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.