river is the bond shed, the King’s warehouse and the fruit shed.
The officer based at ‘C’ shed is required to attend the King’s warehouse, the Bond shed, the fruit shed, A-D sheds and often the E shed as part of his duties, with a total staff count of five. One of the other staff members is responsible for attending the Port parcels office on a daily basis, which tends to take up to four hours of his time. Two staff members are cadets, which limits their duties to luggage and delivery, with the two remaining staff being juniors, who “can only assist the examining officer under direction”. The sheds are burdened with mail, overseas passengers and foreign boats importing thousands of tons of cargo, which taxes the time and resources of the limited staff members.
1912
May 8 – Alterations are made to the King’s Warehouse for printing of stamps and Australian notes.
1913
The Custom’s Department leases King’s Warehouse to the Royal Australian Navy.
1915
February 25 – Alterations to the King’s Warehouse at a cost of £444 is complete.
1926
October – The District Naval Officer and his staff vacate King’s Warehouse to move into the newly constructed Drill Hall on Mouat Street, which is officially opened on October 8.
