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Rifle Cottage
Constructed in 1914 on a 1627m² block, this heritage-listed Federation brick and tile bungalow was part of the Fremantle Artillery Barracks and original Signal Station. It’s located next door to the residence that was previously known as the Gun House.
Aside from wooden floors and high ceilings, the inside of the Rifle Cottage is just another ordinary, modern house with no obvious authenticity of its past history.
Thankfully the exterior or the property maintains its original appearance, despite whatever restorations have taken place over the years, due to the strict stipulations imposed on heritage-listed properties.
The garden and landscaping has hugely improved, particularly compared to the condition it was in at the time of its original sale in 2011. An article featuring the original owners Wendy and David Radcliffe, details the extensive hours they spent “to return the garden to a style that would have been commonly planted in Fremantle between 1880 and 1940”. Their efforts were certainly rewarded when their garden was open to the public in 2015 as part of the Open Gardens Australia event.
© 2011 Caporn Young Property
History
The Rifle Cottage was originally designed to house two officers and their families and shares many similarities to the Gun House.
The residence was constructed with two bedrooms, two sitting rooms, dining room and kitchen, with a fireplace in each room. The “man’s room” was accessible from the rear verandah and a wash house was located at the rear of the house.
During WWII, the cottage was home to single officers until the early 1950s, when the internal layout was altered to provide for a single residence.
The name Rifle Cottage is believed to derive from the name given to it by its residences, in order to differentiate it from the Gun House, which was much bigger in both size and status (Defence Housing Authority, 1996)
In 2001 when the Rifle Cottage was vacant, a proposal was put forward to lease the Rifle Cottage as residential and short stay accommodation.
Sales History
It appears the Department of Army sold Rifle Cottage to a private buyer on 19 March 2011 for $1,890,000.
The house was then sold again by Yard Property – East Fremantle for $3.5m on 30 November 2024. The residence contains four bedrooms, two bathrooms and three car spaces.
© 2024 Yard Property
Heritage Listed
Rifle Cottage has been recorded on three heritage lists:
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Listed on the Register of the National Estate on 28 September 1982
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Entered on the Register of Heritage Places on 09 May 1997 and made permanent on 02 September 1997,
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Recorded on the City of Fremantle’s Heritage List on 08 March 2007,
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Classified on the Commonwealth List for heritage on 22 June 2004 but removed on 17 September 2015.
References
The Heritage Homes of the Australian Defence Force - Defence Housing Authority (1996)
