Rockingham Things to Do

The Rockingham Hotel was formerly called the Port Hotel. It was built by James Bell Jnr in 1886 when Rockingham was a major port. Patron’s horses were tethered under the floor of the bar which was entered by climbing a long flight of stairs. The building at the time was single storied but over time a number of additions have been added including a second floor.

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The Z Force were formed as a combined Army, Navy, Air Force British and Australian force during World War II. They were trained on Garden Island. They were a secret force which were responsible for entering Singapore Harbour in small submarines and successfully blowing up quite a number of Japanese ships. During the war, they were responsible for killing over 1700 Japanese and lost only 112 British and Australian lives. Eventually they were captured in Singapore at the end of the war.

Surrounded the Memorial are 2 conclaves rows of pillars. The memorial is to all Australians of all Wars ever fought for their country. Again another plaque says “This is Hallowed Ground. Let Silent Contemplation Be Your Tribute. Lest We Forget”

The Rockingham War Memorial is set in Flinders Memorial Park. The actual Memorial is a granite stone which is supposed to be in the shape of a tear drop. The inscription on the stone says “Lest We Forget”. ‘ In memory of the men and women of the Rockingham District who at the call of duty gave their lives for their country’

The old police station site is now the St John Ambulance Assocation. The original station was built just prior to 1900 with the cells facing the road. After 1960 it was used as a district headquarters of the St John Ambulance Assn until it was demolished and replaced by the existing building in 1976.

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The Founders Memorial is actually a clock which sits at the intersection of Railway Terrace and Kent Street, although the clock part is small. It was erected in 1979 as a memorial commemoration to the area’s early settlers and pioneers. I was designed by a school teacher (Darryl Jane) from Rockingham Senior High School and was sculpted by his students.

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Flight of the Wild Geese is a 6 metre high sculpture was unveiled on the 9 September 2005 to commemorate the escape of six Irish prisoners from Fremantle prison in 1876. It serves as a remind of a daring escape aboard the vessel ‘Catalpa’ which was anchored offshore at Rockingham. The recent landmark sits in Catalpa Park as a reminder of the Irish contribution to Australia. On the top of the memorial are six geese taking flight. The creators of the sculpture were Charlie Smith and Joan Walsh Smith.

The Art Gallery and Craft Centre is made up of local arts and crafts as well as a gift shop and you can find their exhibitions on both the ground floor and first floor of the new Rockingham Council Buildings. A craft market is held every third Sunday of the month in the plaza outside.

Open: Mon - Fri: 10 am to 4 pm Open weekends when there are major exhibitions on display.