Local Government
Esperance
Region
Goldfields
Lot 1018 Norseman Rd Chadwick
Old Cannery Arts Centre/Hunts Cannery
Youth Centre
Esperance
Goldfields
Constructed from 1948
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Register | Registered | 09 Feb 2016 | HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument, HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Local Heritage Survey | Adopted | 27 Apr 2021 | Some/Moderate significance | |
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 23 Jul 1996 | ||
05056 Esperance Fish Cannery (fmr)
The cannery is roughly built and was compleled in one week. The building measures 18 metres square and has large wooden trusses to support the roof. It is situated on Norseman Road overlooking the Bay and in close proximity to the Tanker Jetty. The floor (concrete) in the front half of the building still slopes considerably towards the sea. There was originally a large drain here as the fish were tipped onto the floor and hosed down etc and effluent ran straight out to the sea.
A contemporary opinion of the time was that Dan Hunt built the cannery to forestall the entry of 'snap freeze' operations into the area. Hunt thought it worthwhile to build this cannery in 1948. Herring, garfish, salmon and sardines were processed. Much of this was brought in from the eastern fishing grounds over very poor roads. Fisheries Road is named due to this. A road was made through the bush with a Bren Gun Carrier as far as Israelite Bay. A Stuart tank was then used to go over the sand hills to the beach. After only one year operations ceased due to insufficient supplies of fish. The fishing industry in Esperance seems to go through this same process. still with insufficient stocks offish. The building is now an excellent Arts Centre with fine facilities as extra studios have been built.
Integrity: Walls, trusses, half floor, some original windows, other windows enlarged Modifications: Internal walls, wooden floor in half of the building.
Good
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Wills; "Shire Records". |
| Library Id | Title | Medium | Year Of Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10207 | Fishing for a living: The estuarine and beach fisheries of the Western Australian south coast. | Electronic | 1992 |
Individual Building or Group
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Other Use | SOCIAL\RECREATIONAL | Other |
| Present Use | SOCIAL\RECREATIONAL | Other Community Hall\Centre |
| Original Use | INDUSTRIAL\MANUFACTURING | Cannery |
| Type | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Wall | BRICK | Common Brick |
| Roof | METAL | Corrugated Iron |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| OCCUPATIONS | Manufacturing & processing |
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