IT was the end of an era last week with Fremantle council demolishing the old Carriage Cafe on the Esplanade Reserve.

The council had been asking former owner David Furness to remove the carriage for two years following its closure during the Covid pandemic, threatening to remove it and send him the bill, but the Herald understands he launched a counter-suit.

• Heavy machinery makes quick work of the carriage, while council staff check how the pine trees’ roots have stood up. Photo by Steve Grant

The council wouldn’t reveal the outcome of the legal stoush, but said it had progressed to the point the necessary approvals to send in the demolition crew were secured.

The removal of the cafe led to a stream of outrage on social media, but mostly centred around a Norfolk Island pine which had been chopped at roof level. Many thought the tree had been felled during the demolition, but looking back through the files, the Herald was able to confirm it disappeared about a decade ago as a result of ill-health.

The council said fencing that had been around the carriage since shortly after it closed had raised concerns about public health and safety.

It is planning to restore the area as parkland.

The Herald tried to contact Mr Furness but he didn’t pick up.