Whiteman’s Arcade Camden fire: Upstairs at Freds destroyed
Firefighters worked through the night to extinguish a blaze at a historic restaurant in Sydney’s southwest which destroyed the roof and left the owner “devastated”. WATCH THE FOOTAGE.
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Having survived unscathed for almost 150 years, a devastating fire has laid waste to a priceless piece of Australian history on the outskirts of Sydney, in what has been described as a “heartbreaking” loss for locals.
The historic Whiteman’s Arcade in Camden was ravaged by fire on Friday morning, with more than 60 firefighters battling to bring the blaze under control after the building went up in flames about 3am.
As the inferno was finally extinguished after five hours’ destruction, police began an investigation into the cause of the “suspicious” fire.
Camden Police area commander Superintendent Paul Fuller yesterday said investigators were looking into any links to a fire three weeks ago at real estate agent Ray White on the same street.
“We’re treating the fire as suspicious, but it’s still early in the investigation … we have specialist Fire & Rescue investigators and forensics specialists on site,” he said.
As the smoke cleared yesterday, relief that firefighters were able to save the centuries-old landmark from collapse was mixed with uncertainty over just how much irreplaceable history went up in flames.
The blaze torched the roof of the Victorian-era building, causing it to collapse, but firefighters were able to stop it wreaking destruction to the treasured facade.
The exact cost of the damage is not yet known.
Whiteman’s Arcade started as a produce store, built in 1878 by brothers George and Charles Whiteman, before they relocated to Argyle St in 1889, according to Camden Library records.
The shop later became a department store and was run by five generations of the Whitemans until the business closed in 2000 after 123 years of service.
It later reopened as a commercial space for small businesses, with up to seven retailers operating from within the old arcade before the fire broke out.
Steve Wiseby owns a restaurant in the arcade called Upstairs at Fred’s. He arrived at the scene of the fire about 4am and watched his livelihood burn.
Mr Wiseby fought back tears when he spoke to The Saturday Telegraph, calling the loss of his business “surreal” after a “really shit” year.
“We survived COVID, had everything repainted and decorated and we were looking better than ever. I watched it all burn,” Mr Wiseby said.
“What upsets me most is the restaurant is named after my great-grandfather, his pictures are on the walls … we can’t replace those photos of Pop. It’s just another kick in the guts.”
Peter Salisbury, from Stone Real Estate Camden, said the small semi-rural community was “really feeling” the loss of the arcade.
“Camden itself is such a nice country town with real heritage and history, so to see iconic buildings like Whiteman’s go up in flames, it’s a real shame,” he said.
“It’s one of those things you can’t replace.”
