ANZAC Cottage on Whadjuk Nyoongar Country

ANZAC Cottage is located on Whadjuk Nyoongar Country, Mount Hawthorn.

Built by the community as a ‘practical memorial’ to the Gallipoli landing, it was constructed as a home for a returned wounded soldier and his family.

Private John Porter was the first returned soldier to live in Mount Hawthorn, a member of the famous 11th Battalion C Company which took part in the historic landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. Private Porter and his family lived in ANZAC Cottage until the 1960s and descendants still maintain a close connection with the cottage.

Visit ANZAC Cottage to learn the history behind the ‘house that was built in a day’.

Special events are run by the Friends of ANZAC Cottage on ANZAC Day, 25 April, Remembrance Day, 11 November, and the National Day for War Animals, 24 February.

ANZAC Cottage was the earliest First World War memorial to be built in Western Australia and was initiated by the Mount Hawthorn Progress Association in December 1915, to honour those who fought in the Gallipoli campaign.

Made possible by donations of money and building materials from the community, and generous commitment of skills by tradesmen and labourers, ANZAC Cottage was constructed in one day: Saturday 12 February 1916.

Saturday 29 January saw an army of 30 men, all with saws and axes, work to clear the block of trees and shrubs in readiness for the building.

The next Saturday, 5 February 1916, 70 drays laden with the building materials, building tools and even some of the furnishing for the house made its way from the centre of Perth out to the block in Kalgoorlie Street, where the memorial was to be constructed.

At 4.30 am Saturday 12 February, alerted by the town crier, 200 men assembled at the block and began the task of constructing ANZAC Cottage. By sundown that day the neat little brick and tile cottage was built.

Private John Porter and his wife Annie were granted the cottage and their descendants lived there until 1971.

Sadly, by 1991 the cottage had become dilapidated. The Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia WA, in cooperation with the Mt Hawthorn ANZAC Cottage Restoration Group, took on the challenge of restoring the cottage as closely as possible to its original condition. Their work was funded by a Lotterywest grant and many generous donors.

ANZAC Cottage was gifted to the City of Vincent in 2006 and in 2021 it was transferred to the National Trust of Western Australia.

A small ceremony was held to mark the occasion, with words shared by the Hon John Carey MLA, Minister for Housing and Local Government, City of Vincent Mayor Emma Cole and the Hon Dr Ken Michael AC, President of the National Trust of Western Australia.

Councillors from the City of Vincent and representatives from the National Trust, the Friends of Anzac Cottage, the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia WA and members of the local community also took part.

National Trust volunteers at ANZAC Cottage today include members of the Friends of Anzac Cottage and the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia WA.