Blocks underground in Fremantle
A recent archaeological find
Exciting archaeology still happens in Fremantle to this day. In 2020, the Water Corporation uncovered some wooden paving blocks during their Pipes for Fremantle renewal project.
During the gold rush, and following the cholera epidemic, water pipes were laid down under Fremantle’s main streets. Above them were laid many jarrah blocks, as paving.
The first wooden block road was laid on High Street by the then Mayor of Fremantle Elias Solomon in 1898. The Daily News (5 Feb 1898) wrote: “The Fremantle Municipal Council has been the first body in the colony to use wood-paving in public thoroughfares to any extent... jarrah has very strong claims from both hygienic and economical points of view.”
By 1903, Cliff and Mouat streets were also surfaced with blocks. Up until WWI, Jarrah was on of WA’s biggest exports with the blocks used to pave the streets of cities such as London and Berlin.
Blocks laid down at about the same time still make up the floor of the Hartog to De Vlamingh Gallery.
Laying tram tracks in High Street, 1905.
Credit: State Library of Western Australia, 5323B/1036-1039,1302