Part Two – post 1920s - Newcastle City Council

(Later a branch opened at Lismore.) For the next 30 years the business flourished and
it was said that ‘nowhere else was there such a comprehensive hardware store’. 84
The business appears to have specialised in shop fronts and shop fittings in the years
up to the 1930s. This era saw the growth of suburbs and suburban shopping centres
with modern shop fronts reflecting up-to-date marketing trends. The Fred c Ash-
Menkens building itself was significantly altered by the installation of one of these
modern shop fronts. The entrance door was set further into the building and a
showcase window constructed on either side of the created space. Ceramic tiles were
added to the façade and an awning suspended over the footpath. 85
In 1969 the company was take over and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Swans
Limited. Following 1969 all the Fred c Ash properties were sold to Newcastle City
Council. Shortly after, the adjoining Hunter Street property was purchased also.
From this time, a number of proposals for new uses for the Fred c Ash building
(Hunter Street) have been put forward. The first was for the relocation of the
Newcastle Art Gallery (1972-1974). Next (in 1979/80) was a redevelopment proposal
for offices with a mall in the demolished sports store. In this proposition, a bank
(Commonwealth) and the council were to occupy the ground floor the rear of which
was to connect with the City Administration Building. The upper floors were to be
available for commercial lease. Council already utilised the building for furniture
storage, the council’s print plant, and records storage.
By 1980, the heritage qualities of the building had been recognised, which restricted
the site redevelopment options. In 1985 the National Trust upgraded the heritage
classification of the building from a ‘recorded’ listing to ‘classified’ because of its
association with Frederick Menkens and its outstanding contribution to the built
environment of Newcastle.
In 1987 a hotel was proposed for the Fred c Ash site, retaining only the building’s
façade. This was part of Stage 2 of a development that comprised a hotel, office
block and retail development. (Stage One was the Taxation Office). Demolition of
the body of the Fred c Ash building was not permissible under the Heritage Act and an
interim conservation order was placed on the building. A year later a modified plan
for the hotel development won Heritage Council approval. However, no progress
eventuated for the Stage 2 work.
Meanwhile in May 1989 a Permanent Conservation Order was issued for the 1905
building and the National Trust additionally recognised this and the adjoining
buildings as contributing to a distinctive early 20 th century streetscape.
In 1991, a group of Newcastle University students proposed that vacant inter city
office blocks and warehouses, including Fred c Ash, could be reused as student
accommodation, which would additionally help revitalise the CBD.
In the 1990s the building was restored for office use, which is described later.
The heritage values assigned to the Fred c Ash buildings have played a significant part
in redevelopment proposals since 1970. It was unclear at various times what was to
be preserved – the Hunter Street façade only, the façade plus a number of bays of the
warehouse, the entire warehouse, and the Burwood Street building. The item was cast
84 Godden Mackay … p. 25
85 Godden Mackay, … p. 33
Newcastle Civic and Cultural Precinct History ~ Cynthia Hunter ~ January 2003 page 54