The Army Museum of Western Australia is a
museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
located in an historic artillery barracks on
Burt Street in
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...
. The museum was established in 1977 and has three
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
es on display.
History
![Victoria Barracks Fremantle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Victoria_Barracks_Fremantle.jpg)
The Army Museum of Western Australia was established in 1977 and was originally located at
Dilhorn House
Dilhorn House is a two storey Federation Queen Anne-style building located on the corner of Bulwer and Lord streets, Perth, Western Australia.
Construction
The building was constructed for businessman William Thorley Loton. Loton was a wealthy ...
, a 19th-century building located on Bulwer Street, Perth. The museum was relocated to its current site at the Artillery Barracks site in Burt Street, Fremantle, in 1995.
The Fremantle Artillery Barracks, also known as Victoria Barracks, was acquired by the Commonwealth in 1909 for £3,000. The Artillery Barracks was constructed in two stages between 1910 and 1913 as the base for the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery, who manned the heavy artillery guns guarding the port of Fremantle. The original concept for the buildings and spaces was designed by
Hillson Beasley
Hillson Beasley (30 April 1855 – 7 October 1936) was an English-trained architect who relocated to Australia, executing his major buildings in Melbourne (1886–96) and Perth (1896–1917). In his later career he was the Principal Architect of ...
, the Government Architect at the
Public Works Department of Western Australia. The barracks are constructed of red brick and limestone in a
Federation Free Classical style of architecture and designed to accommodate 120 men and officers of the Artillery Corps, providing protection for the harbour and the hulks with emergency coal supplies for the British Fleet.
The location of the site reflects the prevailing view of
Sir Joseph John Talbot Hobbs that potential enemies would mount seaborne rather than aerial attacks. The Artillery Barracks were designed to service the two batteries at Arthur (Arthur Head) and Forrest (North Fremantle) Forts, as part of the
Fremantle Harbour
Fremantle Harbour is Western Australia's largest and busiest general cargo port and an important historical site. The inner harbour handles a large volume of sea containers, vehicle imports and livestock exports, cruise shipping and naval vis ...
defences prior to
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
The first stage of construction in 1910 was a two-storey barracks, providing accommodation for 40 men, Orderly Room, Guard Room, Quarter Store, separate Kitchen block and Gymnasium, facing on to the parade ground. Three years later a second Barracks block, Married Quarters, Officers Quarters and a Hospital (later converted into the Sergeants' Mess) were completed. A large grassed area on the northern side of the hill was used for agistment of the horses.
In 1914 with the commencement of World War I, the barracks were then used as hospital wards, firstly for sick recruits of the
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during the First World War. It was formed as the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) following Britain's declaration of war on Germany on 15 Aug ...
, then for the convalescing wounded from the
Western Front, a use which continued for a year after the war concluded.
Between the wars a number of working structures, such as sheds and garages were built, and in 1928 a wooden signal tower was constructed to take over from the signal station at Arthur Head.
After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Major General
John Whitelaw, took up residence at the Commanding Officer's Quarters, known as Gun House. This established a tradition for the most senior serving officer to reside at the site; eighteen serving regional commanders have lived there since 1946. From 1948 onwards the barracks mainly served as a training venue for the Citizen Military Forces, which then became the
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen ...
s.
In 1935 the land now occupied by the Army Store was ceded to the
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
, which built its own store in a simple Functionalist style. In 1956 the timber signal station, on the top of
Cantonment Hill, was replaced by a masonry signal station, for use by the Fremantle Harbour Trust Commission. The signal station operated for only eight years before new grain silos at North Quay partially obscured the view and the signal station was replaced by a facility on top of the
Fremantle Port Authority
Fremantle Port Authority, also known by its registered business name Fremantle Ports, is the responsible authority created under the Western Australian Port Authorities Act 1999.
Harbour administration
In August 1829 the Fremantle Harbour Master ...
building. The Cantonment Hill station was then handed back to the Army.
Heritage value
The entire precinct has been heritage listed with several of the buildings having historical significance. The Barracks and associated buildings were classified by the
National Trust of Australia (WA)
The National Trust of Western Australia, officially the National Trust of Australia (W.A.), is a statutory authority that delivers heritage services, including conservation and interpretation, on behalf of the Western Australian government and c ...
on 6 October 1980 and included on the Register of the National Estate on the 28 September 1982. They permanently entered on the
State Heritage Register on 2 September 1997 and were included on the
City of Fremantle
The City of Fremantle is a local government area in the south of Perth, Western Australia. The City covers an area of , and lies about southwest of the Perth central business district.
History
The City of Fremantle is named after Charles Frem ...
's Municipal Heritage Inventory on 14 October 2000. The site is currently the oldest continuously occupied defence site in Western Australia.
In 2000, the museum was faced with the prospect of having to be relocated once again due to plans for the Artillery Barracks site to be sold off by the
Federal Government
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
. A successful "Save the Barracks" campaign was initiated to gain support for the retention of the barracks site as a heritage precinct remaining in public ownership and for the museum to remain at this site. After lengthy negotiations the Government agreed that the museum would remain at the barracks under special licensing arrangements. Currently the museum is supported by two part-time Army personnel, around 80 'active' volunteers, and 120 'sponsor' members.
Displays
The museum consists of a number of galleries, each of which reflects the Army's involvement in Western Australia and the military service of Western Australians from the colonial period through to the present day. There are seven galleries:
*Pre-1914 Gallery;
*World War I Gallery and Trench scene;
*World War II Gallery;
*Prisoner of War Gallery;
*Post-1945 Gallery;
*Vehicles and weapons; and
*Museum grounds.
Items of significance
![2 4th mg battalion gnangarra](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/2_4th_mg_battalion_gnangarra.jpg)
Among its collection, the museum holds the following items of significance:
*three
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
es awarded to Western Australians:
Martin O'Meara
Martin O'Meara, VC (6 November 1885 – 20 December 1935) was an Irish-born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Early life ...
,
Percival Eric Gratwick
Percival Eric Gratwick, VC (19 October 1902 – 26 October 1942) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Early life
Gra ...
and
Leslie Thomas Starcevich
Leslie Thomas Starcevich, VC (5 September 1918 – 17 November 1989) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of British and Commonwealth ...
;
*a
Military Medal
The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award ...
(MM) awarded to a
Nursing Sister
Nursing management consists of the performance of the leadership functions of governance and decision-making within organizations employing nurses. It includes processes common to all management like planning, organizing, staffing, directing and ...
who served in the Australian Army Nursing Service during World War I (one of only seven awarded to Australian nurses);
*a
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...
(DSO) awarded to an honorary
second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
from the
44th Battalion;
*a
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was a decoration established in 1854 by Queen Victoria for gallantry in the field by other ranks of the British Army. It is the oldest British award for gallantry and was a second level military decoration, ranki ...
and MM group that was awarded to a member of the 1st AIF;
*two Military Medals that were awarded to brothers;
*a DCM awarded to a member of the
10th Light Horse for fighting around ES Salt during World War I;
*a DCM to a
2/16th Battalion soldier who died of wounds during the
Battle of Buna-Gona
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
;
*a DCM awarded to a 2/16th Battalion soldier for the
Battle of Shaggy Ridge
The Battle of the Shaggy Ridge was part of the Finisterre Range campaign, consisting of a number of actions fought by Australian and Japanese troops in Papua New Guinea in World War II. Following the Allied capture of Lae and Nadzab, the Aust ...
;
*a DSO awarded to Major Jack Gerke from
3RAR for the
Battle of Maryang San;
*a collection of
Queen's South Africa Medal
The Queen's South Africa Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to British and Colonial military personnel, and to civilians employed in an official capacity, who served in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Altogether twenty-six clasps wer ...
s and Colonial Long Service Medals and Decorations awarded to members of the Western Australian Mounted Infantry; and
*a
campaign medal
A campaign medal is a military decoration which is awarded to a member of an armed force who serves in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical theater. Campaign medals are very similar to service medals but carry a high ...
group awarded to a Western Australian nurse who was murdered by the Japanese on Banka Island during World War II.
References
Further reading
*
External links
Army Museum of Western Australia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Army Museum Of Western Australia
Military and war museums in Australia
Museums in Western Australia
1977 establishments in Australia
Buildings and structures in Fremantle
Army museums in Oceania
Museums established in 1977
State Register of Heritage Places in the City of Fremantle
Western Australian places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate
Burt Street, Fremantle
Commonwealth Heritage List places in Western Australia