Tom Burke House

Tom Burke House, located in Northbridge, is a rare surviving example of Federation Queen Anne architecture—a two-storey terrace built around 1897–98. It features a classic mix of limestone and brickwork, arched windows, decorative facades and a timber verandah—one of the last intact residential terraces of its era near the Perth CBD. The building was designed by Louis Bowser Cumpston, a well-known architect during Perth’s gold rush boom years.

 

Originally, it was a high-end residence for the Green family, before being converted into apartments in the 1930s as the inner city started to shift in character.

 

In the late 1980s, the WA Housing Commission (Homeswest) took over the property. After major renovations between 1987 and 1988, it was officially reopened in May 1988 as Tom Burke House, named in honour of Thomas Patrick Burke (1910–1973) (father of Brian Burke), a former Federal Member for Perth and prominent Labor Party figure. Burke is remembered for his community involvement and political contributions and the name was chosen as a nod to his legacy.

 

From Family Home to Lodging House

From 1988 onwards, Tom Burke House served as low-cost lodging, first under Homeswest, then later by organisations such as Foundation Housing and the Perth Inner City Housing Association. It provided much-needed affordable rooms to vulnerable individuals at a time when inner-city accommodation options were increasingly scarce.

 

The building narrowly avoided demolition during the construction of the Northbridge Tunnel. Many of the surrounding structures were bulldozed but Tom Burke House was spared—reportedly thanks to community protests and last-minute interventions.

 

Years of Neglect and Closure

By the 2010s, however, decades of poor maintenance by the State Government had taken a toll. In 2013, refurbishment works were undertaken to meet Foundation Housing’s crisis accommodation standards but the improvements couldn’t overcome the building’s deteriorating condition. Structural problems persisted—including termite damage, with reports of a former resident falling through rotten floorboards, resulting in injury.

 

The building permanently closed in 2018, deemed unfit for modern accommodation needs. Since then, it has been left largely empty and unmaintained.

 

A Site Left to Decay

Like many other government-owned buildings in Perth, Tom Burke House became a victim of long-term neglect. It has been repeatedly broken into by squatters, with people occasionally camping on the verandah, leaving rubbish and debris behind before being moved on.

 

Years later, there are still no concrete plans for the building’s future. It remains fenced off, boarded up and sits on the State Government’s growing list of vacant properties—left idle under the vague promise of being “prepared for sale,” a fate shared by other long-neglected sites like Riverbank Prison, McCall Centre, and Jewell House.

 

A Wasted Opportunity

Tom Burke House is a reminder of how Perth’s historic buildings—especially those once used for social housing—are often allowed to fall through the cracks. With a worsening affordable housing crisis, many locals wonder why buildings like this are left to rot instead of being refurbished for community use or redeveloped with public benefit in mind.