Step Forward: Lotterywest and Creative Australia grants bring Fremantle Press closer to activating heritage building
Fremantle Press is set to celebrate in its new building 50 years of sharing important Western Australian stories. The organisation is moving ahead with confidence after securing a Lotterywest grant worth $722,226 for the fit-out of the historic SEC Substation at 10 Parry Street, Fremantle. This grant takes the Press to within half a million dollars of its total fundraising goal.
Fremantle Press Chair Clair Medhurst said she was elated to have secured Lotterywest support and excited to see the iconic heritage building occupied and activated by the Press’s 50th Anniversary, which will fall on Friday 24 April 2026. Medhurst said, ‘After almost a decade of working towards a permanent home, which at times felt like a pipedream, we’re excited to be breaking ground and getting started. Nothing has given me more pleasure than seeing the signage go up, letting everyone know we’re on the move.’
The fit-out plans, which were released today, include a dedicated podcast room, a place to house 50 years’ worth of published books, space for partner organisations and interns, and, most importantly, room to grow the business sustainably and accessibly.
CEO Alex Allan said the Fremantle Press Building Fund had received another significant boost in the form of $50,000 in matched funding through Creative Australia’s Plus1, with every dollar pledged before May 2026 effectively doubled. Allan said, ‘We had this vision of an open and accessible space connecting storytellers with readers – and now we’re so close to reaching our goal, I can smell the fresh paint! We’re inviting every WA reader to be a part of the stories that move us by donating to the campaign.’
Creative Australia’s State Manager for Development and Partnerships WA, James Boyd, said, ‘Over the past five decades Fremantle Press has become an independent publishing house of national significance. Now the Press will have space to grow, space to increase its impact and space to foster greater connections between storytellers and their audience. We’re proud to play a role in securing the Press’s first permanent home.’
Lotterywest joins Adrian and Michela Fini, the State Government, Wright Burt Foundation and a list of generous financial and pro bono supporters helping make the building project possible.
Donate to Fremantle Press online at fremantlepress.com.au/donate
More information
Proudly not-for-profit, Fremantle Press is Western Australia’s longest standing independent book publisher, which has nurtured and developed talented writers and artists since it was set up as a not-for-profit organisation in 1976, charged with giving voice to WA writers and bringing stories about this place to the world.
As it approaches its 50th anniversary, the Press is moving into its first permanent home, in the heart of Fremantle, at 10 Parry Street.
Fremantle Press has purchased a 35% share in the old SEC Substation with the support of Adrian and Michela Fini, who have offered favourable loan terms to the not-for-profit.
Ballpoint Construction Group has commenced the fit-out with a projected completion date of mid-March 2026.
Fremantle Press will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an Open Day and an evening event at 10 Parry Street on Friday 24 April.
A full list of sponsors is available here: https://fremantlepress.com.au/donate/
For more information on how to support the project go to fremantlepress.com.au/donate