Old buildings can have incredible histories

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I’ve written several discussions about a bus trip we took recently. We visited the old Fremantle Gaol in Western Australia, the ShipWreck Museum and finally an art exhibition by indigenous artists. The exhibition was held in the Fremantle Arts Centre, another lovely building, built in sandstone like the gaol. The architecture seems based on 'Gothic' principles and it was built by convicts around 1864 to house increasing numbers of ‘insane’ convicts being sent out from England. During the gold rush of the 1890s, miners and Chinese labourers were admitted suffering the effects of sunstroke and opium smoking. By 1900, each room held 17-20 patients. The building later became a Women’s Home, then, in 1942, during WWII, it was used to house US servicemen together with other enlisted men and officers. After the war, it became a Technical College but came close to being condemned and demolished. Thankfully, the buildings were restored and used as a Maritime Museum, History Museum and finally the Fremantle Arts Centre. Hopefully, its value is now recognised and it will be maintained more carefully.