ARCHITECTURE
Glasson Park is a small park with lawns, mature trees, half basketball court and children’s play equipment. The park is located on the corner of George Street and Glyde Street.
HISTORY
In the early days of the Colony George Pearse was given the land that became Plympton. He leased some land in the centre of Plympton to Forrest, Emanuel and Co. who used it as a slaughterhouse. They also operated a piggery on Canning Highway and there began to be complaints about the ‘noxious industry’- particularly when the East wind would blow the smells directly into Plympton.
1899 At a meeting of the East Fremantle Local Board of Health recently, a long discussion took place concerning an alleged nuisance caused on and near the Canning-road, east of Preston Point road, by the presence there of Messrs. Forrest, Emanuel and Co.'s stockyard and piggery. (reference). 1903 Slaughtermen’s work conditions: (reference)
AIF 1916, William Stephen (Regimental number 1986) Occupation Blacksmith, address given -97 Hubble Street, East Fremantle, Single, Age at embarkation 23. Next of kin Mrs. Mary Stephen NAA Record AIF Record 97 Hubble st in 1916 was the registered address of Baker Brothers Butchers (now Glasson Park) Perhaps William Stephen lived onsite and worked as a blacksmith for the company. This address lasted until 1934.
1933 Herbert Baker (1876-1951) operated Baker Bros-butchers from 1902-1933—a large butchery on George, Hubble and Glyde Streets, where Glasson Park is now. After a disastrous fire there in 1933, the land was cleared. (see more information on Bakers life at fremantlestuff.info). He started a smaller butchers at 44 Hubble St. The block occupied by Baker Bros, is bounded on three sides by Hubble-street, George-street and Glyde-street, and is one block; south of Canning-road in the business section of East Fremantle. (reference)
1933 Spectacular Fire—Butchers' Plant Gutted Estimated Damage, £20,000. In a spectacular fire which destroyed the large butchering and ice-making plant of Baker Bros., at East Fremantle, late yesterday afternoon, damage estimated at £20,000 was caused within an hour. The fire brigades were handicapped by an inadequate supply of water, probably due to the unprecedented demand on the mains following the abnormal heat of the day. Many of the fire hoses could not be filled, and others delivered only small streams of water until Water Supply Department workmen cut off certain mains to increase the pressure. Detonations of bursting oil drums, which shot showers of sparks and burning material into the air, the temporary engulfing of surrounding premises under a pall of acrid black smoke, the destruction of a lofty condenser tower, which was converted into a mammoth torch, and the crashing of a 60ft. steel smoke stack above the engine room, were features of the conflagration, which was watched by big crowds. (reference)
Glasson Park was named after The Glasson family—Cornelius Glasson was an ex-councillor of East Fremantle (d 1912), (reference) and his son William Glasson was the secretary of the Coastal Dock, Rivers and Harbor Workers' Union (d 1959).
1953 Volunteers Lay Floor For Centre—A group of helpful people met at East Fremantle children's play centre yesterday to lay a floor. They hoped to make the Centre more comfortable for the 50 small children attending. Centre is a-building owned by East Fremantle Council—an old butcher's shop and freezing works at the corner of Hubble-st and George-st, East Fremantle. Centre, run by parents in East Fremantle, conducted an independent kindergarten and it was feared that the concrete floor would be a danger to the children's health in the winter. A number of parents volunteered to lay a wooden floor and the Perth firm of A Parkinson coped with the difficult task of attaching bearers to the concrete with a powder actuated "gun" which fires a bolt by an explosive charge directly through the wooden bearer and Into the concrete in one motion. By this method 2 men were able to fasten all the bearers in about an hour. Centre secretary M. D. Finlayson said yesterday. It is hoped to convert the building into a modern kindergarten. They would welcome assistance. (reference)
