Fremantle Press and CircusWA IMAGINES IF - A New Unique Forever Home

Two Fridays ago, a collective of visionary people gathered at PS Artspace to ask ‘What If’ – what could Fremantle be some time in a future far far away. If you missed it, the concept is currently available to view at Fremantle Library.

Then just a week later, a special announcement was made by CircusWA and Fremantle Press together to a gathering of kindred spirits in the old SEC Substation on Parry Street in Freo’s up-and-coming East End of a match that might otherwise have been made in heaven.

The inspired idea for the pairing originally sprung from a chance conversation between Fremantle Press chief executive officer Alex Allan and CircusWA artistic director Jo Smith.

It wasn’t quite as if Cinderella’s fairy god mother made a visit to Fremantle to sing ‘bibbidi-bobbidi-boo, put them together and what have you got?’ But in this unique pairing, the ‘thingamabob’ that did the job, the magic that manifested a surprising idea into the reality of what will turn the old SEC Substation into a new flagship station of creativity not far from the heart of Fremantle, is nothing less than the collaboration by many caring people across the Fremantle community.

These people all wondered, ‘imagine if’ three inspiring Fremantle cultural icons could come together?

The first, Fremantle Press, a champion of local stories who in 2026 will mark 50 years as an independent, not-for-profit publisher, needed a secure home. If the right home could be found, Fremantle Press could open itself up to its community, and provide a creative hub for storytellers and booklovers (along with lots of space for all the books).

Second, CircusWA, an inclusive training and performance organisation which has empowered young people in our community for over 30 years, was also in search of a new home. This couldn’t just be any home. It had to have ceilings high enough to showcase the most courageous of aerial artists, and be strong and secure enough for all the technical apparatus, rigging, multitudinous props and other circus equipment. With a new home, CircusWA could build a Circus Revolution, nurturing and empowering personal growth and creative potential in all that take part, and delivering a more connected, inclusive and inspired community through Circus Arts.

Third, by happenstance, equidistant between their current homes which they both had outgrown, was the empty and long unused historic SEC Substation.

The idea for Fremantle Press and CircusWA to share a new home in the SEC Substation seems so intuitively obvious and simple – the SEC Substation even has a single story at the front, perfect for a publishing house, and at the back a perfect warehouse space with lofty enough ceilings for a circus. This belies the conversations, the time, expertise and resources that so many people and organisations have contributed to bring this new space together. As Jo Smith, Artistic Director Circus WA acknowledged, ‘there were those who wrote the narrative to sell the idea, those who built the space, and those who heard the story.’

The inspired partnership between Fremantle Press and CircusWA was made possible with the advocacy and support of arts benefactors Adrian and Michela Fini who have provided a low-interest loan to each organisation. The Finis have a strong track record of supporting the Arts to thrive in Western Australia and have a special interest in the revitalisation and reuse of Perth’s heritage buildings. They are hugely supportive of an outcome that transforms a vacant building into a new multi-arts facility, one that would keep homegrown arts organisations in Fremantle as part of the renewal of the East End precinct.

The state government has announced its commitment to the project with a contribution of $500,000. State member for Fremantle Simone McGurk, who is also Minister for Creative Industries and Heritage said, ‘Arts and heritage are the beating heart of Fremantle. We are delighted to acknowledge the longstanding impact of each organisation by helping them transform this wonderful building into a dynamic and inclusive arts facility.’

While Fremantle Press and CircusWA are working together to purchase this building, they will each own a separate strata lot.

Fremantle Press Chair Clair Medhurst highlighted that relocating to Parry Street will be the perfect way to celebrate the Press’s 50th anniversary in 2026. She also said ‘With this new chapter, we are setting the stage for an even stronger future – one where we continue to champion WA voices while opening up the Press to create a community hub for both writers and readers.’

CircusWA Artistic Director Jo Smith said the Substation is an exciting opportunity to secure a permanent home and this will act as a catalyst to vision longer-term plans. Smith said, ‘In typical circus style, we are designing a unique opportunity to survive and thrive in Fremantle. While we’ll be sad to say farewell to our beautiful Freo Big Top, this building will ensure our community and artistic programs can grow. The Substation will position CircusWA as a nationally recognised training and development centre.’

The partnership between Fremantle Press and CircusWA could not have happened without Sarah Booth of SPACEMRKT who stewarded this precedent-making project from its inception. Sarah said ‘The more arts organisations we can assist to buy their own premises, the more robust and resilient they become, allowing them to focus on their core operations and activities, while building security and capital. I would encourage all who are interested, and in the position to invest, to explore this type of activity in future.’

The purchase of the historic SEC Substation is just the beginning. Imagine the thriving place of creativity, connection and community Fremantle’s East End will become with this shared special place for circus and publishing. Pyramid’s of books could form the backdrop for human pyramids, whilst cheeky acrobats circle on unicycles reading stories off the page. The space will indeed become a bustling Creativity Station, a place inspired by creativity, culture, community and story; a place where imagination is set alight.

The immediate next steps for Fremantle Press and CircusWA will be to renovate and fit out the SEC Substation. Each organisation will soon begin exploring funding opportunities for this from new and existing private donors, sponsors and the local community.

If you can’t wait for the magic of the new Fremantle Press / CircusWA Creativity Station, keep an eye out for Australia’s boldest new live lit festival, Totally Lit – Adventures in the Port City, which will happen in Fremantle in late September and early October.

* By Madeleine Cox. Madeleine Cox was raised on a farm on Binjareb Noongar country and now, together with her New Zealand/Aotearoa husband, lives with her children in Fremantle/Walyalup. She loves exploring places and ideas, and connecting with people and nature. This has prompted Madeleine to start writing independently, after many years work as a corporate and government lawyer, and service on not-for-profit boards in the health and education sectors. For more articles on Fremantle Shipping News by Madeleine, look here.

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