Albany Co-operative Society Building (fmr)

Statement of Significance

Albany Co-operative Society Building, a two storey stuccoed granite and brick building with a hipped colorbond steel roof in the Victorian Regency style with elements of the Victorian Georgian style, built for Albany Co-operative Society in 1870, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
The place is a very rare, possibly unique, example in Australia of an early purpose built Co-operative outlet incorporating additional office and store areas at the ground floor, complete with manager’s residence and an adjoining store for the business at the first floor, and illustrates the development and values of the Co-operative movement as it expanded in Britain and began to spread overseas, where the Albany Co-operative Society was the first co-operative society established in Western Australia and one of the first in Australia.
Behind the introduced red brick enclosed verandahs, the original building is a spare and elegant example of a freestanding two storey Victorian Regency mercantile building and is a rare form of its type in Australia;
The place is the only surviving building that was built for commercial purposes in Albany prior to the 1880s, and is closely associated with the P. & O. Company’s operation of a dept at Albany as part of the mail steamer service to Australia, with many of its employees being shareholders in the Albany Co-operative Society.
The place is located on a prominent street corner in the historic centre of Albany, and has the potential for its former landmark status to be reinstated, particularly as the place is on eof a a very limited number of pre-1880s period buildings in this significant precinct.
The places illustrates the development of mercantile activity in the mid to late nineteenth century in Albany, Western Australia and is representative of the innovativeness of the local populace in utilising the Co-operative movement to provide basic requirements which were otherwise difficult or expensive to acquire.
The place is highly valued by Albany residents who value its unique characteristics and history.
[taken from, David Heaver and Associates Architects, ‘Albany Co-operative Society Building (fmr)’, 2007]
The place is also significant for its contribution to a precinct of heritage buildings/houses in Frederick Street comprising nos. 27, 30, 32, 34, 36, 44, 52, 58 & 61.

Physical Description

The place is a freestanding, two storey, stuccoed granite building with a colorbonded steel hipped roof in the Victorian Regency style with elements of the Victorian Georgian style. Owing to the gradient of the street, the ground level at the back (north) and east was single-storey and two-storey at the front (south) and west. Originally the ground floor was divided into two spaces: a large shop area at the eastern portion of the ground floor, which occupied three quarters of the ground floor area, and an office and store area spanning the western side of the building. A manager’s residence, with three rooms on either side of an east-west corridor, was located above the shop and a large store area was located above the office and store area. From 2015-17, the building underwent significant reconstruction to remove all intrusive accretions and modifications, to address structural issues and to revert the building back to its original form and presentation. Only two of the original five brick chimneys remain.

For further physical information refer to David Heaver and Associates Architects, ‘Conservation Plan, Albany Co-operative Society Building (fmr)’, 2007

History

In 1867, P & O Agent, William Carmalt Clifton instigated the formation of the Albany Co-operative Society for P & O employees. Using the capital from shares purchased for the business, the Co-op imported goods and onsold at the lowest possible cost. In 1870, John Green constructed the purpose-built Co-op building in Frederick Street. The original building was constructed of granite and brick and was a simple rectangular stuccoed building with a double hipped roof.

Despite strong trading in the first decade, by 1878, business started to decline, mainly as a result of the regular shipping service between Albany and Melbourne that was now in operation. The Co-operative society was wound up in 1883 and the building was sold at auction in 1885 to local businessman Alexander Moir who leased it to Edward Barnett from 1890 who used it as a store and dwelling.

From c1900s the building was used for commercial purposes including Lambert’s Express Printing Works. In the 1940s it was purchased by Lancelot Shaw. Shaw and Ernest Tompkins Builders converted the building into four flats, called the Cockalorum Flats, and also built three houses on the northern portion of the Lot. As part of the renovations into flats, the original redwood counters and extensive shelving were removed, the fireplaces were modified, toilets and showers introduced at ground floor level at the west end of the rear verandah and a new verandah was added to the south (front), east and west facades. When Shaw died in 1959, Lot 151 was subdivided into four Lots representing the four buildings. The old Co-op was purchased by Alex and Lillian Lange. The Langes operated the building as the Alcona Guesthouse. The Langes enclosed the verandahs with red facebrick to create additional bedrooms, more bathrooms were installed, and a stair constructed inside the west verandah enclosure. In 1975, K and D. E. Campbell purchased the place and continued to operate it as a guesthouse.

The Public Works Department acquired the property in 1978 and refitted it for use by Westrail as the Trainmen’s Barracks. The building was re-roofed and other renovations made. In 1991, the place was no longer required by Westrail and it was vested in the Town of Albany in 1992 and became the headquarters and Folk Museum for the Albany Historical Society (AHS).

In 2007, a conservation plan was prepared for the place from which major changes were to occur as the building needed urgent works and was becoming unsafe for habitation. The AHS was moved out of the building and the building was closed. By 2017, significant conservation works were completed by the City to remove all intrusive accretions and modifications, to address structural issues and to revert the building back to its original form and presentation when it was the Co-op. Following on from the conservation works, on 11 December 2018 it was entered onto the State Register of Heritage Places.
Between 2018 and 2019, the building was temporarily used as the premises for the City’s Local History Library.

For a full history of the place refer to David Heaver and Associates Architects, ‘Conservation Plan, Albany Co-operative Society Building (fmr)’, 2007

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High/Moderate
Authenticity: Moderate

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.