Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre in Bunbury, Western Australia | Community museum

Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre

Locality: Bunbury, Western Australia

Phone: +61 8 9792 7284

Address: 1 Arthur Street 6230 Bunbury, WA, Australia

Website: http://www.bunburymuseum.com.au/

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• Arts and entertainment
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25.01.2022 John Horatio Carr's Chemist and Dentistry was located on the corner of Wellington and Victoria Streets (opposite the Rose Hotel and the WA Bank now known as the Hands building). The shop was erected for Carr in 1904 and designed by local architect F W Steere. The firm, according to the Sunday Times 1909, was first established in 1894 and held a large range of extensive stock as well as photographic equipment. The dental surgery was espoused to be one of the best outside of the metropolis, with the latest in dentistry appliances; considering that only five years earlier anyone could practice dentistry in Australia prior to government regulations being introduced, this must have been much appreciated news Photo: Courtesy of the State Library of Western Australia. Bunbury Museum and Heritage Collection.

25.01.2022 Meet the museum's new curator Jenny Scott. Jenny has spent the past ten years working across cultural institutions in Boorloo (Perth), including the Wanneroo Regional Museum, Heathcote Cultural Precinct, Wireless Hill Museum and the Art Gallery of WA, and is the current Vice President of the Australian Museums & Galleries WA Branch. Having recently relocated to Bunbury on Wardarndi Boodja, she is looking forward to exploring the history and heritage of the region.

24.01.2022 Bullock teams were essential to the progress of Western Australia. These beasts of burden are standing in front of the Narrogin Trading Company in Victoria Street c1920s. These animals were used to move through tough terrain; they could walk through the sandy ground and although slower than horses they were easier to guide through thick bush. Photo: Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre Collection

24.01.2022 The Baudin map is on display!

24.01.2022 July school holidays are nearly here! Programs and activities will look different these school holidays due to the impacts of COVID-19.... Check out what City of Bunbury facilities are offering to help keep the kids entertained. City of Bunbury Public Libraries Enjoy fun and interactive activities from the comfort of your own home with online workshops with authors and illustrators plus fun DIY take-home packs. For more information visit https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/city-of-bunbury-libraries-1 Bunbury Regional Art Gallery Bunbury Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) will reopen its doors on Monday 29 June, resuming its regular hours of 10am to 4pm Monday to Sunday. The annual Noongar Country Exhibition will open on Friday 3 July. The exhibition showcases work from established and emerging indigenous artists living and working on Noongar country and it will include the work of children from the South West region. Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre The Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre is now open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 2pm. You can also get zen at home these school holidays by creating your own zentangles. Follow the link to find the printable instructions and templates http://www.bunburymuseum.com.au//School-holidays-July-2020 Skateboarding WA Skateboarding WA workshops are back with free events being held on the following dates at the Bunbury skatepark: Sunday 5 July at 10am to 12pm Friday 10 July at 3pm to 5pm Saturday 25 July at 3pm to 5pm (Best Trick Jam) Registrations are essential with limited places available at www.skateboardingwa.com.au

24.01.2022 Yoga at the Museum is back in December with a new 7am summer start time! Join our amazing instructor Alison on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a yoga session suitable for all levels. Only $15 a session, bookings essential through Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/yoga-at-the-museum-tickets-

23.01.2022 Remember the suit of armour that stood in the Rose Hotel's lobby? Now the suit is on display at the Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre! Dedicated efforts by locals to find the knight of the Rose culminated in his discovery, neglected and forlorn, in Margaret River. A push to bring the knight back home to Bunbury spearheaded by Memories of Bunbury founder, Megan Lawless and local identity Tom Dillon, resulted in the Piacentini family stepping in to purchase and restore the suit of armour for the Bunbury community to once again enjoy Kindly on loan courtesy of the Piacentini family of Bunbury. Photo: Megan Lawless,left and Colin Piacentini, right.

22.01.2022 Today marks 75 years since the allied forces celebrated the end of World War II. On 14 August 1945 Japan accepted the terms of surrender, the following day Australia celebrated the Victory in the Pacific. World War II raged for six years throughout Europe and the Pacific, and is the only time Australia has come under direct attack. Nearly one million men and women served in the Australian military with 39,000 losing their lives. Over the six years 30,000 Australians were taken prisoner, with two thirds of those prisoners taken in the first weeks of the Japanese advance into south-east Asia. Above is an image from the parade through Bunbury celebrating the end of the war.

21.01.2022 This morning we climbed the Maidens to reach the lookout and view this mysterious monument. Does anyone know the origins of this monument at the Maidens lookout? There is a reference to the Masonic movement and the New World Infrastructure Commission, but who put it there remains a mystery. If you know we would love to hear about it.

20.01.2022 The two stylish women pictured, simply named Brenda and Pearl, pose for a photo while attending the Bunbury races in the 1920s. This photo came out of the Mowday and Murray family album located in our donor collection. Do you have any photos of Bunbury that we can include in our digital collection? Photo: Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre collection

20.01.2022 Electrical engineers, Splatt, Wall & Co commenced business in 1895, the Bunbury electrical plant was opened in 1902 by Mayor Newton Moore. Located where the Council Gardens are now, the plant was a conspicuous sight with its long black chimney spewing out smoke. It was noisy too and at strategic times a piercing whistle could be heard across the town. Not surprisingly the plant, was eventually moved by the 1930s. Pictured is an interior of the plant

20.01.2022 Plenty of fabulous things to do in Bunbury this weekend!

19.01.2022 Have you ever wanted to learn French? Drop in to the Museum this Saturday for a free taster event with Anaïs!

19.01.2022 This year’s NAIDOC Week theme Always Was, Always Will Be recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for more than 65,...000 years. We would like to thank Wardandi local Cassie Jetta for her beautiful interpretation of this year’s theme and allowing us to share her words: ----- Kaya I always was and always will be resilient, I always was and always will be love. I will always rise each morning to see the new day, The new colours that bless us from above. They always was and will be teachers, Of a people whose spirit is forever strong, Guiding us and leading the way, Taking us by the hand, Grandmother sing me your songs. We always was and will always be blessed, With connection to each other and to our land, From the deserts, forests and red dirt, To the mountains and the ocean sands. Always was and always will be walking with respect and pride, For who we are and where we come from, Is nothing to hide. Always was and always will be, Remembering our past, Moving forward together, To heal, to learn, to last. This year has brought us closer, to our loved ones to cherish you see, To teach us that what matters most in our lives, Always was and always will be. ----- The City of Bunbury acknowledges the traditional owners of the land, the Wardandi Noongar people, and pays respect to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge and respect the continuing culture and contribution made to the life of our City. The City will be lighting up Koombana Footbridge for NAIDOC Week in celebration.

19.01.2022 Street car racing was a much loved event in Bunbury. This image of cars lining up in Victoria Street, Bunbury was taken around 1938. The photo is from the donor album of Malcolm Piggott. Photo: Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre collection

19.01.2022 Phil Smith (pictured) came into the museum today to donate his collection of baby bottles, including some that were dug up when Queens Gardens in Bunbury was excavated in 1985. Amongst the collection are glass bottles that range in date from the late 1800s to mid-20th century. The most sinister of the bottles is somewhat benignly named the Alexandria. This bottle worked with a long tube that extended from the top that allowed the baby to basically feed itself. The tube however provided a breeding ground for bacteria and caused numerous infant deaths, dubbed the murder or killer bottle the product was finally banned from production in 1910.

18.01.2022 History of Policing in Bunbury exhibition now on. Exhibition at Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre 1 Arthur St Bunbury. Opened 10am - 4pm Tues - Sun. Bring the family along. Free admission. #fb @bunburymuseum This update came from the Bunbury Police on Twitter

18.01.2022 This great photo of two construction workers on the beams of the Bunbury powerhouse was kindly donated to our collection by Cathy Voak, whose father Lionel Alfred Sommer took a series of images while he was working on the site. The Bunbury powerhouse began construction in 1953 and was decommissioned in 2000 Photo: Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre Collection.

17.01.2022 Today is #RemembranceDay - a time to remember those who died or suffered for Australia's cause in all wars and armed conflicts. Pictured are the first men to leave Bunbury for the First World War, an image taken on 17 August 1914. This photograph is now stored in the collections of the State Library of Western Australia. #WeRememberThem

17.01.2022 Evelyn Joyce Smith emigrated from Birmingham to Australia aged 11. Moving to Bunbury as a young woman, she met her husband, a waterside worker, with whom she had twelve children. The family lived alongside the Leschenault Inlet, a location which was to bring Evelyn both grief and joy. One of her sons, two-year-old Bertram Joseph, drowned in the murky waters after wandering away from the house in October 1929. In 1969, Evelyn began to feed a population of dolphins in the Lesch...enault Inlet with fish. For the next six years these dolphins visited three times a day to be fed by Evelyn and here she found solace once more. Keen to share her passion for these beautiful and fascinating creatures, Evelyn attempted to engage the wider community with the dolphin interactions but neither the government, nor local businesses had any interest. It wasnt until 1989, fifteen years after Evelyn passed away, that a dolphin specialist was hired by the newly formed Bunbury Dolphin Trust to continue her tradition. It was the formative work of this group which later developed into the Dolphin Discovery Centre we know today. See more

16.01.2022 A little birdy told us that the Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre was starting up Sunday workshops again beginning in September. Keep an eye on Facebook and Eventbrite. Tickets essential for all participants due to COVID-19 precautions.

15.01.2022 Watch this for further information on our new addition.

14.01.2022 Join our experienced instructor Alison for yoga at the museum from 7.30am every Tuesday and Thursday morning in November! Bookings essential through Eventbrite.

14.01.2022 Kaya all, here's some ideas to celebrate #NAIDOCweek2020 in #BunburyWA on Wardandi Noongar Boodja: Get your free tickets to the Community Movie Night at BREC tonight! Book a tour with Ngalang Wongi Aboriginal Cultural Tours Make a purchase from an Aboriginal owned business or arts centre, or the first online AIATSIS Indigenous Art Market Collect some books by First Nations writers from the Bunbury City & Regional Library... Learn & practice some words in our local Noongar language ('boodja' means 'Country') Include Traditional place names when you send things through Australia Post You can pick up your copy of the National NAIDOC colouring in sheet (pictured) at the Museum - and comment your other suggestions & ideas below #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #AboriginalLand #WardandiBoodja See more

14.01.2022 This fossil was donated to the museum today. It was discovered off the Back Beach way back in the 1980s but it is much older than that! The fossil dates from the Pleistocene era, meaning it could possibly be between 2.6 million years to about 11,700 years old. The specimen is a Turbo Torquatis Sea Snail

14.01.2022 The Bunbury Museum will be temporarily closed on November 27 from 1pm. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience.

14.01.2022 Many thanks to the Piacentini family for the loan of the knight of the Rose suit of armour! Photo from left to right: Helen Harris, Colin and Anne Piacentini (and of course the Knight of the Rose)

13.01.2022 In August 1911 a childrens fancy dress ball was held at the Lyric Theatre on Victoria Street to raise money for the Now, Then Smith Fund and the Childrens Hospital Fund. According to the Bunbury Herald 19 August 1911, 378 boys and girls were dressed in fancy and evening costumes. They reported, The usual sombre interior of the theatre had been transformed into a veritable fairy land, and the gaily decked and happy inhabitants held absolute sway in what was for the time their own territory (Bunbury Herald 1911 p.1). An impressive total of 19 Pounds was collected at the doors. Photo: Courtesy of the State Library of Western Australia.

12.01.2022 The baby photo submissions are starting to arrive! This week Michael Joseph Warren visited us with a gorgeous Restella Studio portrait of himself from the 1940s Get involved and send through your #BunburyBub snaps from all eras to be featured in our upcoming exhibition 'When We Were Small'!

11.01.2022 When Beigels Brewery opened in August of 1905 on the White Road (now Austral Parade) over 200 people assembled and gathered around a long table in the bottling department on which a cold luncheon was served. The Mayor, Mr C. E Spencer, proposed a royal toast asking those present to drink to the success of Beigels Ltd. He espoused that the company had spared no endeavour to give the public benefits from the production of a pure liquor from an up-to-date brewery! Acknowledgement: Southern Times, Thursday 31st of August 1905. Photo: Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre collection.

11.01.2022 Can you guess the name of the museum's fox? Why not come in and visit him at the museum this school holidays!

10.01.2022 Leschenault local Ken Hitchcock visited the Museum recently and shared the fascinating story of his ancestors, who provided convict John Boyle O’Reilly with supplies while he was hiding in the Bunbury scrub before his famous escape from the colony. Ken is pictured here with a replica convict uniform, remembering his own family’s (almost) criminal past. Join us at our free lecture on Bunbury's convict experience this Sunday - bookings through Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/free-lecture-the-bunbury-co

10.01.2022 Who remembers learning to read from the Dick and Dora books? These fabulous posters are a part of the Museum's collection that will be included in a coming exhibition. To become a part of this exhibition send us your baby photos.

10.01.2022 We are so happy to see some of the wonderful images from our collection being used in such an innovative way! Well done to the Parade Hotel for thinking of this, just fantastic!

09.01.2022 Here is a family having a great time on the Back Beach c1920s. this photo came from one of our donors, Marilyn Humphreys. Can anyone tell us what the buildings in the background were? Photo: Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre collection.

09.01.2022 A new Marjorie Ridley basket has been received from a donor in Tasmania. The Marjorie Ridley collection has national significance. Marjorie Ridleys use of natural bush dyes and plant matter to create her baskets are evidence of Australian bush craft using vernacular materials. The National Gallery of Australia further explain her work, 'Marjorie Ridley was born in Western Australia in 1898. She learned basketry from Joan Heath in the 1930s. Heath had been making baskets with... local materials on Flinders Island, and when her family moved to Western Australia she and Ridley became friends. The Blind School in Mount Lawley did dye tests on the Guildford grass that Ridley cut and dried herself. She then began to work with colour. She advised the State Government on the use of local grass when supplies of imported fibres were scarce during World War II. She also taught basketry through the Red Cross to their workers at the Edward Miller Rehabilitation Home for Servicemen. After the war Ridley moved from Perth to the coast at Australind. She produced baskets, woven mats and jardinières; many are decorated with Australiana touches. In 1984 the Crafts Council of Perth held an exhibition of her work (accessed on 1/09/2019 http://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/artists/8834/ ).' See more

08.01.2022 Turkey Point was a popular holiday spot from the early 1900s to the 1950s. It was a vacation resort with timber and iron holiday bungalows, tennis courts, tearooms and other fun leisure activities available. Pictured in front of the main manager's house is the Valdemar that was skippered by Ray Lyons, whose job was transporting customers to and fro from the inlet. There were other boats as well such as the Eagle, Ollie, Nautilus , York and Etta who traversed between the estuary and Turkey Point Photo: Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre collection.

07.01.2022 Senior Constable Neale Horsley of the Western Australian Police Force, Bunbury branch came in to the museum today to set up a crime stoppers information display. He was met by three junior constables who gladly demonstrated the handcuffs. Come in to the museum to take a look at this valuable information and view our current exhibition, Policing Bunbury.

05.01.2022 Thank you to everyone who has submitted their baby photos so far - including local history legend Ray Repacholi (pictured) who visited us yesterday There's still plenty of time to send us your #BunburyBub snaps from all eras for our upcoming exhibition 'When We Were Small'!

04.01.2022 We're feeling very calm after our yoga class this morning - thanks to the South Western Times for the shout out! You can join our amazing instructor Alison on the mat at 7.30am Tuesday and Thursday next week - bookings are essential through Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/yoga-at-the-bunbury-museum-

04.01.2022 Ninety-four years ago, during July of 1926, Glen Iris, Australind, Leschenault, a portion of Picton, Dardanup and South Bunbury flooded. The floods largely affected poultry farmers and potato farmers, such as the Meade family (pictured is their family home very close to inundation). The Bunbury Herald and Blackwood Express reported, The poultry farms were flooded, the fowls having to remain on their perches while the paddocks of the Johnston Bros could not be seen (Bunbury Herald and Blackwood Express July 13, 1926 p.3). Lucky Spot the family dog was nice and dry! Acknowledgments to the donors Geoff Venables and the Meade family. Photo: Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre Collection.

04.01.2022 The Narrogin Trading company was established c1899 with branches in Narrogin, Bunbury and Williams. They sold a vast array of goods that included cars and farm machinery, as well as acting as insurance agents. The business was founded by Walter Henry Kaeshagen who astoundingly walked from South Australia to Coolgardie when he was just sixteen years old in 1894. This photo is taken in front of the Bunbury branch c1920s. Photo: Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre collection.

03.01.2022 Le Charabanc is here in Bunbury! Kevin and Ruth Bird have recreated the past to add that little bit of luxury to your next event. Sip champagne while you sit back and enjoy the trip. The old photo in the picture was one of early buses run by Hendersons of Bunbury but we are sure it wouldn't have been as opulent! Black and white photograph courtesy Graeme Gugeri The Bus Preservation Society of WA.

03.01.2022 You're invited to attend the Bunbury Respect Inc AGM at the Museum next Monday afternoon - come along to learn more!

03.01.2022 The Bunbury Ocean Beach Bathing Pavilion was opened during February of 1940. A 1939 report from the Sunday Times describes the building as imposing from every angle that it is viewed (Sunday Times 1939 p.3). Built on solid Basalt rock the building was positioned on the sands in front of the Indian Ocean, the pavilion was constructed using reinforced concrete in a continuous pour method. The position of the Pavilion on the beach was purposefully arrived at due to safety fac...tors, allowing patrons to walk to the change rooms and shops without having to cross Ocean Drive. The interior entry of the building comprised of two concreted stairways, with one leading down to the ground floor and the other set of stairs leading to the floor above. The first floor foyer was the entrance to the cabaret; also entered through a set of stairs on the southern end of the building. A large space of 17ft 29ft the room had large plate glass observation windows looking out over the Indian Ocean. The walls were constructed of sand plaster, while the well ceiling was a latticed design. The Cabaret area was used for many different events including dances. The attached kitchen (25ft 13ft) had a large nickel stove, white tiles and many cupboards. There were also half doors used for serving bays (Sunday Times 1939 p.3). On the way through the foyer was a caretakers room underneath the tower and beyond that at the northern end of the building was the open air tea gardens (47ft 38ft) where refreshments were served under beach umbrellas. The tearooms expanded the whole way around the building with 180 degree views of the beach that were finished with iron railings. Moving back into the foyer and descending down the stairs that led to the lower floor on the Western Side was the beachfront. If looking at the buildings west side from the beach a large portico and cantilever verandah coupled together to act as the support for the promenade above. Photo: Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre collection. See more

01.01.2022 This photo is of the Shaw brothers of Bunbury. Records show that at least some of these brave brothers not only fought in the Boer War in South Africa but also enlisted for WWI. Attached is a letter from Hugh Thomas Shaw that was published on February 10 1900 in the Bunbury Herald. The letter describes the conditions in South Africa at the time of the Boer War. Photo: Bunbury Museum and Heritage Collection. Rear: Donald Coll and Septimus Loughlan Front: David John, Hugh Thomas and Michael Find the letter on Trove: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/87020765

01.01.2022 Today we're celebrating Choose Kindness Day! Drop in to collect a card of kindness and spread the good vibes