Michelides Tobacco Factory

The Michelides Tobacco Factory building was an Interwar Art Deco building in Northbridge, Western Australia constructed in stages between the early 1920s and mid-1930s. The building was later known as the Peters Ice Cream Factory and the Tony Barlow Menswear Building. At the time of demolition, the factory was the only extant industrial building in Perth to be remodelled into the Art Deco style.[2]

Michelides Tobacco Factory
Michelides Tobacco Factory c. 1940
Alternative names	Peters Ice Cream Factory Tony Barlow Menswear Building
General information
Status	Demolished
Type	Industrial, commercial
Architectural style	Art Deco
Address	1 Lake Street 92-98 Roe Street
Town or city	Northbridge, Western Australia
Country	Australia
Coordinates	31.948°S 115.856°E / -31.948; 115.856
Construction started	1922
Completed	1923
Opened	5 October 1922
Renovated	1934, 1936
Demolished	2014
Client	Michelides Ltd
Owner	Pelworth Pty Ltd
Technical details
Floor count	2
Renovating team
Architect	Oldham, Boas and Ednie-Brown (1934, 1936)
Renovating firm	W. Fairbrother and Son (1936)[1]

Construction

The first stage of the factory was constructed in 1922 by Michelides Ltd, a Western Australian tobacco company. The Premier of Western Australia, Sir James Mitchell opened the original factory in October 1922.[3][4]

In 1934 a two storey extension to the factory was built on Roe Street next to the 1922 building. The extension was designed by the architecture firm Oldham, Boas and Ednie-Brown in the Art Deco style.[5]

In 1936 the 1922 building on the corner of Lake and Roe Street was upgraded. This building was integrated with the 1934 building to form a single building.[3] This addition was again designed by Oldham, Boas and Ednie-Brown.[6][7]

Land use

The factory was built by Michelides Ltd, a company who grew tobacco and produced tobacco products. Prior to construction of the factory the Michelides had produced hand-made cigarettes, but with the introduction of mechanisation were able to increase their market share.[3]

With the decline of the local tobacco industry, harvesting of tobacco ceased in late 1959, and cigarette production ceased early in 1960.[8] The factory later became part of the Peters Ice Cream factory.[2] The ice cream factory had started out on the corner of Milligan and Roe Streets[9][10] and expanded its operations to take in the former tobacco factory.[11]

After the departure of Peters for a site in Balcatta, the site was leased to Tony Barlow Menswear. The retailer left the building in 2009 after 20 years in Northbridge.[12]

Heritage and demolition

The building on 1 February 2014

In 2009 the City of Perth approved the demolition of the building suggesting that the art deco façade was not genuine and had been added in the 1980s. The approval was granted despite the proposed replacement building being twice the council's height limit. The development approval lapsed before the demolition could take place.[13][14][15]

The building was classified by the National Trust of Australia in 2013.[15][16]

In 2013 the Western Australian Heritage Minister decided against state heritage protection for the building.[2]

The City of Perth council in January 2014 again approved the demolition of the factory, citing the lack of state heritage listing.[2] This was despite a concerted effort by heritage groups,[17] along with a social media campaign led by online history group "Museum of Perth", to save the building.[18][19]

References

1. "Tobacco Factory Extension". The West Australian. 4 April 1936. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
2. Zaw, Yolanda (24 January 2013). "Demolition order upsets heritage experts". The West Australian. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
3. Cullity, Garrett James. "Michelides Tobacco Factory" (PDF). Northbridge History Project. Government of Western Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
4. "Enterprise in the Golden West". The Sunday Times. 8 October 1922. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
5. "Michelides' Factory". The West Australian. 7 July 1934. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
6. "Tobacco Factory Extension". The West Australian. 14 March 1936. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
7. "Michelides Built New Primary Industry". Daily News. 10 May 1937. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
8. Yiannakis, John N. (2009). Peter Michelides: Globalisation and the demise of a Western Australian tobacco tycoon (PDF). Adelaide: Flinders University. pp. 131–142.
9. "Ice Cream for Perth". Western Mail. 4 November 1937. p. 37. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
10. "Peters Build a New Ice-cream Factory". Sunday Times. 24 October 1937. p. 22. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
11. "New era for historic site" (PDF). Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority. Government of Western Australia. April 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
12. Ryan, Vivienne (16 September 2009). "Tony Barlow backs the CBD revival". The West Australian. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
13. "Minutes - Planning Committee" (PDF). 3 November 2009. City of Perth. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
14. Ryan, Vivienne; Thomas, Beatrice (18 November 2009). "Roe Street development gets council green light". The West Australian.
15. "Heritage hurdle to development". inMyCommunity. Community Newspaper Group. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
16. "Michelides Tobacco Factory (fmr)". Heritage Council of Western Australia. Government of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
17. Zaw, Yolanda (29 January 2014). "Tobacco building's demolition approved". The West Australian. p. 7.
18. "Gone in a puff". The Perth Voice. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
19. "Factory smoked by PCC". The Perth Voice. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.