Notre Dame University ND23 - Owston's Buildings
9-23 High St, (was 17-31 pre 1938) corner Mouat and High Sts.
Architecture: Two storey rendered building, separated on the façade by pilasters with ashlar effect, separating the building into eight sections with zero setback from the pavement. It has a roof parapet above the moulded cornice with low pier balustrading and a centre pediment with the 'Owston's Buildings' name and date- 1903.
Lots 31 & 32 were owned jointly in 1876 by William Owston, W. S. Pearse and George Pearse. Captain William Owston established the firm of Pearse and Owston, shipowners and importers of Eastern produce. The firm owned a number of vessels, including coastal ships.
From 1899 until 1902 the first real estate agent in Fremantle John Twinem, (bio), worked here in the old William & Co. Sandover building (see photo). Twinem “had a seductive smile, and soon had a rent roll that made other agent’s mouths water”. He was dubbed the ‘father' of real estate agents in Fremantle. (reference) (reference)
1903 Designed by F. W. Burwell and built by R. Rennie, a new building was erected and known as the Owston Buildings. It had eight shops on the ground floor and six flats above, originally with a verandah on both sides. At Owston's death in 1903 the property passed to William Mason Owston, his grandson (1881-1946).
From 1907 to 1914 Watson's Luncheon or Refreshment Rooms operated from the site and then it became Watson's Supply Stores. See image: Watson's Luncheon rooms c 1910, courtesy Fremantle City Library History Archives no 2696
From 1953 to 2005, no 9 was the Roma Restaurant , which was established by Nella and Frank Abrugiato. It time became an iconic Fremantle destination. Frank was from Abruzza, Italy and arrived in WA in 1953. Nella was from Catania, Sicily and arrived in 1954. They had been married by proxy in 1952. The restaurant served family style Italian food, and became an iconic Fremantle destination especially in the 1970s and 1980s. In 2005 the Roma was taken over by Nunzio Gumina as the Villa Roma. in 2016 it was reopened by Abrugiato family members, changing the name to Roma Cucina.
In 2012- Sergio Guazzelli opened Blink Cafe at no 19
2002 nos 21-23 became Notre Dame University, Admissions Office
Occupants
Lot owners 19, 31 & 32: 1829 - 1837 (19 & 31) Lyon, Robert M (32) Dixon, W M, 1855 - 1859 Brown, R, 1876 - 1878 Pearse & Owston
No. 9 (was 17 pre 1938)
1905 - 1910 McKenzie & Chisholm, printers
1914 - 1916 Woods, F W, sail & tent maker
1915 (office) Miller, Mrs. J W
1916 - 1918 (office) Magripilis, Anthony
1917 - 1925 Willis, Geo, sail & tent maker
1919 Lanza, Silvatole
1926 - 1932 Hood A, sail maker
1933 - 1935 Vacant
1938 - 1949 Moullin & Co. Ltd. J. H., customs agents
No. 11 (19)
1903 Construction Completed
1905 - 1908 Gorrie & Co. independent agents
1909 - 1910 Guiseppe Re, importer
1914 Urquhart & Newbill, electrical engineers
1914 - 1916 Atlas Engineering Co. (Show rooms)
1915 - 1917 (office) Traira, Basillo
1915 - 1922 Urquhart, A D, electrical engineer
1923 - 1925 Sadlier Ltd, R C, customs agents
1926 - 1927 Brice A G, customs agents
1928 Vacant
1929 - 1930 Gills Carrying & Baggage Agency (A Gill)
1931 - 1935 Vacant
1935 - 1946 Sherborne F J, customs agent
1947 - 1949 Fiocco Giovanni, tailor
No. 13 (21)
1899 BERESFORD & NEVILLE, barristers, solicitors & notaries, public & commissioners for taking affidavits in the Supreme Courts of W.A., N.S.W. & S.A.
1899 - 1900
Maxwell, Andrew, fire claim adjuster
Yeats, Jabez G, baggage agent
1900 Forbes, Alexander, mercantile broker
1901 - 1903 Yeats, Jabez G, baggage agent
1905 DIAMOND EXPRESS (H W Petherick, manager) customs, baggage, shipping & forwarding agents
1906 - 1927 PROUT, George E, London accountant & licensed customs & general commission agent
1909 - 1920 Gorrie & Co, independent agents
1915 -1922 (office) Riley, Mrs A
1917 - 1922 Sadleir, R C, customs agent
1923 - 1927 (office) Eardley, Mrs Jane
1925 Brice A G, customs agent
1926 - 1927 Gorrie & Co, independent agents & (office) Ross, Miss L
1928 Vacant
1929
Cowie, John A, sharebroker & Wild, Aubrey M, customs and forwarding agent
National Mutual Life Association Of Australasia (J A Cowie, agent) & Brown, Edward, carrier
1930 Brice and Co. Ltd, A E store
1931 - 1938 vacant
1938 - 1940 Tortur, Les
1940 - 1941 Rodriguez & Lee, wool merchants (store)
1941 - 1943 vacant
1944 - 1946 Gill's Carrying Agency, carriers
1947 - 1949 Shamrock Tea Rooms, refreshment room
No. 15 (23)
1899 Collyer, A F, indentor
1899 - 1903 Twinem, John, estate agent
1900 BERESFORD & NEVILLE, barristers, solicitors & notaries, public & commissioners for taking affidavits in the Supreme Courts of W.A., N.S.W. & S.A.
1900 - 1903
SANDOVER & CO. WILLIAM, iron, hardware & machinery merchants, wholesale & retail ironmongers Union Oil Co. (William Sandover & Co., representatives), oil merchants
1900 - 1901 Alliance Marine & General Assurance Co. Limited (William Sandover & Co., agents)
1901 - 1903 BERESFORD, Richard, de la Poer, solicitor
1905 Adams & Co. (G. H.), wine & spirit merchants
1907 United Insurance Co Ltd. (fire & marine) (C.H. Cray, district inspector)
1907 - 1909 Ferguson Limited, J.M. (J, Cowan, manager), timber & hardware merchants
1913 Papaaoine, John, fruiterer
1914 Magrciplis, Antonio, fruiterer
1915 - 1916 Kakuloes, S, fruiterer
1917 Kakulas, Varthelamos, fruiterer & Lanzer, S
1918 Fermanis, Gregory G
1919 - 1922 Kakulas, Atherinos, fruiterer
1923 - 1932 Urquhart, A D, electrical engineer
1933 - 1935 vacant
1938 - 1946 WA Temperance League, association
1942 - 1946 Wray Thomas, shipping & forwarding agent
1947 - 1949 Fremantle Refrigerating Co, emgrs-refrigeration
No. 17 (25)
1899
Central Queensland Meat Export Co. Limited (F A Jaggard, representative) Sandover & Co. (William), iron, hardware & machinery Merchants, wholesale & retail ironmonger
Alliance Marine & General Assurance Co. Limited (William Sandover & Co. agents)
Union Oil Co. (William Sandover & Co., representatives), oil merchants
1905 Levy, L, furniture warehouse
1907 - 1908 Learmonth, Duffy & Co., auctioneers & commission agents
1911 - 1925 Re & Co Guiseppe, importers
1926 - 1949 Vergona & Co O, Italian importers
No. 21 & No. 23
1897 - 1899
Maxwell, Andrew
BERESFORD RICHARD DE LA POER, barrister, solicitor & notary public & commissioner for Taking affidavits in the Supreme Courts of W A Victoria, N S W & S A
Collyer, A F, indentor
1897 - 1902
Yeates, Jabez G, baggage agent
Twinem, John, estate agent
1900
Forbes, Alexander, mercantile broker
BERESFORD & NEVILLE
Perth Alliance Marine & General Assurance Co. Limited (William Sandover & Co., agents)
Union Oil Co. (William Sandover & Co. representatives), oil merchants
1900 - 1901 SANDOVER & CO. (WILLIAM)
1904 Vincent, Mrs. M A, refreshment rooms
1906
Sears, J, Refreshment Rooms
Watsons & Co. (William), dairy produce merchants
1907 - 1922
W M Watson, Refreshment Rooms
Watson’s Supply Stores - Dairy Products Merchants
1922 - 1949 Watson’s Supply Stores - Dairy Products Merchants
1955 - Purchased by the Waterside Workers' Federation
2002, no 15 was Life Editions Bookbinders; no 17 was Marine Surveyors, Magazines & Journals, Tax Accountants & Graphic Design
In 2012 - Sergio Guazzelli opened Blink Cafe at no 19
2002-2021 nos 21-23 became Notre Dame University, Admissions Office
Owstons Buildings corner Mouat and High Sts
