The original house at 66 Bernard Manning Drive was constructed in 1982. It was a typical large brick-and-tile suburban family home that became common throughout Duncraig during Perth’s northern suburban expansion of the late 1970s and early 1980s. At the time, houses like this were considered modern family homes, built on substantial suburban blocks with garages, backyards and enough space for families to grow.

 

The property sits on a corner block zoned R20/R40, which is significant because split-density zoning like this can allow higher-density redevelopment outcomes under certain planning conditions. Previous real estate marketing for the property even highlighted the possibility of future street-front villas subject to council approval.

 

Large 1970s and 1980s homes that were once considered modern are increasingly being demolished and replaced with either larger architect-designed residences or higher-density developments as land values continue rising across Perth’s established coastal suburbs.

 

At this stage, there doesn’t appear to be any major publicly visible subdivision or development application associated with the site beyond the demolition permit issued in April 2026. Perhaps demolition is occurring before the owners finalise subdivision layouts, architectural plans, finance or builder arrangements.

 

There are also several ways redevelopment can occur without immediately becoming highly visible publicly, particularly where proposals fall within existing zoning controls or proceed through streamlined approval pathways. Corner lots like this are especially attractive to developers because they allow easier driveway access, separate street frontages and more flexible subdivision layouts compared to internal blocks.

 

One of the more interesting things about photographing sites like this is how temporary everything suddenly feels once demolition machinery arrives.

 

Houses that stood for forty years and were once considered aspirational family homes can disappear within days. At night especially, demolition excavators almost feel strangely industrial and animal-like sitting amongst quiet suburban streets, particularly under work lights with half-demolished houses and rubble surrounding them.

 

Excavators in this size range are usually preferred for residential demolition work because they strike a balance between power and manoeuvrability. Larger demolition excavators can become difficult to transport through suburban streets or operate safely on smaller residential lots, while smaller excavators often struggle with heavier concrete, roof structures and large amounts of demolition waste.

 

The excavator used at the demolition site was a CASE CX210B hydraulic crawler excavator, a mid-sized earthmoving machine commonly used for demolition, trenching, earthworks and general construction projects. Machines like this became extremely common during the 2000s and early 2010s, particularly on suburban redevelopment sites where they were powerful enough to demolish houses and clear blocks while still compact enough to work within tighter residential streets.

 

The “crawler” part refers to the steel tracks underneath it rather than wheels. Tracks spread the machine’s weight more evenly across the ground, allowing it to move over sand, rubble, mud and uneven surfaces without sinking or becoming unstable. Hydraulic excavators like this use pressurised hydraulic oil to power almost every movement of the machine including the boom, stick and bucket, which is why they can smoothly lift, tear and rotate extremely heavy materials with surprisingly precise control.

 

The CASE CX210B generally weighs around 21 to 22 tonnes depending on attachments and configuration. It was designed more as an all-rounder excavator than a specialised machine, which is why models like this became popular with demolition contractors and civil construction companies. They are commonly fitted with different attachments like digging buckets, rock breakers, grabs, pulverisers and shears, depending on the job being carried out.

 

One thing a lot of people probably don’t realise is how expensive these machines are to maintain and operate. The tracks wear out quickly on concrete and asphalt, hydraulic systems operate under enormous pressure and transporting excavators between sites generally requires specialised low-loader trucks because the machines are too heavy and slow for normal roads.