☰  MENU

W Fairweather & Son Company History

W Fairweather & Son has a long standing history within Western Australia, operating since 1895 and being involved in some of Perth’s most iconic buildings.

1895

W Fairweather, Builder and Contractor was established in 1895 in the Goldfields of Western Australia (WA) by William Fairweather (Builders Registration No. 1)

W Fairweather

William Fairweather

 

One of the largest initial projects was the Premier Hotel in Kunanalling, which was built over a period of 3 months.

Premier Hotel Kunanalling

Premier Hotel, Kunanalling

2001 Remains of the Premier Hotel

Remains of the Premier Hotel, Kunanalling 2001

1901

In 1901, W Fairweather, Builder and Contractor transferred to Subiaco.

Subiaco Office

137 Hamersley Road Subiaco

1907

From 1907, the business worked out of 137 Hamersley Road Subiaco with the office at the back of the house and the builders yard in Campbell Street. They also had a joinery works in Perth Street which is now Churchill Avenue and the site of our current premises.

1916

William’s son, also named William (Builders Registration No. 23) joined the firm of W Fairweather in 1916.

William Fairweather

Many jobs were undertaken in the following years, including: the Muresk Agricultural College, the Bishops Palace in Victoria Square, St Columbas Roman Catholic Church in South Perth, Victoria Insurance Building on St Georges Terrace, the Windsor Court Flats on Adelaide Terrace, the Yellow Cab Building, Beacon Theatre in Beaconsfield and the Union Bank premises on the corner of Murray and Milligan Streets.

St Columbas

St Columbas Church

St Columbas

St Columbas Church

St Columbas

St Columbas Church

St Columbas

St Columbas Church

1926

The ownership of W Fairweather, Builder and Contractor was restructured in 1926 and the name changed to W Fairweather & Son. The business address remained at 137 Hamersley Road Subiaco.

1929

W. Fairweather was contracted to construct the Subiaco State Savings Bank at 113 Rokeby Road in 1929.  Zimpels, a highly esteemed company, crafted the jarrah timbers, including the staircase.

This character building remains today with all the original rooms behind the bank.

Thank you to Jackie Greenshields for retrieving the news archives.

 

1939

In 1939 the office of W Fairweather & Son moved from 137 Hamersley Road to the 1st Floor of Chancery House, Howard Street Perth.

Most of the contracts through the following years were for commercial buildings. During the Second World War, W Fairweather & Son undertook a large number of Defence Department projects, many of them up in the North West. A lot of these were classified, including the airfield at Learmonth.

After the war, the firm built Princess Margaret Hospital Nurses Quarters, the South Fremantle Power Station, the East Perth Football Club Grandstand and the Rivervale Hotel to name just a few.

Perth Oval Grandstand

Perth Oval Grandstand

South Fremantle Power Station

1940

The Builders and Contractors Association in WA (est.1898) changed its name several times before finally becoming the Master Builders Association (MBA). William Fairweather was a founding member and President from 1919-1920. In recognition of his involvement from those early times, Life Membership of the MBA was followed by the issuing of Building Registration Certificate No. 1, presented to him in 1940. At the same time, his son William who had been a member from the 1920’s and President through 1938-1940, became Registered Builder No. 23.

Builders Certificate of Registration No. 1

Building certificate 23

Builders Certificate of Registration No. 23

1956

In 1956, William Brownlie Fairweather, Grandson of the Founder joined the firm and was the holder of Builders Registration No. 1881.

William Fairweather

1961

In 1961, W Fairweather & Son became an incorporated Company, forming W Fairweather & Son Pty Ltd. Our current Builders Registration, No. 1902 was issued to the Company in 1964.

Also in 1961, the Company moved to its present premises, 245 Churchill Avenue Subiaco (the site of the original joinery workshop). The building currently occupying the site was built in 3 stages, beginning in 1975 and completed in 1980.

Projects of note during this period were the Dalkeith Picture Theatre, United Insurance Co., Roseneath Apartment building Claremont, Corunna Apartments Claremont, Broadway Fair Shopping Centre and Catholic Education Centre which was blessed and opened by His Holiness Pope John Paul II in 1986.

Catholic Education Centre

Catholic Education Centre

Pope invitation copy

Pope John Paul II Invitation

Dalkeith Picture Theatre

1990

Peter Fairweather, Great Grandson of the Founder joined the firm in 1990. He has been the Managing Director since 2004 and is the holder of Builders Registration No. 10198.

Under Peter Fairweather’s leadership, W Fairweathers principal areas of activity has been in the refurbishment, upgrading and alteration to institutional buildings, offices, retail stores and supermarkets with the emphasis on projects of a specialised and/ or difficult nature.

Projects of note have included numerous works for the University of Western Australia, Curtin University, the University of Notre Dame, Presbyterian Ladies College, St Louis Estate, Archdiocese of Perth, Coles (both supermarkets and Liquorland) and Peter Moyes Anglican school. Masters Baldivis and Woolworths Meatworks were also undertaken in a joint venture with Perkins Builders.

View our company memorabilia

Our Work Parliament House: Fountain Redevelopment Project

Our Work Niana House, Castledare Retirement Village