Fremantle Ports building

Freo Today. 18 February 2026. Walking past the Fremantle Ports Building (until relatively recently the ‘Fremantle Port Authority’ Building) the other day, with the sun shining brightly on its lovely ‘60s edifice, caused us to take this snap. Freotopia, the late Garry Gillard’s old website, says this about the Building –

Architects: Hobbs, Winning and Leighton.
Builder: A T Brine and Sons
Known as the Fremantle Port Authority (FPA) Building when opened in 1964.

David Hutchison, Fremantle Walks, 2006:
‘This was built in 1963 so that the staff of the Fremantle Port Authority, then housed in eight separate buildings, could be brought together in one. The building is steel framed and was designed to obtain controlled natural lighting from the north and south. The roof over the ground floor is the only one of its kind in Australia. It is a folded roof pattern in pre-stressed concrete units in two spans, each of 20.1 metres, which provides continuous roof lighting together with air-conditioning ducts. A special feature is the use of tiling for both exterior wall finishing and interior wall decoration. The floor of the ground floor concourse is parquetry in jarrah and wandoo. At the western end of the concourse is a white mosaic wall feature, by Howard Taylor, symbolising the mythical Roman sea god Portunus. The Port Authority signal station was moved from Cantonment Hill to the top of this building.’

Not sure if it’s on the State’s Heritage Register, but surely should be if it isn’t. Turns out it is! Sally Swingler at the Port advises the Fremantle Ports Administration Building is heritage listed.

It forms part of the Victoria Quay, Fremantle (Place No. 03602) entry on the State Register of Heritage Places. Details are available on the State Heritage Office’s InHerit website.

Within that listing, it is identified as Place No. B5.