Cockman House

Cockman House is the oldest surviving residence in Wanneroo, Western Australia, located on Wanneroo Road. Built around 1860 by pioneer James Cockman using wattle-and-daub construction, it is a rare example of early colonial vernacular architecture. Managed by the City of Wanneroo as a heritage house museum, it preserves original structures, period furnishings and gardens, offering insight into 19th-century settler life in the Wanneroo district.

Visitors can expect a small heritage house museum set in gardens on Wanneroo Road. The site includes the original wattle-and-daub cottage with extensions, period-furnished rooms, outbuildings and interpretive displays about early settler life. Volunteer guides provide tours explaining construction methods, family history and domestic artefacts. The surrounding grounds include lawns, mature trees and picnic areas. Access is primarily during Sunday opening hours or by group appointment.

Built c.1858-1860 by James Cockman (1801-1854 family, completed by his sons), Cockman House is the oldest extant residence in the Wanneroo district and a rare surviving example of wattle-and-daub construction in Western Australia. It demonstrates early colonial settlement, vernacular building techniques using local materials, and the development of the Wanneroo agricultural community. Listed on the State Register of Heritage Places.

The house preserves and interprets 19th-century pioneer domestic life in Wanneroo, maintained as a community museum by the City of Wanneroo and volunteers. It serves as an educational resource for local history and early settler heritage, with period furnishings, artefacts and gardens reflecting colonial lifestyle.