Bassendean Historical Society in Bassendean, Western Australia, Australia | Community organisation

Bassendean Historical Society

Locality: Bassendean, Western Australia, Australia

Phone: +61 418 919 167

Address: 1 Surrey St 6054 Bassendean, WA, Australia

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25.01.2022 Thanks to Mike Smith for sharing this article from 2011 on the centenary of the Bassendean Volunteer Fire Brigade.

24.01.2022 Alice street - located in the Bassendean industrial estate, Thought to be named after the wife of Gerald Joseph Charles, ALICE Kathleen Charles, Alice died at the age of 94 in 1985. Gerald Charles was in a real estate partnership with Messers Duffy and Learmonth (Charles Learmonth Duffy) Anstey Road - located down near the river running off North Road, Named after the Hon. Harry Anstey who along with eight other prominent Perth men purchased location Q1 from William Tanner. I...n 1897 he purchased location Q (Kew) and renamed it Bindaring Park ANZAC Terrace - located north of the railway line running from the river to Grey Street in Bayswater, this street was originally named Railway Avenue until changing to ANZAC Terrace in 1922 in honour of the landing at Gallipoli Ashfield Parade - located along the river in Ashfield running between French Street and Moojebing Street, Named after a district in western Nottinghamshire, England Atkins Way - located in Eden Hill running between Chedworth Way and May Road, Named after Percy ATKINS who served as a Chairman on the West Guildford Road Board in 1908-1909. Mr Atkins was a civil servant and died in 1920, his wife Francis died in 1970, the Atkins family home was at 28 ANZAC Terrace Atlantic Bend - located at the Railway end of Ida Street, Named after a type of Train

22.01.2022 Something lighthearted shared by the Museum of Perth. If you are checking out their page, they are creating a digital archive of the COVID-19 experience in WA. Please consider contributing to help people in the future understand what the experience was like from the firsthand perspective of those experiencing it.

20.01.2022 Not quite Bassendean history, but related...did you know there is a Pensioner Guard Cottage in Kojonup? Slightly bigger than the one on Surrey St, it is well worth a visit if you are in the area. The very helpful staff at Kojonup Visitor Centre can arrange a guided tour.

20.01.2022 Its Perth Royal Show time! Did you know the first cattle show of what is now the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia was held at the Cleikum Inn in West Guildford (now Bassendean)? This ad appeared in the Perth Gazette on 25 October 1834. More information on the Cleikum Inn can be found on this site: http://fremantlestuff.info/hotels/cleikum.html

20.01.2022 Have you ever wondered on the origin of your street name? Bassendean street names that had the suffix North (Hamilton St North etc) were changed to Avenues in the 1930's to avoid confusion created by the separation of Bassendean by the Fremantle to Guildford Railway Many of the streets in Eden Hill are named after places in Oxfordshire, England along with other family names associated with the Padbury family, both Walter and William Padbury... Many streets in Ashfield relate to places and events associated with WW1, including military men and battle names Over the coming weeks we will be listing all the Bassendean street names in Alphabetical order, starting tomorrow

20.01.2022 Todays Trove List McDonald Family https://trove.nla.gov.au/list?id=104093 Mr Richard Alexander McDonald came to Western Australia from Ireland in 1885. After... joining the Second Kitchener Fighting Scouts he returned to Western Australia in 1902 where he stayed until 1909 when he went to New Zealand until 1911. He worked at the West Australian Government Railways in Midland and was elected to the Road Board in 1915. He enlisted in the v1 Field Company of Engineers and went to Egypt then was transferred to France. He was wounded in 1918 and invalided home. He was elected to the Road Board in 1922 and has served for twenty five years during seventeen of which he was Chairman of the Bassendean Road Board. He was involved with the conversion of Hays Swamp to the B.I.C. Reserve and Head Warden for the Bassendean District A.R.P. He retired from Government Service in 1945 and in 1946 was appointed Deputy Chairman of the W.A. Fire Brigade Board. Richard was the foundation president of the Swan Districts National Football Club in 1934. He was President of the Bassendean Horticultural Society and a patron and life member of the Bassendean Bowling Club. He was a life member of the Bassendean Volunteer Fire Brigade. Richard married Ethel May Walsh at St. Matthews in Guildford on 16th May 1906. Ethel served in the Australian Red Cross for twenty five years. Ethel died in 1948 aged 62. Richard died in 1967 aged 82 and is commemorated with the R.A. McDonald Stand at the Bassendean Oval. See more

19.01.2022 Two of the founding members of the Bassendean Historical Society, Jennie & Bevan Carter, recently featured on 6PR Suburban Focus, talking about Bassendean. If you missed it, you can listen in with this link https://www.6pr.com.au/podcast/suburban-focus-bassendean/

19.01.2022 This advertisement/map from Peet & Co. from 1915 was designed to encourage people to "select homesites in this most progressive suburb" The area was bounded by ...Penzance Street, Broadway, Angwin Street (Railway Parade and Collier Road) and included lot numbers with boundary measurements, terms of sale and locality plan. The estate was immediately opposite the West Guildford Station entrance and offered popular terms 2 deposit & 20/- monthly. The land was apparently particularly suitable for dairying, poultry & pig farming. Photo courtesy of the State Library of Western Australia. See more

18.01.2022 Yep, all the places that matter. Where else would you want to be except in one of these three? (Federal Bus Service 1932. parked outside what is now Mustang Bar)

17.01.2022 Todays Trove List Pickering Park and Pickering Family https://trove.nla.gov.au/list?id=103541 Information about the Pickering Family in Bassendean. Mr John Pi...ckering was born in Victoria and came to Western Australia in 1894. He trained as a chemist and came to West Guildford in 1906. He was elected to a seat on the Road Board in 1913 which he held until 1929 and served three time as Chairman. Mr and Mrs Pickering had married in Victoria and celebrated 67 years of marriage. They had four children, six grandchildren and six great- grandchildren. Mrs Jane Ann Pickering (nee Waites) died in 1955 aged ninety. Mr Pickering died in 1957 aged eighty eight. The family lived in Barton Parade. Pickering Park commemorates the family and was opened by Hon. J. Scaddan in December 1913. See more

17.01.2022 Community spirit has always been a feature of living in Bassendean...here's an example from over 70 years ago, taken from The West Australian, p.8, 14 Jan 1947. See original article at Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/46255392

17.01.2022 One of the members of this page shared this wonderful postcard from his mothers collection, sent around 1905. Thanks Alan!

17.01.2022 Baltic Court - Located alongside the railway at the end of Ida Street, Named after a type of Train Barton Parade - located near the river between Watson and Deakin Streets, named after Sir Edmund Barton who served as Australia's first Prime Minister Bassendean Parade - located near the river as a continuation of North Road from Bindaring Park, named after Peter Broun's ancestral estate ... Berry Court - located near Ashfield running off Reid Street, named after Henry Joseph Berry who served as a member of the West Guildford Roads Board from 1919-1921. Mr Berry was a supporter of temperance and led a meeting of protest when the licensee of the Stirling Arms Hotel in Guildford made an application to transfer to West Guildford in 1918 Henry's son Noel served as a member of the Bassendean Shire Council from 1962-1973 Best Street - located near Ashfield running off Iveson Place, named after the Best family. Bert Best (Son of James Best) became a well known Bassendean identity and long serving employee, rising to Foreman of the Bassendean Road Board Blackthorn Road - located in Eden Hill running between Northmoor Road and Littlemore Way, named after the village Blackthorn in Oxfordshir, England

17.01.2022 Check out this amazing exhibition by the Museum of Perth on the life, diaries and artwork of Reg Walters, a WW1 soldier who lived in Bassendean for a short time. https://www.artistatwar.com/

17.01.2022 Community spirit has always been a feature of living in Bassendean...heres an example from over 70 years ago, taken from The West Australian, p.8, 14 Jan 1947. See original article at Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/46255392

16.01.2022 We are busy preparing our upcoming exhibition about the Guildford to Bassendean swim. Here are two of our amazing volunteers putting together items for the exhibit.

16.01.2022 Broun Way - located down near the river at Sandy Beach Reserve, running off Villiers Street East, named after The Honourable Peter Nicholas Broun, the colonies first Colonial Secretary a post he held for 18 years, the Brouns arrived in 1829 on board the Parmelia. The Henry brothers Stoke Farm (location S) was sold to Peter Broun and renamed Bassendean after his family's ancestral estate. Peter Broun died in 1846 and is buried in the East Perth Cemetery, his wife Caroline died... back in the UK in 1881 Burford Street - located in Eden Hill near Jubilee Reserve, running between Padbury Way and Iolanthe Street, named after Joseph Thomas Davies who was Chairman of Directors at W H Burford & Sons Ltd which sold soaps and perfumes. Mr Davies was a member of West Guildford Road Board from 1907-1911 and was the MLA for Guildford from 1917-1924, Mr Davies died in 1954 aged 75 Calnon Street - located near the river at Point Reserve, running between Surrey Street and Garnsworthy Place, named after Mr Arthur Joseph Calnon who was a Bassendean Shire Councillor from 1957-1969, Mr Calnon died in 1972 aged 67 Carman Way - located in the Northern side of the railway, running between Iolanthe and Ida Streets, named after the Carman family which settled in Bassendean c. 1906 Carnegie Road - located near the river near Bindaring Park, running between Hyland Street and Anstey Road, named after Edith Euphemia Carnegie, wife of The Honourable Harry Anstey Centenary Court - located near the Broadway Arboretum at the end of Scadden Street, named in honour of the centenary of the municipality

15.01.2022 Today's Trove List Pickering Park and Pickering Family https://trove.nla.gov.au/list?id=103541 Information about the Pickering Family in Bassendean. Mr John Pi...ckering was born in Victoria and came to Western Australia in 1894. He trained as a chemist and came to West Guildford in 1906. He was elected to a seat on the Road Board in 1913 which he held until 1929 and served three time as Chairman. Mr and Mrs Pickering had married in Victoria and celebrated 67 years of marriage. They had four children, six grandchildren and six great- grandchildren. Mrs Jane Ann Pickering (nee Waites) died in 1955 aged ninety. Mr Pickering died in 1957 aged eighty eight. The family lived in Barton Parade. Pickering Park commemorates the family and was opened by Hon. J. Scaddan in December 1913. See more

13.01.2022 This wonderful artwork, by local artist Carol Seidel, features houses of different eras in the . Our old buildings are a tangible link to the past and contribute to making this a desirable area to live in. Carol captures this sentiment beautifully in her commentary on each of her illustrations. Tomorrow is the last day to pop in to the Visual Art Awards display in the Town of Bassendean Community Hall to see this work up close.

10.01.2022 Many residents of the Town of Bassendean worked in the Midland Railway Workshops. For anyone interested in learning more about the history of this area and the fight to preserve its heritage, the presentation by Dr Bobbie Oliver on 4th March is a must. https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/a-natural-battleground-with

09.01.2022 Todays Tuesday Treasure is of Bassendean Railway Station, c1947 The station opened on 2 May 1910 and was initially named West Guildford. Renamed Bassendean in ...1922 and the station was manned from 1910-1977. The Bassendean Railway Station was 7 rail miles (11 kms) north east of Perth on the Fremantle-Guildford line. The current railway station was remade in 2003 and the official opening of the new Bassendean Railway Station and the re-opening of Old Perth Road occurred on 24 July 2004. Images scanned from "A history of Bassendean" by Alf T. Thomas. See more

09.01.2022 One of the members of this page shared this wonderful postcard from his mother's collection, sent around 1905. Thanks Alan!

09.01.2022 Look at this! There is another amazing postcard in the comments with a view of the Guildford-Bassendean bridge.

08.01.2022 It's Perth Royal Show time! Did you know the first cattle show of what is now the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia was held at the Cleikum Inn in West Guildford (now Bassendean)? This ad appeared in the Perth Gazette on 25 October 1834. More information on the Cleikum Inn can be found on this site: http://fremantlestuff.info/hotels/cleikum.html

08.01.2022 An interesting article on the handling of influenza pandemic in West Guildford just over 100 years ago! Note the forerunner to today's ventilators. Featured in The Swan Express, 20 June 1919, sourced from Trove.

07.01.2022 The wonderful staff at Bassendean Memorial Library have shared this information on the Bassendean War Memorial and links to information on Bassendean residents who served in early armed conflicts. http://library.bassendean.wa.gov.au/news/anzac-day/469

07.01.2022 Did anyone else see this on the weekend? Where have our councillors gone? Two & a half months later and still no information !!!

06.01.2022 The State Library of Western Australia has a wonderful collection of photos accessible online, including this one of the Santa Rosa Winery & Distillery, once located in Bassendean. Take some time to explore their collection and see what treasures you can find!

04.01.2022 How’s this for an idea for this coming Christmas? This happened in 1941...no doing things by halves!! Source: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204791609

04.01.2022 Today's Tuesday Treasure is of Bassendean Railway Station, c1947 The station opened on 2 May 1910 and was initially named West Guildford. Renamed Bassendean in ...1922 and the station was manned from 1910-1977. The Bassendean Railway Station was 7 rail miles (11 kms) north east of Perth on the Fremantle-Guildford line. The current railway station was remade in 2003 and the official opening of the new Bassendean Railway Station and the re-opening of Old Perth Road occurred on 24 July 2004. Images scanned from "A history of Bassendean" by Alf T. Thomas. See more

03.01.2022 Another wonderful postcard shared by a member of this page. This one is taken from on the bridge between Guildford (buildings on the left) and Bassendean (Point Reserve on the right), date unknown. Swan Guildford Historical Society Inc - SGHS

03.01.2022 Blockley Way - located near the North West boundary of Bassendean running off Culworth Road, Named after the Blockley family, John senior and his wife Margaret Ellen Griffiths emigrated to Australia and lived in Ivanhoe Street, West Guildford from 1913-1923. John junior married Susan Glover in 1934 and lived in Bassendean, he was a general manager of the State Electoral Commission, they moved to Kalgoorlie in 1937 for his work, when they returned to Bassendean Mrs Blockley we...nt on to become the Vice President of the Bassendean Lawn Tennis Club in 1949. Mr Blockley died in 1987 aged 79 and Mrs Blockley died in 1986 aged 82 Bradshaw Street - located in Eden Hill running between Esther and Lord Streets, Named after long serving Bassendean Primary School Principal Mr Jack Bradshaw, he was Principal from 1954 - 1967 Birdsong Street - located on the Perth side of Bassendean as a continuation of Shackleton Street from the roundabout on Kenny Street to West Road, Named after an early West Guildford resident Mr William Granville Bridson who was born in 1859 and died aged 63 in 1922, his wife Agnes Crawford Bridson was born in 1866 and died aged 78 in 1944 Briggs Street - located near Bassendean oval running between Old Perth Road and Devon Road, Named after Thomas James Briggs who bought and subdivided Town lots 118-121 in 1903. Mr Briggs was a Town of Claremont councillor 1899-1899, 1901-1902, 1903-1907 and Mayor 1907-1909 Broadway - located North of the Bassendean train station running between Ivanhoe and Grey Streets, Named for the width of the road, made so carriages could turn without being unhitched

03.01.2022 Did you know that there are 12 individual State-heritage listed places in the Town of Bassendean? How many have you seen up close?

03.01.2022 This wonderful photo of the Bassendean Croquet Club, possibly taken in the 1940s, was shared by Val Malcolm. Val's grandparents Ernest and Lily Smith lived at 110 Second Ave, Bassendean for many years. The Club was located on B.I.C. Reserve. For more info, see this Trove list prepared by staff at the Bassendean Memorial Library. https://trove.nla.gov.au/list/103773

03.01.2022 It may surprise you to learn Bassendean has a building connected to a very resilient cult from the Ancient Near East. And you won't believe how it got there. Or...iginally worshipped alongside various Canaanite gods, one group eventually came to believe Yahweh was the highest (or even only) god worth bothering with. Although these people looked endangered at various points (e.g. almost lost to history in the 6th century BCE when the Babylonians invaded) they kept going, and were doing alright by the 1st century, even if under Roman occupation. The story gets complicated in 70AD after the Romans destroy the temple in Jerusulem, but basically the Yahweh worshippers split into two: one set of traditionalists and one trendy new group who believe their god had a son. In a stunning plot twist, the same Romans who hated both sects eventually decide the new religion was the one for them. Just before their empire fell apart. Anyway, the god-had-a-son mob kept going, and by the 13th century had invented new ways of making stunningly tall windows in buildings where they like to gather on Sundays. Although these windows fell out of fashion for a while, they were revived in the 19th century. In another plot twist, the descendents of the people who believed god had a son decided to relocate half way round the world and start a colony in the west of Australia. They brought with them a revival of 13th century architectural ideas of a 4th century Roman-reorganised religion, based on a 1st century schism, based on a much earlier group of Canaanites who had separated from their neighbours by believing in only one god. Keeping up? Good. Well, in 1915 Sydney Paulett of Bassendean (then called West Guildford) used Gothic Revival designs for St Mark's. There had been a small wooden 'mission church' in Bassendean since 1909 but the angry weather gods blew it over, meaning a new one had to be made. Due to budget constraints, only a brick chancel was originally completed, with Paulett's window in pride of place, and the nave was made of timber. In 1937, Herbert Parry came along and completed the place in brick, bringing us up-to-date. Even today you can visit this odd remnant of an ancient cult, and we very much recommend you do. And then have a pint in the Basso afterwards while you contemplate how unlikely it was for St Mark's to have ever come into being in the first place.

02.01.2022 This delightful studio portrait taken in 1913 features baby Hugh Chapman Bird and his mother Emma Beatrice Bird who lived in West Guildford (now known as Bassen...dean). Hugh is wearing a white christening gown that was sent from England for the occasion, this gown is also housed in the Society's collection. See more

02.01.2022 The Barracks Arch will be open for guided tours as part of Open House Perth this 16th and 17th November. Historical information will be on display exhibiting the various stages and occupants the building has had since its opening in 1866. To book, go to https://openhouseperth.com/destinations/barracks-arch/

01.01.2022 The grain harvest has started in the Wheatbelt...did you know Bassendean used to have grain silos? They were damaged in a willy-willy in September 1945 and caused a moth problem in Ashfield in 1944! https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/8042985 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/4453321

01.01.2022 Today's Trove List McDonald Family https://trove.nla.gov.au/list?id=104093 Mr Richard Alexander McDonald came to Western Australia from Ireland in 1885. After... joining the Second Kitchener Fighting Scouts he returned to Western Australia in 1902 where he stayed until 1909 when he went to New Zealand until 1911. He worked at the West Australian Government Railways in Midland and was elected to the Road Board in 1915. He enlisted in the v1 Field Company of Engineers and went to Egypt then was transferred to France. He was wounded in 1918 and invalided home. He was elected to the Road Board in 1922 and has served for twenty five years during seventeen of which he was Chairman of the Bassendean Road Board. He was involved with the conversion of Hays' Swamp to the B.I.C. Reserve and Head Warden for the Bassendean District A.R.P. He retired from Government Service in 1945 and in 1946 was appointed Deputy Chairman of the W.A. Fire Brigade Board. Richard was the foundation president of the Swan Districts National Football Club in 1934. He was President of the Bassendean Horticultural Society and a patron and life member of the Bassendean Bowling Club. He was a life member of the Bassendean Volunteer Fire Brigade. Richard married Ethel May Walsh at St. Matthews in Guildford on 16th May 1906. Ethel served in the Australian Red Cross for twenty five years. Ethel died in 1948 aged 62. Richard died in 1967 aged 82 and is commemorated with the R.A. McDonald Stand at the Bassendean Oval. See more

01.01.2022 Join us this Sunday for a guided history walk commemorating 100 years of the RSL in Bassendean. Our lovely volunteers will be serving morning tea from 10am, before the walk starts at 10.30am. The Pensioner Guard Cottage will also be open to look through, if you haven't (or have!) been before.

01.01.2022 Archaeologist Shane Burke spoke about the colonial history of Bassendean on the ABC Afternoons program last Friday. It starts about 44:30 minutes in and runs for almost 10 minutes! Well worth a listen. https://www.abc.net.au//wa-afternoo/wa-afternoons/11752788

01.01.2022 We all know council elections are coming up...this snippet from 2 Jan 1914 shows that not much has really changed in what Bassendean residents wants in over 105 years!