Albany Bell Castle
Encyclopedia
The Albany Bell Castle is a heritage listed building in the Perth
suburb of Maylands
. It was built 1914 for Albany Bell as a factory to supply cakes and confectionary to his eleven tearooms around Perth and three in Kalgoorlie
. The site chosen was 19 acres (76,890.3 m²) of land two miles (3 km) from Perth, the site also had natural springs that could supply 100,000 gallons of fresh water per day. Albany Bell used ideas learned from the Cadbury factory in Bournville
near Birmingham, which was designed to include nice conditions for the employees to live.
factory that Bell had seen in San Francisco, California
and the Australian Federation style
. It was built in two stages with the first stage completed in 1914. The first stage included the North wing being a single storey bakehouse
with an oven protruding from it, the oven heated from fire boxes in the cellar. The South wing was two storeys with the ground floor housing freezer rooms cooled by Compressed gas engines. The second stage central section was completed in 1919 it included a basement with double cavity walls which provided ideal conditions for the dipping of chocolates.
After the company was sold the factory changed hands many times becoming a chicken hatchery, and set aside as a reserve building for WA Newspapers Ltd
during WWII when there was concerns that the St Georges Terrace
site maybe bombed, with several editions of the Daily News being printed there. After the war it become the offices for the Department of Transport and Civil Aviation Authority
. In November 1992 the property was assessed according to the Heritage Council
criteria adopted in 1991, and listed on the interim register, it was later sold and developed into apartment accommodation retaining the external structure and gardens.
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
suburb of Maylands
Maylands, Western Australia
Maylands is a suburb located approximately northeast of Perth centred on the Midland railway line and located on the northern bank of the Swan River....
. It was built 1914 for Albany Bell as a factory to supply cakes and confectionary to his eleven tearooms around Perth and three in Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
. The site chosen was 19 acres (76,890.3 m²) of land two miles (3 km) from Perth, the site also had natural springs that could supply 100,000 gallons of fresh water per day. Albany Bell used ideas learned from the Cadbury factory in Bournville
Bournville
Bournville is a model village on the south side of Birmingham, England, best known for its connections with the Cadbury family and chocolate – including a dark chocolate bar branded "Bournville". It is also a ward within the council constituency of Selly Oak and home to the Bournville Centre...
near Birmingham, which was designed to include nice conditions for the employees to live.
Construction
Albany Bell Castle was designed by Alexander Cameron styled on the Ghirardelli ChocolateGhirardelli Square
Ghirardelli Square is a landmark with shops and restaurants in the Fisherman's Wharf area of San Francisco, California, USA. A portion of the area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Pioneer Woolen Mills and D. Ghirardelli Company....
factory that Bell had seen in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
and the Australian Federation style
Federation architecture
Federation architecture refers to the architectural style in Australia, which was prevalent from around 1890 to 1920. The period refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Australian colonies collectively became the Commonwealth of Australia...
. It was built in two stages with the first stage completed in 1914. The first stage included the North wing being a single storey bakehouse
Baker
A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, Cakes and similar foods may also be produced, as the traditional boundaries between what is produced by a baker as opposed to a pastry chef have blurred in recent decades...
with an oven protruding from it, the oven heated from fire boxes in the cellar. The South wing was two storeys with the ground floor housing freezer rooms cooled by Compressed gas engines. The second stage central section was completed in 1919 it included a basement with double cavity walls which provided ideal conditions for the dipping of chocolates.
Albany Bell Ltd
Mr Bell's company Albany Bell Ltd employed over 400 people in both the factory and his Tearooms, all employees received 2 paid weeks annual leave, well before any employment awards required it. Additionally employees in Kalgoorlie received rail expense and seaside accommodation for the two weeks, employee in Perth received travel expense to enable them to travel up to 150 miles (241.4 km). During 1925 Mr Bell as chairman of the Master Caterers Association he became involved in a strike lasting for almost a month. Discouraged by further strikes, rising costs and competition Mr Bell sold the company including the factory in 1928.After the company was sold the factory changed hands many times becoming a chicken hatchery, and set aside as a reserve building for WA Newspapers Ltd
The West Australian
The West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed Seven West Media . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
during WWII when there was concerns that the St Georges Terrace
St Georges Terrace, Perth
St Georges Terrace is the main street in the city of Perth, Western Australia. It runs parallel to the Swan River and forms the major arterial road through the central business district....
site maybe bombed, with several editions of the Daily News being printed there. After the war it become the offices for the Department of Transport and Civil Aviation Authority
Airservices Australia
Airservices Australia is an Australian Government agency, responsible for providing safe and environmentally sound air traffic control management and related airside services to the aviation industry within the Australian Flight Information Region...
. In November 1992 the property was assessed according to the Heritage Council
Heritage Council of Western Australia
The Heritage Council of Western Australia is the Government of Western Australia agency created to identify, conserve and promote places of cultural heritage significance in the state.It was created under the Heritage of Western Australia Act...
criteria adopted in 1991, and listed on the interim register, it was later sold and developed into apartment accommodation retaining the external structure and gardens.