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Clontarf Hill
Around the time of photographing this site in December 2022, I tried to research Clontarf Hill and its role during WW2. There didn’t seem to be much information other than what was published in the Friends of Clontarf Hill documents.
Clontarf Hill in WW2
It’s clear there are remains on Clontarf Hill that appear to have been constructed by army engineers, judging from the looks, size and shape, which are very similar to infrastructure left behind on military sites like Point Peron and Rottnest Island. Of course, many areas in the bush and in old farms could have similar structures but from what I’ve seen so far, these stand out, however subtle that may be.
Between Fremantle and Rockingham, there certainly seemed to be far more army camps, gun emplacements and searchlights than anywhere else along the coast, metro area or in Western Australia.
This could be attributed to the extensive bushland environment that made it suitable for shooting ranges, diverse terrains for training, sparsely populated areas and most importantly, the capability of being able to defend the nearby coast and airspace against potential enemy invaders, whilst still being inside the jurisdiction of Western Command and the Fremantle Fortress.
HMAS Stirling
HMAS Stirling on Garden Island was commissioned on 28 July 1978. It was recognised early on by Captain James Stirling in 1827 as a potential naval base but it wasn’t until 1966 when a feasibility study was conducted on the island, did the Australian Government endorse the establishment of HMAS Stirling as a naval support facility. During World War 2, Garden Island had been used by the Department of Army, who constructed a number of gun batteries and ancillary buildings to protect Cockburn Sound as part of Fremantle Fortress.
HMAS Leeuwin
HMAS Leeuwin in East Fremantle was commissioned on 1 August 1940 as a depot for the Royal Australian Navy. Two years later, it relocated to Preston Point on the otherside of the Swan River but was used again after World War 2 to train reservists and personnel. On 11 November 1960, HMAS Leeuwin was decommissioned as a naval base and reclassified for the purposes of a Junior Recruit Training Establishment (JRTE) until 1984.
The site appears to continue to operate under the Australian Army and although political discussions have arisen time to time in past debates in regards to selling the site off for redevelopment, the Department of Defence continues to maintain the site for the use of cadets and a range of other purposes.
The Naval Store Today
Since its construction in 1935, the warehouse had been leased to the Navy from the Army until 1980. With both HMAS Leeuwin and HMAS Stirling used by the Royal Australian Navy, as well as their changing needs, the Navy Store was no longer required and is now used for civilian purposes.
The Navy Store was previously been managed by the Enkel Collective Co-op Ltd, who leased out the warehouse for short term requirements, particularly for “arts, studios, music, exhibitions, events and more”.
As of 2025, a new contemporary arts organisation called Vessel is set to take over managing the Naval Store. The independent non-profit organisation plan to transform the industrial space “into a hub of innovation, creative incubation and boundary-pushing artistic programming”. In layman’s terms, this appears to mean a contemporary arts centre for artists to “practice and take creative risks”.
