Lloyd Hammond, candidate for East Ward, 94 Solomon Street, Fremantle
THE continuing loss of significant cultural elements in Fremantle rings alarm bells for the arts and the broader creative diversity of our city.
We’ve recently seen the eviction of the Timber Boat Building Workshop in Slip Street at Victoria Quay. There is nothing more iconic in Fremantle than its rich maritime history.
Boat building links our maritime past with our future, ironically since it is now boat-building industries to the south of Fremantle that provide such a bright economic outlook.
Two weeks ago, the Fibonacci Centre was up before our council elders on planning matters.
Evolving from a paint factory to an artists’ residence, the Fibonacci Centre highlights the wonderful possibilities for Fremantle as some heavier industries disappear and the opportunity to pursue more creative endeavours emerge.
Whether the council prefers to get bogged down in bureaucratic technicalities or decides to pursue ways of supporting the Fibonacci Centre and other such activities will be a reflection of its credibility and its intent to guard the cultural richness that is so entwined with Fremantle.
The Harbour Theatre needs a new home. Let’s put out some ideas.
Why not ask Western Power (a recognised sponsor of the arts), the City of Fremantle and Notre Dame University (that also needs good theatre facilities) jointly to contribute to a theatre at the now-vacant World Energy Museum site on Parry Street.
It would be a win-win for all parties.
Fremantle has precious little in the way of cultural assets left to lose.
The only icons that seem safe in our city are a fast-food restaurant, an amusement arcade and the all-too-frequent remnants of anti-social activity in the early hours of the morning, including vomit, broken glass and the stench of urine.
The City of Fremantle needs to be more proactive and stop the rot.