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Point Peron K Battery
Point Peron, also known as Cape Peron, was home to the K Battery during the World War 2 between January 1943 to December 1944.
In close proximity to Garden Island's Collie Secondary Battery, it was equipped with two mobile 155mm guns, as well as two 18-pounder guns. The latter being removed once the Collie Secondary Battery became operational.
The Commonwealth of Australia purchased 175 hectare of Cape Peron from the Western Australian State Government in 1916 to form part of the Henderson Naval Base. Whilst construction had already begun in 1913, the plans were never carried out.
During the mid 1930s, the Australian Government upgraded the protection of major ports along the coast along Western Australia from enemy attack. The Fremantle Port was a priority and this saw a number of small batteries being created or upgraded to form what was known as the Fremantle Fortress. This consisted of batteries at Buckland Hill, Swanbourne, North Mole, Arthur Head, South Beach, Point Peron, Garden Island and Rottnest Island.
Two Panama mount gun emplacements were built at Point Peron as well as an observation point on elevated ground, a concealed operations centre, two 90cm searchlights and barracks for battery personal.
After the threat of attack on Fremantle had passed in December 1944, the guns were removed from Point Peron and personel transferred to other batteries. Point Peron's 155mm guns were stored at the Australian Field Ordnance Depot in Bushmead before being disposed off in the 1960s when Australia's coastal defence system was dismantled.
Contrary to Popular Belief (or Knowledge)...
What we know to be Gun Emplacement No.1, due to the majority, if not all publications and information sources, as the dilapidated gun is actually GUN EMPLACEMENT NO.2
There were two Battery Operations Posts. The one that most people have seen on top of the hill near the carpark was known as Battery Observation Post K Battery L Section. The second BOP is north-east of the first one and was located where the cottages were (both foundations have recently been unearthed and cleaned up). This second BOP was known as Close Defence Battery Observation Post K Battery H Section.
