Fremantle Bond Store

Constructed from 1952, the Fremantle Bond Store at 61-69 Knutsford Street played an important role in Fremantle’s transport and shipping industry. The site became a busy warehouse and trucking complex where imported goods were stored, cargo was transferred between rail and road, and trucks regularly travelled to and from the nearby port.

James Kiernan Pty Ltd

Established in 1934 as a customs and shipping agency, James Kiernan Pty Ltd was operating from 77 Milligan Street in Perth and the Dock Buildings at Phillimore Street, Fremantle, by 1939. The company later constructed a warehouse at 61 Knutsford Street in 1951, where it handled imported cargo arriving through Fremantle Harbour.

The warehouse was used to store bonded goods that remained under Customs control, including imported alcohol, tobacco and other valuable products, as well as goods that had already cleared Customs and were ready for distribution throughout Western Australia. The company also handled oversized and unusual freight. One of its best-known jobs came in 1954 when one of its trucks transported a live circus elephant.

In January 1955, Bill “The Mule” Francis joined James Kiernan Pty Ltd and, together with Laurie Kiernan, helped pioneer heavy haulage in Western Australia. Their work involved transporting large machinery and equipment using specialised heavy-haulage vehicles and low-loaders.

Noel Sweeny Pty Ltd

In 1955, Noel Sweeny Pty Ltd constructed a garage at 69 Knutsford Street, followed by another warehouse at 65 Knutsford Street a year or two later.

The company operated large Leyland Hippo and Leyland Beaver trucks, hauling heavy freight across the State. By the 1960s, Sweeny's was transporting bulk products such as potash from inland Western Australia to Fremantle for export. As freight volumes increased, another large warehouse with a distinctive saw-tooth roof was constructed on the corner of Wood and Knutsford Streets in 1964, increasing the site's storage and freight-handling capacity without replacing the earlier buildings.

Sweeny United Transport

In 1968, the separate properties at 61, 65 and 69 Knutsford Street were brought together under Sweeny United Transport Ltd, creating one large freight and transport complex. This marked the busiest period in the site's history.

The following year, a tall wireless communications mast was installed, allowing dispatchers to maintain radio contact with truck drivers while they were on the road. At the time, this was a major improvement for the freight industry.

In 1971, a new brick office building was completed at 69 Knutsford Street. Designed by McDonald Whitaker & Partners and constructed by D.K. Gildersleeve Projects, it became home to the company's administration, dispatch and operations staff. The site also contained loading bays, vehicle repair facilities, bonded and general storage areas and was designed to handle large semi-trailers moving freight between the harbour and the rest of the State.

The company later changed names several times, becoming Sweeny United Transport Pty Ltd before operating as United Transport (WA) Pty Ltd and eventually UTWA Pty Ltd. The company was deregistered in September 2011.

Fremantle Bond Store

Fremantle Bond Store Pty Ltd was registered in April 1964. Heritage records associate the company with part of the Knutsford Street complex during its earlier history, although it appears they leased the buildings at that time. Property records show the company later purchased the entire 61-69 Knutsford Street site from United Transport Pty Ltd on 28 April 1989 and remains the registered owner today.

What was a Bond Store

Before imported goods could be sold in Australia, Customs duty and other charges had to be paid. Instead of paying everything as soon as a ship arrived, importers could place their cargo in a licensed bond store, where it remained under Customs control until it was ready to be released.

The word “bond” referred to the legal and financial guarantee between the warehouse operator and Customs. This allowed goods to be stored without duty being paid immediately. Importers only paid the charges when the goods were removed for sale or distribution in Australia.

How the Fremantle Bond Store worked

Cargo arriving at Fremantle Harbour was unloaded from ships and transported by truck to the Knutsford Street warehouse. Once there, it was recorded and stored under Customs supervision.

Customs officers could inspect the warehouse, check records and confirm that stock remained on site. When the importer completed the paperwork and paid the required duty, the goods were released and delivered to customers throughout Western Australia.

Some cargo was later exported again without entering the Australian market. In those cases, Australian import duty generally did not have to be paid.

Why Bond Stores were important

Bond stores allowed importers, shipping companies and wholesalers to receive overseas cargo without paying duty on an entire shipment at once. This made it easier to manage stock and reduced the amount of money tied up in goods sitting in storage.

Alcohol, tobacco and other heavily taxed imports were commonly held in bond because the charges could be substantial.

Companies operating from Knutsford Street also handled Customs documentation, organised freight movements and coordinated deliveries throughout the State. Trucks continually moved between the harbour, the warehouses, railway facilities and customers.

As the transport businesses expanded, more warehouses, garages and offices were added to the property. By the late 1960s, the site had become a large freight depot supporting the movement of goods between ships, rail and road.

Later years

As freight operations gradually moved to bigger and newer industrial estates, the businesses operating from the Knutsford Street site changed. Sweeny United Transport later changed its name to United Transport (WA) Pty Ltd, which continued to own the property until the entire 61-69 Knutsford Street site was sold to Fremantle Bond Store Pty Ltd on 28 April 1989. Fremantle Bond Store remains the registered owner today.

Fremantle Bond Store Pty Ltd also owns the adjoining properties at 39 and 41 Wood Street, giving it ownership of the surrounding industrial landholding.

From 1992, Western Mining Corporation’s Petroleum Division operated from the site. Later occupants included DJS Towing, Perth Stabilised Earth, Jinayiki Steel and Global Transport Logistics. Coleman Crane Services Pty Ltd were operating from 69 Knutsford Street by 2011, while Ludlow Timber Products occupied part of the property in 2019. National RC has used 61-69 Knutsford Street as its office and prefabrication yard since 2019.

Demolition

The site consisted of two main warehouses and several smaller garages, stores and sheds. Although the heritage and planning records divided the complex into six numbered buildings, it counted smaller structures separately for assessment purposes.

Fremantle Council initially approved the demolition application on the condition that parts of the two most significant buildings were retained to preserve some of the site’s industrial character. The owners appealed this condition to the State Administrative Tribunal, which ruled in 2011 that all buildings on the site could be demolished.

Two of the smaller structures were demolished in January 2013 and February 2014. The two main warehouses are still present today.

In 2022, the City of Fremantle updated its heritage records and removed the property from the Heritage List after acknowledging that approval to demolish all buildings had already been granted. At that time, no new development application or confirmed redevelopment proposal had been submitted for the site.