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Fremantle Chamber of Commerce

Formation	1873; 151 years ago (1873)
Purpose	Local business advocacy
Headquarters	16 Phillimore Street, Fremantle
Coordinates	32°3′15.35″S 115°44′34.63″E / 32.0542639°S 115.7429528°E / -32.0542639; 115.7429528
Region served	Fremantle, Western Australia
CEO	Chrissie Maus
Key people	Lee Bartlett (President), Peter Adams (Vice President), Jason Figliomeni (Treasurer)
Main organ	Board
Staff	5
Website	www.fremantlechamber.com.au

The Fremantle Chamber of Commerce is a business and commerce advocacy association in Fremantle, Western Australia.

History

In 1853 the Western Australian Chamber of Commerce was founded. In 1873 the Chamber of Commerce requested and was granted land by the State Government land upon which to develop a headquarters. The name of the Chamber was altered to the Fremantle Chamber of Commerce. The first meeting of the Fremantle Chamber of Commerce was held on 29 May 1873 at Maloney's Hotel, with Mr. William Dalgety Moore serving as its first chairman (although the Chamber's own information disagrees with this, and suggests that it was William Marmion). Nothing was done with the Chamber's landholdings until the block was exchanged for a site on Phillimore Street, adjacent to the Fremantle Fire Station, which had become free when the railway yards moved to Midland.

The Chamber originally met at premises in Henry Street before the Philmore Street premises were constructed. The current Chamber building was designed by Joseph Allen and reflects the type of commercial structures erected in Fremantle during the expansive gold boom years. It is a two-storey brick building with cement dressings on the front elevation. The building has a large committee room on the first floor and two suites of offices on the ground floor with access between the floors provided by a polished jarrah staircase. The total cost of the construction was A£1,980. The Chamber building was officially opened on 30 October 1912 by Sir Gerald Strickland (Governor of Western Australia).

The Chamber is the oldest chamber of commerce in Western Australia and the second oldest chamber in Australia.

The inaugural members of the chamber were:

• John Bateman
• Daniel Keen Congdon
• Alexander Francisco
• Robert Habgood
• Edward Higham
• Mary Higham
• William Holman
• Robert King (Treasurer)
• John McCleery
• John McGibbon
• William Marmion
• William Dalgety Moore (chairman)
• William Owston
• W. S. Pearse
• Lionel Samson
• Michael Samson
• Elias Solomon
• R. M. Sutherland (Secretary)
• B. C. Wood

Notes and references

1. "Fremantle Chamber of Commerce website". Retrieved 15 February 2013.
2. ^ "Names tell the story of Port's Business Life". The Sunday Times. Perth. 21 March 1954. p. 20 Section: First Section. Retrieved 15 March 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
3. "A Commercial exchange". The West Australian. Perth. 25 August 1910. p. 9. Retrieved 14 March 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
4. History and inaugural members of the Chamber
5. "Chamber of Commerce". Western Mail. Perth. 1 June 1939. p. 32. Retrieved 14 March 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
6. "Register of Heritage Places – Chamber of Commerce Building". Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
7. "Fremantle Chamber of Commerce". The West Australian. Perth. 31 October 1912. p. 8. Retrieved 14 March 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
8. "Heritage listing for State's oldest Chamber of Commerce". Press Release. Minister for Planning and Heritage. 19 December 2000. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.

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• Chambers of commerce in Australia
• Fremantle West End Heritage area
• Buildings and structures completed in 1912
• Phillimore Street, Fremantle
• 1912 establishments in Australia
• Economy of Perth, Western Australia
• State Register of Heritage Places in the City of Fremantle
• Fremantle stubs