Museums in Western Australia

Museums are repositories of historic artifacts which are gathered and retained for both pubic viewing and preservation. In general, the role of a Museum curator in to acquire items that are suitable for their charter by donation, purchase or a salvage operation. Items can be then categorized, catalogued, photographed, and be repaired or restored as necessary. On this page many of the museums have a distinctive subject matter on display

Albany

Within the Albany Historial Precinct is this building, The Residency. This was built in the 1850's as Commissariat for the convict hiring depot. It became the Government Residency in 1873. Since 1975, this has been part of the museum. (See Albany page for more photos) Photo - October 2014

Applecross

The old Heathcote Hospital site in Applecross. The tower seems to dominate the landscape. This building is now used as an art gallery and museum. Photo - May 2011

Ardross

This is the front of what is now the Wireless Hill Telecommunications Museum in Adross. This place was constructed in 1912 to provide wireless telegraphy between Australia and London. This building was originally the engine house for the complex, I assume to generate electricity. Photo - June 2013

Armadale

The Pioneer Heritage Village in Armadale is a large and living museum. The building pictured is part of the Village School - either a classroom or the school office. See the Armadale locality for many more pictures. Photo - January 2009

Bassendean

The Bassendean Railway Museum near Ashfield. Box B controlled the section of line between Cannington and Gosnells. In the foreground is the West Guildford station sign, the former name of Bassendean. Off to the left is an Australind carriage and to the right old passenger carriages and a guards van. See Bassendean Train Museum locality for many more pictures. Photo - September 2012

Beverley

The Beverley 'Dead Finish' Museum on the Great Southern Highway was built in 1872. The old G.P.O. postman's pushbike propped up out the front add a touch of history. Photo - September 2010

Beverley

This Beverley Machinery Museum is located a couple of hundred metres south of town on the road to Brookton. The railway crossing signals make this place hard to miss. Photo - June 2013

Bindoon

At Bindoon, slightly south of town and behind the old Roads Board Building, is the Mechanical Museum. Inside are old machines of all sorts on display. Photo - August 2011

Boyanup

The Boyanup Transport and Rural Museum. The museum collects, repairs and displays old railway rolling stock and other transport items. The museum was closed for quite a while but re-opened again in November 2012. Photo - February 2011

Boyup Brook

On Jayes Road in Boyup Brook is an extensive museum running across 2-3 buildings and surrounding yards. Pictured is just one section of the museum. This looks like an old school classroom. Photo - April 2012

Brookton

Brookton. Down towards the south end of town is this old police station which has been turned into a museum. Photo - November 2011

Brookton

This part of Brookton is known as Tamleroy (N. L. and Y. M. Gill) and is a sort of yesteryear memorial park with historic exhibitions. Photographed is one shed showing beer kegs on horse wagons. Another shed features a Clydesdale horse and more wagons loaded with bales of wool. Photo - November 2011

Broomehill

This building was originally constructed as a hall in 1898 and was used by the Roads Board. It later became the Mechanics Institute. It was consecrated as a Presbyterian Church in 1929. From 1979 the Broomehill Museum has occupied the premises. Photo - December 2016

Bruce Rock

On Johnson Street in Bruce Rock is this museum. You can see the verandah of the hotel further down the road which adds a bit of perspective. This building was formerly a bank. Photo - June 2013

Carnamah

This building was originally the Don Tearooms and opened in 1926. Over the ensuing decades a number of businesses operated here. In 1992, following the closure of the T.A.B., this became the Carnamah Museum. Photo - September 2014

Claremont

In Claremont, just a little down Victoria Avenue from Stirling Highway is this old building housing the Claremont Museum. Victoria Avenue is a leafy-green street which leads on down to Dalkeith and eventually turns into Jutland Parade. Photo - December 2010

Claremont

There are a number of buildings in the Claremont Museum and this is another. Today is Sunday and it's not open so I can't report what's in there. It's open 12 noon - 4.00pm Monday to Friday and you're invited to "Pick a few herbs and enjoy the aroma". Photo - December 2010

Collie

In Collie, on the west end of Throssel street is this tiny but impressive Museum. There are a number of other museum buildings to the rear of this. This was the local Road Board office in the early 1900's. Photo - March 2014

Coorow

On the corner of Main Street and the highway is what is now the Coorow Museum. This is a building of substance. It wraps around the corner and continues on up Main Street. This would have probably been an important store in the old days. Photo - September 2014

Corrigin

In Corrigin, this is a look into the museum compound. All sorts or agricultural implements are on display, along with this red telephone box and an old school classroom. Photo - June 2013

Cranbrook

Adjacent to the railway station and across the road from the hotel is the museum sitting in a well-manicured garden. The museum is open by appointment only. If you want to look inside, the telephone number to call is on the sign on the gate. Photo - October 2014

Cunderdin

Cunderdin Pumping Station Museum. This is the old Number 3 Steam Pumping Station for the goldfields water supply scheme, built in 1901-1902. The Museum is one of town's main attractions and hosts various displays including transport of by-gone eras. Photo - June 2011

Fremantle

In the Fremantle Port area, if you walk to the west end of the southern berths you'll come across this building which houses the new Maritime Museum. Photo - 2007

Fremantle

Behind the Maritime Museum is this submarine up there in dry-dock. It is part of the museum display. The vessel is the HMAS Ovens, an Oberon submarine class. It was commissioned in 1969 and served until 1997. It was acquired by the museum in 1998. The Museum offers tours of the interior. Photo - 2007

Fremantle

The Motor Museum was in the B wharf shed at the Fremantle Port. The museum was owned by Mr Peter Briggs. This is no longer there as the Fremantle Port Authority terminated the building lease at the end of March 2008. Photo - 2007

Fremantle

The Maritime Museum Shipwreck Galleries contains a well presented display of West Australian ship wrecks. This is the former Commissariat Buildings constructed in 1852 and variously modified across the next few decades. At one time the building also served as a customs house and bonded store. Photo - December 2014

Goomalling

Here is the Goomalling Museum and in it, pictured, is the original Konnongorring school. The school closed in Konnongorring in 1973 and the buildings moved here about 5 years later. Photo - October 2011

Greenough

This former two-storey house and adjacent Maley's grain mill is now the Pioneer Museum which was established in 1966. Construction commenced in 1862. This is in South Greenough. Photo - September 2014

Guildford

On James Street in Guildford is this 1926 building which is now a Museum of Natural History. I feel sure that in the past this may have been a funeral director's parlour or was it a Slavonic Hall or similar? Photo - April 2013

Jarrahdale

G. Pardlo Garage and Machinery Museum at the western end of the Serpentine townsite. Lots of old steam rollers and tractors etc in here. Photo - January 2009

Jarrahdale

The Old Post Office Museum on Jarrahdale Road in the central Jarrahdale townsite. This building used to be the town's post office and bank. Photo - April 2011

Kalamunda

At the top of Haynes Road in Kalamunda is this Historic Village. Their display includes the old post office, a school room, a garage and much more. Plinthed right next to the old Kalamunda railway station is steam locomotive G118. You can see a section of the old Post Office to the right. Photo - September 2012

Katanning

Here is the premises of the Katanning Historical Society. The Society was formed in 1937. This was originally the Katanning school and was built in 1899. It is located on Richardson Street. Photo - April 2015

Kellerberrin

This is now known as the Kellerberrin Historical Society District Museum. The building was constructed as the town's Agricultural Hall in 1898. It was used as a courthouse between 1937 and 1967. Some of the exhibits are next door in Pioneer park, Photo - June 2011

Koorda

This is the Koorda Motor Museum and Military Collection. I'm pretty sure this is on the south end of Allenby Street, across the road from the Primary School. Photo - April 2012

Mandurah

Here is the Australian Sailing Museum in Mandurah. It's located at the north of Mandjar Bay, near the Arts Centre & theatre. Photo - September 2012

Meckering

Meckering has a substantial display of the damage caused in the earthquake of October 14th, 1968. This is an example of a building which was destroyed. Photo - June 2011

Mingenew

On the corner of Irwin and Victoria Street sits what is now the Mingenew Historical Museum. This was erected in 1894 as a school house. At one time it housed the Youth Club (1965 to 1978) and after that the Repertory Club for a while. Photo - September 2014

Mount Barker

This is the Plantagenet Historical Society, Police Station Museum. This Old Police Station was built by convicts in 1868. Behind here are old stables. Adjacent is a police cottage. Photo - October 2014

Mundaring

In Mundaring, on the north side of the Great Eastern Highway, is the old school. These days this is the home of the Mundaring Tourist Association and also the Mundaring District Museum. Photo - May 2011

Northam

This is a view track-side of the old Northam station. This is looking down the platform. A few old railcars have been preserved which you can go into plus PMR721 steam locomotive. Many rooms are open in the station, which serves as a district museum, not just solely devoted to railways. Photo - October 2012

Northcliffe

All three buildings of the Northcliffe museum, left to right: the Cottage, the School room, the Post Office; pictured together from across the street. This is also the Visitor Centre. The museum project commenced in 1974. It was opened in 1977. Photo - October 2014

Perth

On James Street east. This is the front of the old section of the Perth Museum, the Jubilee Building, which was completed in 1899. The entrance we used to go into in the 1960's was on Beaufort street. Photo - January 2013

Perth

The glass-fronted part is an addition to the Perth Museum which now forms the entrance and also serves as the link between the original Museum on the right and its expansion into the old Library on the left. Photo - January 2013

Perth

Looking at the Perth Museum from the west. This was the original library building. It's now been annexed by the W.A. Museum. Photo - January 2013

Pingelly

This old building seems to be undated and doesn't display any history. It is currently occupied by the Pingelly District Museum and was opened at such on 12th October 1979. Photo - November 2011

Pinjarra

Edenvale is a large historic compound located near where the highway crosses the Murray River at the northern end of town. Included in the display is the old school, headmaster's house, the old butchers shop and homestead. This is the The Roy May Museum which is housed in two buildings. This one is full of restored bits of machinery. The building next door houses restored motor vehicles and tractors. Photo - August 2011

Rottnest

This is the Museum on Kitson Street only about 2-3 minutes walk from the Shopping Mall. This was built in 1858 as the island's forge and grain crushing mill. Over the years, it has also been used as a hay store, the hostel staff quarters, a hairdressing salon, and as a billiards room. Photo - January 2009

Southern Cross

This is the Yilgarn History Museum which opened in 1979. This building complex was erected in 1892 as the town's courthouse and mining registrar's office. Over the years the building fell into considerable disrepair and was eventually condemned. In 1976 local people rallied to have the building saved. They were successful. It was vested in the Shire of Yilgarn and renovated. Photo - March 2015

Subiaco

Next door to the library and recessed a bit back from Rokeby Road is this Subiaco Museum. Sunlight filters through the trees then reflects off the tin roof. This building was constructed in 1911 and originally used as the Board of Health, later Subiaco Municipal Electric Light Supply and was even as an electricity sub-station from 1923 to 1975. Photo - June 2012

Toodyay

The Old Gaol on Clinton Street in Toodyay. This building was constructed in the 1870's and now houses a museum. Photo - October 2013

Toodyay

The old Police Stables on Clinton Street in Toodyay. This is across the road from the old Gaol. The stables were built circa 1870 and were restored in 1876. Inside the building probably looks pretty much how it did when it was used as a stable. It is now part of the Gaol museum. Photo - October 2013

Wongan Hills

This building houses the Wongan-Ballidu Museum. The building was originally constructed as the town's hospital. The Government of the day in (1930's and prior) rejected the town's plea for a hospital on the grounds that there was one in Dalwallinu. Dr Stenning was instrumental in raising funds to have this built independently of Government. Photo - October 2011

Welshpool

This brick building in Welshpool is home to the W.A. Museum's Collection and Research Centre. The building was bought by the W.A. Government in 2003 and was named Joobaitch House  in 2004. It is located on Kew Street, corner of Orrong Road. Photo - October 2012

Whiteman Park

One of the big attractions at Whiteman Park is the motor museum. Today, outside, they are featuring this wonderful 'FE' model Holden sedan from the late 1950's. Photo - December 2010

Whiteman Park

Another Whiteman Park attraction is the tractor museum. Here are a couple of old yellow former work-horses. Just across the road is an ancient front-end loader, ore trucks, and a mine towering pit head. Photo - December 2010

Wyalkatchem

Adjacent to the Wyalkatchem railway precinct is the CBH Agricultural Museum, founded in 1981, and housed mostly in a 1930's wheat bin. This is the main entrance. Photo - April 2012

Yelbeni

Adjacent to the rail reserve is the Yelbeni Centenary Museum which seems to specialise in old farming implements. Photo - April 2012

York

On Avon Terrace in York, near the Post Office and Courthouse, is the famed York Motor Museum. Photo - January 2013

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