Just photos, didn’t have time to sketch but will definitely go back…the old Midland Railway Workshops operated from 1904 to 1994, building and servicing engines and carriages for Western Australia’s rail network. The buildings have been silent for the last 26 years but quite a lot of machine shop equipment is still in the empty sheds…Pictures taken peeking through the windows and doors, one was open so I ventured inside…
The last remaining house is Bayly Street, North Fremantle is surrounded by containers, trucks and shipping…such a cute house
Cycling back from Fremantle I stopped by the iconic (and heritage listed) Dingo Flour building, owned by Great Southern Roller Flour Mills Ltd. I sketched the same view almost exactly 5 years ago (25 June 2015) when the silos were still standing to the left of the main shed and it was rather rusty then (renovated in 2016 – new corrugated panels and repaint). 
The abandoned Fremantle Power Station, in North Coogee, I sketched this ruined building in November 2015 and have returned again to have another crack at it, this time an autumn day when it wasn’t so scorching hot. Opened in 1954 and closed in 1985 it has been empty and unloved for the last 35 years. Now surrounded by new apartments and luxury homes it looms as a ghost from the past on the horizon. My sketch squashed the long building onto a small rectangular page but that’s how this building felt to me, looking up at the solid concrete structure with the dark empty window frames (most glass is missing, just the odd one high up that remains intact).
Urban Sketchers Perth met at the Rail Heritage Museum WA in Bassendean yesterday afternoon, it’s right next to the train line, packed with old locomotives and carriages from bygone days. Volunteers do a fantastic job to restore and maintain everything, apparently some of the Locos do still work but the insurance is too high to allow the volunteers to start them up.
The historic Claremont Goods Shed (next to Claremont Station) was the venue this morning for the Perth Plein Air Painters gathering for a paint-out.
The Goods Shed was built in 1887 a year after the Claremont station opened to the public serving the new Fremantle to Guildford rail line which had opened in 1881. This shed served as a small warehouse for goods that would have arrived by ship in Fremantle.
Unbelievably the passenger services on the Fremantle to Perth were abolished for 4 years between September 1979 and July 1983 (allegedly due to poor passenger numbers, the service was only reinstated with a change of government).
The shed has been restored and re-purposed as a not-for-profit arts hub run by Form and has a little cafe (opposite side to my sketch).
TWSBI Eco fountain pen with EF nib, De Atramentis document black ink, Pentel waterbrushes broad and fine, various watercolours in homemade Altoids paintbox on Clairefontaine A5 plain notebook.
A quick visit to the abandoned South Fremantle Power Station today, a real quick sketch done at midday in the full sun, sitting on top of the sand dunes. This power station was built just after the second world war and constructed on North Coogee beach where it had its own seawater ponds for cooling the coal fired generator (there were originally four chimney stacks). It was decommissioned in 1985 and is heritage listed with various plans spruiked over the years to convert it to real-estate or commercial use but so far nothing has happened…it’s slowly deteriorating in the salty air. The building is fenced off and considered unsafe (asbestos and missing floors) although there’s lots of graffiti on the exterior walls and apparently a vast amount of paint on the inside walls. All the massive banks of windows appear to be devoid of glass. It’s a very striking building with strong lines and the huge windows appear to be several stories tall letting a lot of light inside (you can see right through the building from one end to the other from near the car park.)
Painted perched on top of the sand dunes at North Coogee beach, Mc Taggart Cove road, midday sun. (Usual painting equipment)
Quick sketch of part of the East Perth Power Station this morning.
Built around 1916 it originally provided power for the whole of the Perth metro area…. it’s location close to the CBD and on the banks of the Swan River enabled shipments of coal to be delivered to the door and the elevated shed in the picture was part of the coal delivery system…the conveyor led out into the main building for firing the generator. The station stopped operating in 1981 and is now heritage listed with the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority hoping to turn it into apartments (though in the present economic climate it could stand empty for another 30 odd years).
Caught the train to Freo this morning to catch up with painting friends next to the “E” shed markets. After a false start (tried sketching on “proper” watercolour paper with pencil and made a really rubbish drawing) I swapped to my sketchbook and drew directly in ink the “A” shed below. I have no idea what’s inside the “A” shed – apart from a some warning signs (no parking, Fire Extinguisher etc) there was no indication of who or what is inside. Anyway it has a lovely curve to the building as the row of doors and windows veers towards the Maritime Museum.
Next up a quick sketch of one of the cast iron bollards fixed to the wharf-side, this one is number “16” (they’re all numbered consecutively along the wharf) it was rather rusty but looked immovable – just as well – the tall ship STS Leeuwin 2 was attached to it with a yellow and black stripey hawser.
Finally… a really rapid sketch of the “Fremantle Ports” authority building – a rather attractive 1960’s office block in white and blue complete with observation tower on the top, bristling with antenna and radar.
Lamy Safari fountain pen, extra fine nib with De Atramentis black Archive ink, various watercolours, Pentel waterbrush, home made sketch book and Arches 300gsm rough watercolour paper, white gel pen.
Visit to the UK over the last couple of weeks, a quick sketch of a section of the Rochdale Canal as it picks it’s way through central Manchester. The decaying old mill buildings (most of which had been neglected for many years and in very bad repair) are being done up as flashy new apartments or replaced with trendy new bars and cafes.
Sailor Fude Fountain pen, DeAtramentis Black Document ink, Watercolour with Pentel waterbrush, about 30 minutes total, drawn on location, colour later on home made sketchbook made of Westart 225gsm heavyweight cartridge paper.
sketchbookblue 