claude de bernales was a mining entrepreneur who in 1911 bought attorney-general richard pennefather's 1898 federation queen anne house, naming it "overton lodge". in 1936 it was rebuilt as a 30-room inter-war spanish mission style residence, designed by bernard evans. it was bought for £30,000 by the town of cottesloe in 1950 and renamed the "cottesloe war memorial town hall and civic centre".