The childhood home of former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke was today added to the Western Australian State Register of Heritage Places.
The 1920s red brick and tile house on Tate Street in West Leederville was home to Mr Hawke for 14 years, from the age of 10 until he left home as a young adult in his early 20s.
Records show the house was built in 1929 and had only three owners before the State Government purchased the three-bedroom residence last year to acknowledge its associations with Labor's longest serving Prime Minister.
The house is largely unchanged with many of its original internal features remaining intact, including Australiana themed stained-glass windows, timber joinery, rear sleepout, outhouse and outside laundry.
Internally the house retains distinctive features of the period, such as dark stained and varnished joinery to all the main rooms, original brass door plates and knobs, window latches and casement stays.
The house is also associated with long serving Western Australian politician Bert Hawke, who served as Premier from 1953 to 1959, inspiring and mentoring his nephew Bob towards a political career.
The home will be owned and maintained by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage on behalf of the Western Australian community and will remain under residential lease.
As stated by Heritage Minister David Templeman:
"Bob lived here with his parents during his formative years, while attending Perth Modern and the University of Western Australia. This unremarkable suburban house belonging to a lower middle-class family was home to one of the most powerful political leaders in Australia.
"The house is a rare residence and is one of only two registered places closely associated with an Australian Prime Minister, with strong links to Western Australia, reflecting an important chapter of our State and National social and political history.
"It is an impeccably intact, single storey brick and tile home of the Inter-War era; a period of great political, economic and social change between the post-war economic prosperity and the ensuing Great Depression.
"This house has had only one owner since Mr Hawke's parents sold the property in the 1980s, which has resulted in it being a well preserved cottage and a valuable addition to the State Register of Heritage Places."
As stated by Churchlands MLA Christine Tonkin:
"I was delighted to hear that Bob Hawke's former home will be preserved for future generations to admire.
"Recognising Bob Hawke's association with the West Leederville community in this way provides inspiration for a new generation.
"Bob Hawke came from a lower middle-class background to become a great Prime Minister. May many more young people follow Bob's path through the back streets of West Leedy and on to making their contribution to bettering our society and economy."
