Innaloo's homes
From swamp to suburb
Innaloo began as market gardens around the drained Njookenbooroo Swamp. By the 1920s only ten houses had been built. Building picked up during World War II and the suburb was essentially complete by 1970.
Timber-framed houses
Most of its single detached homes are timber-framed and date from around World War II, with some duplexes and newer units among them.
Now mostly duplexes and villas
At the 2021 Census, 61.6% of homes were semi-detached, townhouses or villas, 31.2% separate houses and 7.1% flats. 39.6% were rented and only 10.4% had four or more bedrooms.
Network: Western Power
Report outages and fallen lines in Innaloo to Western Power, 13 13 51. Shocks and tingles get reported to it too, however small.
Old wiring in a timber house
In a house from the war years, the original cabling may have been replaced, partly replaced or never touched. Warning signs worth mentioning when you book: fuses you rewire, power points that are loose or scorched, a burning smell you can't trace, and lights that flicker when an appliance starts.
In a timber-framed house the wiring runs through wall cavities and the roof, so a rewire is usually done in sections, with the power off while anyone's in the roof space. WorkSafe WA's code says the electrics, and any solar, must be de-energised before work up there.
If you smell burning or see sparks and can't find the source, turn off the main switch if it's safe to reach and call 000 if there's any sign of fire.
Duplexes and rentals
Where a timber house has been kept and units built behind it, the old house is often the one with the old board. If you rent either one out, WA requires at least two safety switches protecting all lighting and power circuits, and mains-connected smoke alarms no more than 10 years old.
Tenants who find the landlord won't act on safety switches can go to Building and Energy with their written request, the lease and a photo of the switchboard.
If it were our Innaloo house
We'd have an electrician who rewires older homes look at the cabling before anything cosmetic happens, like new ceilings or paint. If it needs doing, it's far less disruptive before the renovation than after it, and in a timber-framed house, sound wiring matters.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.