That Building

This little piece was given five minutes to write at the Wynnum Manly Writer's group this morning (7th September 2010) We were asked to be descriptive and not use any cliches. I got top marks for this, which is written about the old Barracks of Perth that were situated at the top end of St George's Terrace. It is not 100% acurate for I used a bit of 'writer's licence' with it

THAT BUILDING
The convicts built it. It stood at the top end of the street as it soared to the hill from the river. Five stories high with wings on each side of the six stories above the arch and angling backwards with multitudes of tiny windows set in regular regimental lines between the locally-made dark red, 6" x 3" brocks. It dominated. It spoilt the view. Its very presence shouted 'Authority'. The steep-sloping, darkly-red roof of shingles, all angular, bespoke 'no nonsense'. Inside the rooms were also tiny, leading off the long veranda that followed each wing at the rear. The central arch was the entrance to whatever lay beyond and roughly hewn, something that looked as if it had been constructed in haste. Either side of the arch stood the sentries boxes, resembling the old-style lavvie. Freezing inside in winter and boiling in summer. They certainly did not encourage use. There was an aura of gloom around the whole edifice. There were no gardens or trees to soften the outlook. Even its very name bespoke 'Authority' – The Barracks
Now I have to write a 400 word story about The Barracks.

History of The Barracks found http://www.lifeonperth/
It was built in 1863 to house a special force of soldiers called the Pensioner Guard. With nearly 10'000 convicts sent to Perth between 1850 and 1868, the task of keeping them in order was assigned to the Pensioner Guard. These guys were the veteran soldiers of conflicts such as the Crimean War, and the Indian Mutiny. They were offered the chance to settle in Perth, provided they guarded the convicts. Wearing their bright redcoats, they added a distinctive flair to colonial Perth.
The pensioner force was disbanded in 1878, but it was not until 1904 that the last guard walked out of the building. Some say he was forcefully pushed....., in a wheelchair that is. The building was then adapted for use by the Public Works Department. They moved out in 1965, and that spelt trouble for the empty barracks. With the old boys long gone, the wings of the Barracks were demolished in 1966, to make way for the Mitchell Freeway. Perth was expanding, and it seemed like nothing was going to stand in its way.

The "Redcoats" were so vivid they even stood out in black & white photos.
The Pensioner Barracks in the good old days.
Only persistent public outcry saved the front arch of the Barracks from total destruction. The State Government was sent a clear message, that it could no longer freely demolish Perth's heritage buildings, without prior public consultation. The lonely arch stands today, where it did in 1863. It provides a glimpse into Perth's convict heritage, and is a constant source of bewilderment for passing tourists.

The Pensioner Barracks were designed by Mr Richard Jewell. He was responsible for many of Perth’s original buildings, which included the Town Hall, Cloisters, and Wesley Church. The brickwork was laid in the Flemish Bond style, common in Perth between 1858 and 1890. Construction commenced in 1863, and was completed in 1866. From an architectural perspective the original building was a fine example of 19th Century Gothic Revival, with a solid underlying Tudor influence. Put more simply, it looked like a three story castle, with 120 rooms.

From 1966 onwards it looked just weird. The building is now the world's Narrowest Unoccupied Military Barracks. After losing 120 rooms, the Historic Day Tour was consolidated into a commemorative wall plaque. The building is no longer open to the public, though you can still walk under the arch. Some people measure historic buildings by their cultural significance. You can measure the Barracks Arch with a household ruler. It is approximately 435cm wide at its base, and narrows even further as you move up the brickwork. The reduced dimensions, and location on a busy traffic intersection have prompted many alternative uses for the building. As recently as 2010, it was suggested modifying Barracks Arch into a drive-through coffee business. However, it was later determined that the building was even too narrow for a skinny latte