Residence & Ancillary Shed, Infantry Battalion Barracks (fmr)

Parent Place or Precinct

03650 Wadjemup/Rottnest Island

Values

The Infantry Battalion Barracks at the Airfield Camp is associated with the WWII occupation of Wadjemup/Rottnest Island by Defence forces, and possibly the internment of Italian prisoners of war during WWII. The Residence & Ancillary Shed are associated with the army personnel deployed to assist with the defence of the Fremantle Fortress chain of coastal defences.

Physical Description

Residence: The primary structure is timber framed and clad with a mix of painted corrugated iron (installed vertically) and fibre cement sheeting. It has a low pitch hipped roof clad in corrugated steel. No archival plans or detailed images of the original building design were uncovered during the process of preparing this assessment, however the construction typology generally adheres to the typical appearance of WWII era construction elsewhere on the island. The building is composed around an L-Shaped central plan, with a linear corridor which runs eastwest along the length of the building. Projecting rooms are located at each end of the northern elevation and it is assumed that an open verandah was once located between. This central section has since been infilled and is notable as a later addition through its differing cladding treatment and metal framed horizontal sliding windows. The previously external corrugated cladding is still extant within. Ancillary Shed: The associated shed structure is located to the south of the main residential building beyond a contemporary water tank and small lean to shed which have been erected in between the two subject buildings. The shed is a simple timber framed building with unpainted vertical corrugated cladding externally and matching corrugated roof sheeting. The external cladding displays some evidence of prior patch repair but largely appears to have only been subject to minor ad hoc maintenance over its lifespan. The design of the structure is utilitarian and functional in nature and contains no internal linings or finishes with the timber framing exposed throughout. Internally the shed is primarily a singular space with no floor finishes and only two small, partitioned areas to the southern end of the structure. Access is gained by a pair of double doors to the western elevation, each timber framed and covered with corrugated sheeting to match the external cladding. A single door opening also exists to the southern elevation however this has been boarded over. Simple two panel timber framed windows are located to all but the northern elevation however broken glazing only remains to some openings. Vertical timber battens have been added to all windows at a later date to prevent trespass and provide some security to the materials stored within. The current contents of the shed is primarily surplus building or refuse material.

History

The buildings at the site of the former Infantry Battalion Barracks form part of a network of extant buildings and equipment established at Wadjemup/Rottnest Island during WWII. In response to the deteriorating situation in Europe in the early to mid-1930s, the construction of new facilities at Wadjemup/Rottnest Island significantly expanded the existing coastal defence system for the Port of Fremantle, known as the ‘Fremantle Fortress’. Major construction works commenced on Rottnest in 1935. The Infantry Battalion Barracks were constructed 600 metres to the west of the Kingstown Barracks (RHP) between 1940 and 1941, and directly south of the railway line to Oliver Hill. The Barracks was occupied by the 10th Garrison Infantry Battalion, an Australian Army Reserve unit assigned to defend Bickley and Oliver Hill Batteries against air-borne or infantry assault. Directly adjacent to the Airfield, the site known as Airfield Camp, appears to have also been colloquially known as ‘Salt Lake City’. Plans and maps of the site at the time indicate that the Airfield Camp included a neat arrangement of accommodation huts, quarters, offices, ablutions, canteen and kitchen and mess buildings. Residence & Ancillary Shed were located to the east of the mess and office buildings. A shift in focus saw a decline in Australia’s involvement in the Pacific in 1944. The majority of the military personnel on the island were either transferred to other units or demobilised, including the 10th Garrison who vacated the Airfield Camp in 1944. The Rottnest Island Board refused to take back the island until the Army agreed to restore facilities to their pre-war order. Whilst awaiting repatriation to Italy, about 120 Italian prisoners of war were sent to the Island to carry out repairs and renovations. Accommodated in Airfield Camp, their tasks included removing barbed wire, filling in trenches, cleaning camps and cottages, and replanting trees. Further research may confirm whether the Residence & Ancillary Shed were utilised during this period. By December 1944, tourists were once again visiting the island. The Civil Aviation Authority operated the airfield adjacent to the Airfield Camp from 1954 to 1964. Residence & Ancillary Shed were occupied by the Civil Aviation Authority, after which the place was utilised by the University of Western Australia. The Residence is currently occupied as residential accommodation for Programmed Facility Management cleaners. The shed is currently used for storage of building surplus or refuse material.

Historic Themes

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