Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954), Sunday 21 March 1954, page 19


High St. marches

with history

Within 12 years of the arrival of Governor Stirling and his first settlers, Fremantle had ' -grown into a sturdy little town with 300 to

400 people.

Its £ storey houses were built of hard limestone.

.It's gardens were grow-ing vegetables in days when vast sprinkler sys-tems were not dreamed of

Its roads, glistening with the harsh whiteness of thc

limestone, were beginning to fan out.

Already its main street was High-st., which ran from Arthur's Head gaol to the site of the first Church of England, St. John's, in King's Square,

This was in 1843 and, as the years went by, the

growth qt Fremantle wai reflected Tn the growth oí High-st.

By 1858 the time had arr ¡rived for the Town Trust

I to decide to pave Highest ¡with Yorkshire flagstones

along the north side from Cliff-st., to the church, and then along the south side

With the aid of army sappers, the work was started, but the Trust changed its plans and it was decided to pave only the north side of High-st. and to pave one side of Henry, Cliff and Willlamsts., first.

Extension of High-st east began in 1881. This was the same year as the first train ran between Perth and Fremantle, ano Governor Sir -William I Robinson remarked at the

time: "The weekly visit which. I am in the habit of making to your town will be none the less agreeable in the future from the fact that I can now visit you by

rail."

TOMS««)*'

High-st., which was pro-

gressing steadily, had had , wooden paving blocks in-troduced in 1897.

In 1905 it was described as one of the busiest retail marts in the State.

In the intervening years, it has grown steadily and while it has changed its face with the introduc-tion of modern business premises, lt has lost none of the old world charm that comes from its many outstanding reminders in stone of the early days.