Commissariat Buildings, Heritage site in West End, Fremantle, Australia.
The Commissariat Buildings at 6 Marine Terrace comprise two freestanding structures: a two-story warehouse with dominant gables, built in stages from 1852 to 1898, and a smaller Administration Building in Victorian Regency style. The warehouse walls are coursed limestone rubble with a Colorbond corrugated iron roof. Since 1979 the site has housed the WA Shipwrecks Museum.
Construction began in 1852 under architect James Manning's design and it was among the first structures built by convicts in Western Australia. The building initially served as a government storehouse and has shaped the harbor area since its creation.
The name comes from the commissariat that stored food, clothing and building supplies for the Swan River colony. Since 1979 the buildings have housed the Western Australian Maritime Museum's shipwreck galleries, opened after the excavation of the Batavia. Visitors can see the 'A', 'B', 'Drum' and 'New' stores, each built in a different decade.
The building is accessible on foot from Marine Terrace and sits near Fremantle's harbor area. Inside there are multiple galleries spread across different levels so plan to spend time exploring the various exhibition spaces.
The building originally served multiple purposes as a customs house, post office, and government stores office until 1977. This varied history shows how central it was to early colonial administration and daily operations.
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