The Story of the Stirk Family in Kalamunda
The Shared Story of Stirk Cottage is the story of the Stirk family. Frederick and Elizabeth Stirk with their baby emigrated from England in 1875, came to Kalamunda in 1881 and started to build this Cottage for their growing family. There is a booklet telling the story of their lives and the cottage.
Stirk Cottage is the first heritage listed building in Kalamunda.
Frederick and Elizabeth Stirk with their baby daughter, emigrated from Yorkshire England in 1875. In 1881 they began to build this cottage in Kalamunda with their own labour and simple tools.
The family, with four children, were the first, and only, residents in the area for some time. The living room and kitchen with a large fireplace, are an impressive example of “wattle and daub” construction, with all the materials found on their property, now Stirk Park.
The underside of the roof is a fine example of axe cut sheoak shingles and the two bedroom walls are of handmade mud bricks.
By 1898 Frederick and Elizabeth lived in this four room cottage with their nine children, before deciding to build another larger property across the stream in Lindsay Street.
All the rooms are furnished with household articles of the era. Guided tours of the Cottage and the Stirk History will be given during the Australian Heritage Festival.