Churchlands Police Stables
- Editor
- Feb 22
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 11
The area in and around the current Churchlands Green site was home to Police Horse Stables from 1953 to 1976.
PERTH'S FIRST POLICE STABLES
Perth's first Police Horse Stables were named the Waterside Stables and formed part of the Waterside Police Station & Barracks.
These stables began operation in the 1800s and were situated on the Swan River near where the Supreme Court of Western Australia stands today.
By the early 1900s, these Police Horse Stables moved to the main Central Police Station on Roe Street. By the early 1950s, the horses were moved out to Herdsman Parade (now Pearson Street) in Wembley (now Churchlands).
WEMBLEY POLICE STABLES
Before this move to Wembley (Churchlands), the Department of Agriculture's Heavy Horse Stables, located in Shenton Park, were relocated to the Wembley (Churchlands) site in 1938. These stables then became Police Stables from 1953 to 1976.
In 1946, Harry Street (Regimental Number 1190) and Charlie Jones (Regimental Number 1558), were the first police officers to be stationed at the Wembley (Churchlands) Stables. This was before the entire squad of mounted police horses were moved from the Roe Street stables in 1953.
Charlie Jones resided at the Wembley Stables and later became an Officer in Charge. Harry Street lived in Leederville and rode his horse to and from the Wembley Stables as part of his daily work commute.
The Wembley (Churchlands) Stables were located around the northern border of where Churchlands Green sits today. The stables would have also occupied the land where Abbey Brook Estate is currently located.
During World War 2 (1939-1945), there were additional stables built on Cromarty Road near where Churchlands Primary School exists today. These stables were built as a backup in the event that the Roe Street stables were bombed.
The 1950s still saw the current Churchlands Green site mapped out with a number of proposed lots. These lots were part of a subdivision of Herdsman Lake in the 1920s called the Soldier Settlement Scheme. These lots would have become redundant by the 1970s when the Churchlands Teachers College was opened.
A map of Herdsman Lake from 1952 shows where the main Police Stables were located, as well as the additional stables on Cromarty Road.
In contrast, the road network in and around Churchlands Green looks much different today.
The last officers to serve at the Churchlands Stables were:
Senior Sergeant Albert Hutchings
First Class Constable lan Calderwood
First Class Constable Graham Maddison
Police Constable Sydney Sinclaire
Police Constable Rodger Donnagen
Police Constable Michael Deephouse
Police Constable Ross Wilson
Police Constable Richard Kemp
Police Constable John Sterrett
ClOSURE & RELOCATION OF CHURCHLANDS STABLES
By 1972, the Churchlands Teachers College was established close to the Churchlands Police Stables. This, along with the planned re-routing of Pearson Street, was likely in initiating the closure (and relocation) of the Churchlands Stables in 1976.
After various negotiations, the Churchlands Police Stables were carefully pulled down in 1976 and rebuilt at Murdoch University. The plan was to use the stables as part of the School of Veterinary Science's Equine Treatment Facility. These stables are still used today by Murdoch University's School of Veterinary Medicine.
This relocation involved negotiations between the then Public Works Department and Murdoch University's Vice Chancellor, Professor Steven Griew. The historical importance of the stables combined with Murdoch University's need for a horse treatment facility, prompted contributions of labour by architects, builders, an engineer, and a carpenter.
These contributions brought the initial cost down from $25,000 to $10,000, making the relocation plan viable.
The mounted section of horses were moved from Churchlands to the Belmont Race Course temporarily, whilst they awaited the completion of the new stables in Maylands. The Maylands Stables were opened officially on the 19th of November 1976 by the Honourable Ray O'Connor.
Sadly, much of the old site of the Churchlands Police Stables (on Pearson Street) is now unused and desolate. Only a few small remnants of these stables remain, all of which are barely visible.
LIFE AFTER THE CHURCHLANDS STABLES
Following the closure and relocation of the Churchlands Stables, the area saw the development of several colleges and a primary school.
In 1965, Churchlands Primary School began within the college buildings that were initially an expansion of the Claremont Teachers College. Churchlands Primary relocated to its current site in 1972.
Also established in 1972 was the Churchlands Teachers College (1972-1980) which eventually became part of the the Western Australian College of Advanced Education or WACAE (1981-1990).
WACAE then changed its name to Edith Cowan University (1991-2008) in honour of Edith Dircksey Cowan - Australia's first woman to be elected to Parliament.
A staff member that worked at the Edith Cowan University Churchlands Campus, discussed the area towards the boundary of the campus and how it was previously home to sections of the WA Police, including the mounted horse and licensing division.
The staff member recalled that "during earthworks (of new university buildings), many old vehicle registration plates, horse shoes, and bottles were uncovered". This written recollection can be found on a plaque on one of several academic sculptures, located around Churchlands Green.
The Edith Cowan University Churchlands Campus was demolished in 2008 to make way for the Churchlands Green residential estate. Churchlands Green has a rich academic history, but one must not forget the significance of the Wembley (Churchlands) Police Stables. These stables form an important historical piece of Churchlands Green and the Western Australian Mounted Police Section.
The Western Australian Police Historical Society Museum is located at 57 Lincoln St, Highgate WA 6003. The museum is open on Tuesdays (9am-3pm) and Fridays (9am-3pm) and includes a comprehensive collection of WA Police photographs and artefacts. The editor would like to sincerely thank Carol Vernon and Don Hawkins from the Western Australian Police Historical Society Inc. for their assistance in compiling this article.
