A DIGITAL billboard on top of the heritage-listed old Fremantle Post Office would be a travesty, says Fremantle Society president John Dowson.

The local historian is fuming after plans were lodged with council for a 7.6m x 1.9m billboard on the 1907-built post office on Market Street – the gateway to Freo’s historic West End.

“How did something so inappropriate as a large electronic billboard on a heritage building at a major entrance to the historic town ever get this far?” Mr Dowson told the Chook. 

• Heritage buffs are annoyed at plans for a digital billboard on the old Fremantle Post Office (above), but it could be the tip of the iceberg with the site being redeveloped into a hospitality venue that could include a rooftop bar (below) .

“Most important heritage precincts have rules to protect the valuable assets therein. Our 1907 Post Office and railway station were Federation gifts to the people and the government should never have sold the post office.”

The old Post Office building is owned by Correia de Sousa Properties, a WA property investment company co-founded by Sam de Sousa.

Mr de Sousa says they are redeveloping the site into a “hospitality venue” and the billboard would be used to promote it.

“The heritage-listed Fremantle train station across the road has huge advertising billboards,” he says. “The heritage-listed Astor Theatre in Mt Lawley has a digital billboard, and they are common on heritage buildings in London and New York.

“I’m a Hammie Hill boy and grew up in Fremantle – I love the heritage in this city and I’m trying to keep these old buildings alive and invest in the future of the city, while being respectful to its past.

“If you want a vibrant West End, if you want it to survive and to protect the architecture, it has to be liveable and commercial.”

Mr de Sousa says the billboard would primarily be used to promote the hospitality venue, but didn’t rule out it being used by third party advertisers.

Concept designs for the 1,100sqm venue estimate it could accomodate about 500 patrons (including staff), main and rear bars and a beer garden, with potential for first floor function rooms, 10-20 loft apartments and a 400sqm rooftop bar.

“There is further scope in late 2025 pending planning approval for a six-storey boutique 50 Apartment hotel and purpose-built rooftop bar overlooking the Fremantle Harbour,” reads the concept design.

The Post Office has lain empty since a bad storm brought down the ceiling in August 2022, with Australia Post relocating to new premises on the corner of Queen and Adelaide Streets in June last year.

• Artist’s impression of the redeveloped old Fremantle Post Office. Images courtesy Project Specific

Mr de Sousa says they have owned the building for 25 years and “thought Australia Post would be there for life” – then the storm hit. Australia Post relocated, due to the 18-month repair time, and he had to rethink the site’s future.

The extensive repairs will be completed by the end of March, and Mr de Sousa says his team have been busy preparing a concept design for the hospitality venue.

“It’s going to be a stunning, high-end venue with a rooftop facility,” he says.

“By the end of March we’re aiming to have a website up with a 3D walkthrough. It will look fantastic.”

Mr de Sousa says they previously held discussions with an established operator about a micro-distillery, but it never came to fruition.

Project Specific managing director Troy Ward says the concept design shows a general restaurant/bar, but all proposals are welcome.

“The purpose of the concept design work created to date is to gauge interest from suitable operators considering a venue in historical Fremantle,” he says.

“A resulting DA will be based on a committed operator determining what their needs are, approving the proposed costs and after which a DA will be sought from the City of Fremantle and the various heritage bodies.”

The proposed billboard comes in the wake of Fremantle council supporting conditional approval of a contentious rooftop extension on the 1925 heritage-listed Robert Harper building on the corner of Pakenham and Phillimore streets in the city’s West End. The final decision rests with JDAP.

“The council now turning its back on our heritage to create what they call  ‘a modern city’ is deplorable – see 49 Phillimore Street,” Mr Dowson says.

“Fremantle MP Josh Wilson should be insisting the post office stay in the building built for it, if at all possible, instead of its current location in a shoebox on Adelaide Street.”

Public submissions on the billboard closed January 4 and the development application should come before council in February or March.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK