Duffy House: EOIs sought by City of Joondalup for commercial operator at historical Woodvale home

The City of Joondalup’s oldest surviving building could be Perth’s next historical tourism destination, with expressions of interest sought for a commercial operator at Duffy House. The city has undertaken work on the historic Woodvale home, built between 1911 and 1913, to renovate the building, which has been abandoned since 2009. Works have included installing security fencing, power, water, communication supplies, roof replacement, structural repairs, new window installation, flooring repairs, and internal painting. Construction of a carpark, single access road and a path connecting Hocking Road to Duffy House has also been completed. The city is now calling on a commercial operator to revitalise the historical area. Joondalup deputy mayor Adrian Hill said it was an exciting opportunity to create a unique attraction that would draw tourists to Yellagonga Regional Park, often referred to as the ‘Kings Park of the North’. “Duffy House is one of our last surviving links to pastoral land use in the Wanneroo and Joondalup area,” he said. “Any development for future use would need to consider activities important to the community, preservation of cultural, heritage and environmental values, and potential revenue to help support site management. “The community has told us they would like to see more happen with this important site. Our role is now to explore all options in a responsible way that preserves the rich history and heritage values of Duffy House.” The Duffy family were early Wanneroo settlers, who built the limestone cottage with brick corner detailing and corrugated iron roof adjacent to Beenyup Swamp. While Duffy House was occupied continuously for several decades before being left abandoned in 2009, The West Australian Planning Commission acquired it in 2015. In 2018, the city revealed it would manage the site and undertake restoration work with financial support in the form of a grant from the WAPC. The Duffy House site is designated as parks and recreation area under the Metropolitan Region Scheme, the WA planning framework used in the Perth metropolitan area. Any application for development approval under the MRS will be determined by the WAPC, with the city providing a recommendation on the application. The EOI period runs until 2pm Monday, October 14. Interested parties can access the EOI documents and make a submission through the city’s e-procurement portal at tenderlink.com/joondalup.