An Interview with Ray, One of Hocking’s Longest Standing Residents

In a suburb where most homes were built after the late 1990s, it’s rare to find someone who has watched Hocking grow from open paddocks into the vibrant, family friendly community it is today. But Ray of Dell Way, Hocking, has. He purchased his home back in 1988, long before Hocking became an official suburb of Perth’s north and decades before the new estates, schools, and parks arrived.

Today, his home stands as one of the earliest in the area and Ray himself having lived in his home for 37 years is one of the longest known residents of Hocking.

When Ray First Arrived

When Ray moved here, Hocking was almost unrecognizable compared to the suburb we know now.
There were pockets of farmland, bushland, and only a handful of houses scattered across large blocks. Amery Park was a market garden, streets were quiet, there were no shopping centres around the corner, and Wanneroo itself was still seen as “out on the edge of Perth.”

What would later become Hocking was still officially part of Wanneroo until 1994. Ray lived through the moment the suburb was named after Herbert Hocking, a local pioneer and the first chairman of the Wanneroo Road Board. From that point on, development slowly started to take shape, and Ray watched the transformation happen street by street.

Watching Hocking Grow

Across the 1990s and early 2000s, Hocking experienced a wave of growth. New homes replaced open land, families began moving in, playgrounds and parks were created and the suburb took on a fresh identity. Over time, the once quiet rural edges became the well planned community that buyers now love with schools, shops, clubs, and easy access to Wanneroo Road and the Mitchell Freeway.

For someone who moved in when Hocking barely existed on the map, that change has been enormous.

What his home is worth now

Many people move home several times in their life, but not Ray. Ray bought his land for $27,100 back in 1988 and now the 4 Bed, 2 bath home is worth $1,000,000.

Even as the suburb has grown, he still feels the community spirit that first made the area special. Neighbours know each other, families stay for the long term, and it still has that peaceful “northern suburbs” feel while being close to everything you need.

A Window Into Hocking’s Past and Future

Ray’s story gives us something rare, a real, lived in history of a young suburb that has transformed dramatically in just a few decades. His memories are the bridge between the early days of bushland and the modern suburb that today attracts families, upgraders, and young buyers alike.

With a strong community, parks, playgrounds, schools, and family focused streets, Hocking has become one of Wanneroo’s most appealing pockets. And people like Ray are part of the reason it still has so much heart.

We want to thank Ray for speaking with us and sharing his story with special guest Maddie the dog!