The Riverbank Detention Centre, located on the banks of the Swan River in Caversham, is a former youth detention facility with a secure walled compound containing a single storey building designed around a quadrangle. The Detention Centre exhibits some elements of the Post War International architectural style.
In November 2019, SCA completed a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) for the Detention Centre to provide a framework for the conservation of the place’s significant values and fabric.
The most famous resident of the Centre was Bon Scott who served nine months in 1963 and later became an iconic Australian musician in the band, AC/DC.
The Centre continued to be used for juvenile offenders until 1997, where it was closed and offenders were relocated to the new Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre facility.
In 1998, Riverbank was reopened for use as a facility for vulnerable male adults. The centre was again closed in c2001.
In 2010 the place reopened as a Community Work Management Unit, following a program of refurbishment carried out by adult offenders on work orders. The facility provided adult and young
offenders rehabilitation programs to develop new skills and gain vocational accreditations.
SCA are pleased to have assisted with identification of future reuse options for the significant site.
