It seems that East Perth was destined as an industrial area having already established an abattoir, mill, foundry, timber yards, bottling works and small breweries by the late 1800s. By the early 1900’s the East Perth Power & Gas Stations, railway yards and warehouses were all being established. During the Inter-war period, East Perth was seen as the industrial and manufacturing area of Perth. Regarded somewhat as an industrial eyesore, it took nearly fifty years for people to stop snubbing it and begin to see its full potential. Redevelopment in the 1990s saw the East Perth become the most sort after address in Perth. Unlike many industrial areas where land is totally stripped, the developers have embraced the areas industrial past and cleverly incorporated it into its landscape through redesign of building functions and urban art. Many of the warehouses have been converted into trendy studio apartments and offices, whilst many of the urban art pieces have incorporated objects found on industrial sites and buildings.
Boans Factory and Warehouse
The former Boans factory and warehouse was constructed c.1910 in Federation Style. Located on the corner of Saunders and Glyde Streets, the factory was constructed of red brick, comprising of a two-storey warehouse (warehouse A) and five single-storey bays (Warehouse B). The Boans factory-produced furniture which included bedroom, dining and kitchen furniture. During the Inter-war period, furniture was made locally and then sold through the prominent Boans Department Store in Wellington Street (now Myers). Following World War II a bakehouse and butchery moved into the factory. The late 1960s saw the decline of operations as cheaper furniture became more readily available. By 1976 the factory had closed and moved to Cannington. An interesting note as told by Edwin Benness(Chairman of Boans), in 1935, Boans purchased jarrah pilings from the old wharf at Fremantle and the timber was used to make furniture. Today, the factory has been converted into apartments and offices.
Gas Sub Station
The Former No. 6 Electricity Substation is located on the corner of Glyde and Brown Streets and was constructed in 1924. The station was one of a number of substations, developed and owned by the City of Perth, prior to the establishment of the State Energy Commission which took overall power generation and transmission in the metropolitan area in 1946. The No 6 station was built in the 1920s to cope with the expansion of industry in the area. The station is built from red brick and fibro cement with a corrugated fibro cement roof.
East Perth Power Station
The East Perth Power Station stands majestically along the banks of the Swan River, near the Windan Bridge, in East Perth. The Power Station was established during World War I and was the only power station supplying the metropolitan area of Perth from 1916-1951. In 1968 the power station converted to oil (from coal) but by 1974 it returned to coal firing. By 1981 the power station had become redundant as more advanced and cheaper methods of electricity generation became available. Click for more information about the East Perth Power Station.