View the historic frontage from the Curtin Avenue footpath near Warton Street, outside number 53. The campus is not a public walk-through route.
WA's first permanent school for Deaf children began in 1896 and moved into this purpose-built Cottesloe building four years later. Clarence Wilkinson designed it in the Federation Arts and Crafts style, with red brick, contrasting rendered bands, prominent gables and broad timber verandahs. Its position near the railway provided access, while the coast reflected contemporary ideas about fresh air and health.
Many students came from regional and remote WA and lived here as boarders, sometimes far from their families. Generations of Deaf children met here, formed lifelong relationships and helped build a shared community. The school relocated to Mosman Park in the early 2000s, and the Cottesloe building is now on the State Register of Heritage Places.
The site is entering another chapter. New owners are developing plans for aged care and seniors living, with a Heritage Agreement protecting the significant buildings. Current arrangements also provide for the WA Foundation for Deaf Children to return to the site - continuing a connection with the Deaf community that has shaped this place for more than a century.
Enjoy the architecture from Curtin Avenue and treat the buildings and grounds as private unless current arrangements invite you in.
School of Special Educational Needs: Sensory - History