THE Voice has featured a fair bit about Mount Hawthorn’s ANZAC cottage in its pages over the years, but in June the cottage caretakers unearth the history behind the folk who built the house for a returning WWI soldier back in 1916.
The Mt Hawthorn Progress Association formed the idea amid a patriotic fervour as news came back of the disastrous landing at Gallipoli. They wanted to honour their fallen countrymen with something useful, and settled on building a cottage for a wounded soldier, Cuthbert John Porter.
“Mount Hawthorn is going to do something big,” the Westralian Worker reported in 1915. “It is going to erect a monument—a monument to the honor [sic] and glorious memory of those gallant and fearless representatives of Australia who brought imperishable renown to this young nation”.
While intentions were noble, nationalism and prejudice was also clear in the early association: along with its charitable efforts it encouraged white folk to buy from white folk. “Several housewives who thoughtlessly purchased their weekly cabbage from the heathen Chinese now give their patronage to one of their own race who has sons serving with the colors [sic],” reads an article from the day, unearthed in a history by Porter’s granddaughter Anne Chapple.
The histories include tales of moustachioed men like JH Beveridge (who donated the first £5 to kickstart fundraising for the cottage) and busy bee organiser Sid Gibson (who coordinated a huge labour force to build the cottage over just a couple of days).
Their stories will be told at the cottage at 38 Kalgoorlie Street Mt Hawthorn at 2.30pm on June 5, free entry and afternoon tea for a gold coin donation, and for more info get in touch with Ms Chapple on 0411 445 582 or chapan@highway1.com.au
by DAVID BELL
Perth Voice Interactive 
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