The Friends of ANZAC Cottage Inc is dedicated to preserving and sharing the remarkable story of ANZAC Cottage.

Just days from the cottage’s 104th anniversary, the Friends of ANZAC Cottage Inc made the difficult decision to step away from its community engagement role, amid ongoing tensions between the group and cottage lessor the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia, Western Australian Branch (VVAA WA)

This means the Friends of ANZAC Cottage Inc will no longer conduct community engagements for the historical house, including monthly open days, wartime commemorations and educational visits for schools and social groups.

ANZAC Cottage was built by the local community in one day on February 12, 1916 as the first memorial in WA to those who served at Gallipoli, and as a home for returned wounded soldier Private Cuthbert Porter and his family. His descendants are still actively involved in the Friends of ANZAC Cottage Inc.

“Community spirit has always been the cornerstone of ANZAC Cottage and we are disheartened that a breakdown in the relationship between the VVAA WA and Friends of ANZAC Cottage Inc means our community engagement work will now draw to a close, pending a resolution of the issues,” Friends of ANZAC Cottage Inc president Peter Ramsay said.  

We, the undersigned, petition the City of Vincent to facilitate the return of Friends of ANZAC Cottage Inc to the Cottage in order to resume its insightful, in depth public programmes, community engagement role and commemorative services at the Cottage unencumbered and free from harassment and interference from any other body.