Cockman House is the oldest surviving residence in the Wanneroo district, having been built by James Cockman in 1860. Having arrived in the Swan River Colony during its first year of European settlement, he settled with his wife Mary-Ann, and their seven children in Wanneroo in the early 1850s. This limestone walled five-room house, situated in a rural setting on the edge of Yellagonga regional Park, is furnished with items formerly owned by the Cockman family.
Family members owned and occupied the house until 1988 when it was purchased by the City of Wanneroo. The house was constructed from local materials - the limestone quarried nearby with some burnt for mortar, and the timber for doors, windows, floor boards and roof sawn in a nearby sawpit.
The house, which has undergone only slight changes over the years, is listed on the state Register of Heritage Places. Visitors appreciate the old dunny, shed, washhouse and well that remain at the rear of the house, together with grapevines believed to be over 100 years old.
