Barracks Arch
In 1850, as a part of its emigration policy, the Home Government in England began to send out parties of military pensioners to Australia and by 1864 when the policy ended, the influx of pensioners and their families had resulted in an increase in the Western Australian population of over 2000 people. Generally they sought a work among the free settlers in the colony, but were always on hand to help in case of an outbreak among the prisoners.
The Pensioners Barracks after completion in 1866 (State Library of WA)
In 1863, 300 rank and file pensioners were employed in building a large pensioner's barracks at the head of St George's Terrace in Perth. When they were completed the barracks contained 120 rooms, a hospital, magazine, and other facilities. The original design of the four storey Tudor barracks was by Captain E.M. Grain and James Manning and included wings extending either side of the arch.
The Pensioners Barracks, 1963 (State Library of WA)
Many of the soldiers stayed on after the removal of the British troops in 1868. Following the eventually disbandment of the Pensioners Guard in 1878 some of the soldiers stayed on at the Barracks until 1904 while many retired to farming lots which had been granted to them in return for their services. In 1904 The Barrack became the Public Works Department headquarters and it was from there that the Goldfields Water Supply was planned. The Chief Engineer C.Y.O'Connor had his office immediately above the entry archway.
Now referred to as The Barrack Arch, it is all that remains of the Pensioner's Barracks. In 1966 the two wings of the Pensioner's Barrack were demolished to make way for the Mitchell Freeway and give the newly built Parliament House a clear view down St George's Terrace. Needless to say the public were outraged.
Unfortunately despite the public's disapproval the State Government went ahead and demolished the Barracks. What a different landscape Perth's Central Business District would have been had it been preserved. The only compensation was that the building's central entry archway was saved.
The Barrack Arch during the construction of the Mitchell Freeway, 1968
