Round House and Arthur Head Reserve

Child Places

• 22524 Arthur Head Precinct
• 22524 Arthur Head Precinct
• 00846 Kerosene Store (fmr)

Statement of Significance

The oldest building in Western Australia.
Arthurs Head named by Gov Stirling after Gov of Tasmania although area locally known as lighthouse hill. Lighthouse demolished c. 1903

Physical Description

Twelve sided building of white local stone,containing 7 cells and gaoler's Quarters; near edge of the precipice overhanging mouth of river and above tunnel built to connect old whaling jetty with High Street. Twelve equalcompartments - one entrance or wardroom, one sleeping room for gaolerand wife, one kitchen, two conveniences and 7 service cells all round central courtyard containing well. Only remaining building in Fremantle designed by P.W.D.of very early days and only gaol up to arrival of first batch of prisoners in 1850.
1936 vested in Fremantle Port Authority. 1966 small section of steps at foot of Round House demolished to make room for standard gauge railway, but Railway Dep't made good the steps in a new location and constructed a new stonework abutment on High Street frontage •.7.9.1966 Port Authority advised Round House opened 2 hours daily week-ends and holidays excepted; approx.31,000 people had visited it since it was opened to public in 1960; cost of manning during visiting hours and of maintaining tidy surroundings is approx.$1200 per annum expenditure on maintenance since 1959 has been between 800 and 1,000 per annum

History

Assesment 1973
Construction: Completed January 1831
Architect/Designer: Henry W .Reveley - appointed Engineer to the Admin istration by Captain Stirling with Whom he landed in 1829. Ref. Story of Hundred Years by Sir Hal. Colebatch.
Builder: W.A.Manning, R.Lewis and I.Duiffield.
Letter written by W.A. Manning asking for exact location of building to be erected by him and partners dated 20.8.1830 - in Battye Library - at cost of £1,840.
The construction of the Round House - the Colony's first gaol -was commenced on the 1st September, 1830, to the design of the Civil Engineer, Mr. H.W. Reveley. The building was completed on the 18th January, 1831.

The contractor was a Mr. Lewis whose price for the erecting of the Round House and the gaolers residence was $3,207$ The terms of the contract specified that the building was to contain eight cells with walls of stone and roof of weatherboard. It would appear that the weatherboard roof was not a success as three months later the roof was shingled to keep out the rain.

The tunnel under the Round House was excavated through Arthur Head (then commonly known as Gaol Hill) by the Fremantle Whaling Company, work being started in August, 1837, and completed some five months later. The tunnel served to link the jetty at Bathers Bay with High Street.
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On approaching Fremantle from the sea, the Round House was at that time the most prominent piece of architecture in the town and it was described as "a handsome octagonal building of white cut stone, erected
near the edge of a precipice which overhangs the mouth of the river". Inside the building the room on the right of the door was the kitchen, while that on the left was the dining room.

The Round House is the oldest remaiing building designed by Mr. Reveley and indeed is probably the oldest building of any size in the State. History records that Mr. Reveley ·saved the life of the poet Shelley, who is reported to have written the poem 11Adonis" to commemorate the event.
According to early records, the Round House was used on several occasions during the 1830's as a store-house presumably because there were at that time few offenders against the laws of the Colony. Later the Round House was used as a women's gaol and official documents place on record that it "was very full, but the women prisoners knitted beautifully.
A bell placed at the top of the steps leading to the Round House was rung at 9.30 p.m. each night to warn tipplers (mainly seamen) that it was time to leave public houses in the vicinity.
Neither the Round House nor the tunnel through Arthur Head were constructed by convict labour. The first convicts sent to Western Australia arrived on the 1st June, 1850.

About this time, the accommodation available at the Round House became entirely inadequate to meet the demands of a growing town and one of the earliest activities of the convicts was the construction of a new gaol. The Round House was then used as a lock-up.

From about 1850 police and gaolers'· residences were situated to the left of the Round House, while the police station was on the right .

Still later (about 1865) the Round House was used for native prisoners being conducted to or from the native penal settlement on Rottnest Island.

An extensive search through historical records fails to disclose any further information regarding the Round House, and as far as can be ascertained the building fell into disuse and remained unoccupied for many years.

On the 15th July, 1936, the Round House and adjacent land was vested
in the Fremantle Port Authority.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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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.