The Manor House on Bishop Riley Way, Churchlands
- Editor
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Tucked within the Floreat Lakes estate, the large manor-style residence on Bishop Riley Way has long stood out as one of the most distinctive and talked-about homes in Churchlands.
This property's scale, architectural style, and prominent lake-front position have made it a local point of curiosity since it was build in 2000.
While much of Churchlands is defined by consistent residential design and planned streetscapes, this property differs noticeably from its surroundings, giving rise to speculation, stories, and long-standing local interest.
Manor House – At a glance
Address: 11 Bishop Riley Way, Churchlands
Estate: Floreat Lakes
Land area: approx. 3,270 m²
Purchase of land: June 1998 for $700,000
House built in 2000
A distinctive presence within Floreat Lakes
Built in red face brick and set behind high boundary walls and decorative wrought-iron gates, the manor stands out immediately within the Floreat Lakes estate. While most nearby homes follow typical late-1990s suburban designs, this property clearly draws inspiration from older, more formal European-style residences.
The house has a strong sense of balance, with matching bay windows, paired gables, and a central section featuring recessed balconies and tower-like elements. Steep tiled roofs, prominent chimneys, and small dormer windows give it a solid, almost estate-like appearance rather than that of a conventional family home.
Architecturally, the manor blends several influences rather than following a single style. Multi-pane windows and bay forms suggest Edwardian or Federation-era inspiration, while arched details, balconies, and ironwork introduce Mediterranean or Spanish Colonial touches.
Combined with its large 3,270 m² lot and lakeside position, the house reads less as a typical residence and more as a visual landmark within the estate.
Ownership speculation
Over the years, local discussion has frequently linked the manor to businessman Terry Jackson, who passed away in July 2025. Jackson is best known for founding the Kreepy Krauly pool cleaner and held an extensive property portfolio in Western Australia.
Jackson is also known to have had a direct role in the development of the Floreat Lakes estate through one of his companies, and his name is firmly connected to the placement of the prominent statue in the lake nearby.
While there seems no public record definitively confirming that Jackson personally commissioned or owned the manor house, the connection has persisted in local accounts and online discussions, largely due to the property’s timing, scale, and location within the estate.
A subject of community fascination
The manor has long attracted local curiosity, particularly online. A widely shared Reddit discussion highlights just how much interest the property has generated among local residents over the years.
Several commenters claimed personal or second-hand connections to the house during its construction in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including one individual who said they worked on the build. Others repeated long-standing local beliefs that the house was commissioned by the developer of the Floreat Lakes estate, or possibly by the businessman behind the Kreepy Krauly pool cleaner – a connection that continues to surface in community discussion despite the absence of public confirmation.
Much of the fascination centres on the house’s size, privacy, and apparent lack of day-to-day visibility. Commenters described rarely seeing anyone at the property, leading to jokes about it being “haunted” or seldom occupied. One frequently repeated claim suggests the house may include a third level that was presented as an attic in order to comply with planning restrictions, though this remains unverified and based purely on local speculation.
Taken together, the comments reflect less a single clear story and more the way the house has embedded itself into local folklore. Through a mix of genuine recollections, rumours, and humour, the manor has become one of those rare private residences that forms part of the suburb’s shared memory – noticed, discussed, and quietly mythologised over time.
An enduring local landmark
More than two decades after its construction, the manor house continues to attract attention from passers-by and residents alike. Whether viewed as an architectural curiosity, a symbol of the Floreat Lakes development era, or simply an imposing private home, it remains one of the most recognisable individual properties in Churchlands.
In a suburb shaped by layered history - from early Church ownership to large-scale redevelopment - the manor stands as a reminder that even modern residential estates can generate their own myths, landmarks, and stories over time.
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