South West Stories in Bunbury, Western Australia | History Museum

South West Stories

Locality: Bunbury, Western Australia

Phone: +61 8 9721 1489

Address: 98 Victoria Street 6230 Bunbury, WA, Australia

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

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24.01.2022 Its On! Open Studios is back, taking place from the 12th to the 27th Sept in Margaret River! Get up close and personal with over 100 artists, including incredible woodwork artist, Ian Thwaites. Pick up a free event guide at any Jackson Drawing Supplies Store or South West Visitor Centre.

24.01.2022 Jarrah forest near Karridale, 1912. This image was included in a collection of glass plate negatives acquired by Dr James Skyes Battye. It was published on page 7 of the Western Mail, 20 July 1912. State Library of Western Australia (013735PD)

21.01.2022 The Isaacs Family Sam Isaacs Snr, was an American whaler who arrived in the Busselton area around the mid 1830s. After a liaison with an Aboriginal woman a son was born in 1845. The mother died in childbirth and the baby, Sam, was passed to Anne Dawson who had herself given birth to a son, Elijah, on 30 August of that year. Anne suckled both boys, who grew up together on the Dawsons property Westbrook. Sam became a well-mannered youngster who spoke English in the formal wa...Continue reading

21.01.2022 Doris Arthur, Julie Arthur and Emma Holben Three generations of Rosa Brook Women Moving to the region in 1928 as part of the 2nd group settlement, Doris family settled in Osmington as part of Group 84. After marrying Bon Arthur in 1949, the couple settled in Rosa Brook. An active member of the community, Doris is still a member of the Rosa Brook CWA and various sporting clubs, and at the age of 91 she shows no sign of slowing down!... Julie is the youngest of Doris and Bons children and has lived the majority of her life at Rosa Brook, raising her own children and working on the family farm once her parents retired to Margaret River. Always involved in local sporting clubs, Julie has also been a key member of the Rosa Brook Hall Committee, involved in organizing local dances and fundraising nights. Julies daughter Emma was also raised on the family farm, enjoying the freedom of life as a farm kid, with various pet animals running around and lot of family and friends on neighbouring farms. When she thinks back Emma says, I remember that when I was about 10 years old I started resenting the fact that I lived so far out of town. But over the next few years I grew to appreciate how great our small community is, and the experiences I had growing up out there definitely shaped the person I am today. Doris, Julie and Emmas farm is located on Arthur Road, which is named after the family. A page from the 9 Miles by Stephen Blakeney Wide Open Road Publishing, 2015 CWA Rosa Glen & Witchcliffe Shire of Augusta Margaret River Rosa Brook, Western Australia Margaret River Bookshop

20.01.2022 Peter and David Moorfoot Father and Son ""I came to Rosa Brook in 1979. My wife Lyn and I sought a lifestyle more in tune with nature and environmentally sustainable. We bought a bush block that wasnt even fully fenced on Bessell Road.... Rosa Brook then was still a very traditional farming area, and our venture seemed quite unusual to the locals. We built our own house from local ironstone, and most of the original timber and tin was recycled from two old group houses we demolished. When we first moved in we had no power or running water. Our three children grew up on the property enjoying the space and freedom a rural property offers, and gaining a deep connectedness to nature. We have remained committed to our original goals, and continue to run various livestock and grow organic produce. Milling fallen trees is a way of seeing these beautiful native timbers are given the most valuable use." A page from the 9 Miles by Stephen Blakeney Wide Open Road Publishing, 2015 Shire of Augusta Margaret River Margaret River Bookshop Rosa Brook, Western Australia

20.01.2022 Tulips are blooming now at Nannup. The Nannup Flower and Garden Festival officially runs from August 13th to September 20th. Heres some photos from my quick ...stop in during the wet weather today! (Please credit this page and ask first before using my photos. ) See the following for details: https://www.facebook.com/NannupFlowerandGardenFestival/

19.01.2022 Paul Brennan Horseman "I am a long term third generation Rosa Brook local of 57 years. I dairy farmed for many years with my parents and then my wife Fiona, who I have been married to for 31 years. We have three great adult daughters who have been successful in their respective careers.... I turned my love of horses into a career and even represented Australia through the late 80s and early 90s in the sport of Polocrosse. We now own and run a thriving equestrian tourism business out of the old family farm. And still live in the house I was probably conceived in! My grandfather, father and now myself have all held a continuous account with Darnell's store since it opened back in 1932. I would love to live out the rest of my days here surrounded by my family, friends and great neighbours."" A page from the 9 Miles by Stephen Blakeney Blakeney Photography Wide Open Road Publishing, 2015 Shire of Augusta Margaret River Margaret River Bookshop Rosa Brook, Western Australia Jesters Flat Equestrian Centre

18.01.2022 Michael Pimm Early Recollections "I arrived in Rosa Brook in November 1952 aged 5 as a 10 pound pom with my parents Margaret and Ted and brother Edward. As were most farms in those days ours was a dairy farm. There was no power so electricity was provided by a 32 volt battery lighting system which charged the generator by the petrol engine used to drive the milking machine.... I remember well in the evenings when milking had finished there was only enough time for tea and a bath before the batteries went flat and the lights went out. My first experience of Australian schooling was in 1953 at the Rosa Brook School, there was no bus so I had to walk to school from our Barrett Road farm, taking a shortcut through the back paddocks to Rosa Brook Road via the property currently known as Scotts (Bullock Place to the old timers). Being swooped by nesting magpies was a daily trauma so it was always a welcome sight to meet up with Jenny, Mary and Kitty Wells (Darnell) who were also walking to school. My interest in aviation began at school after forming a life long friendship with a fellow mechanically minded student. We spent many weekends building and flying model powered aircraft. These were powered by small engines fuelled with a mixture of pharmaceutical ether and castor oil. I remember going to school with an empty ether bottle in my bag and at lunchtime I took it to Tim Burking the local chemist for a refill, which he happily obliged! On finishing high school the urge to fly a real aircraft was still a dream which was finally achieved in 1969 by obtaining a private pilot licence. As with many things in life, work, family commitments and other interests came along so as a consequence my last pilot logbook entry is December 1989." A page from the 9 Miles by Stephen Blakeney Blakeney Photography Wide Open Road Publishing, 2015 Shire of Augusta Margaret River Margaret River Bookshop Rosa Brook, Western Australia

17.01.2022 The Darnell Family Bill Darnells parents were pioneer settlers at Group 22 in Rosa Brook. His father, Alfred Harphan Darnell, was allocated Location 1756 in 1923 and later added 1754 when the Todhunters moved into Margaret River in 1936. Bill was away at school when his family arrived in Rosa Brook but he joined them two years later and then went to the wheatbelt, working there through a bad drought....Continue reading

17.01.2022 LIGHT IN THE FOREST. By Henrietta Drake-Brockman, 29 June 1946. "In the Karri forest, when a new timber-getting concession is granted by the Government, the fallers move out to the proposed mill-site and "let the light in."...Continue reading

13.01.2022 Tom and Jenny Tate Farmers The Tates bought our first farm in Rosa Brook in 1961. The previous owners sold everything that could be moved in a clearing sale, so we had to start from scratch. The milking machine and the connection of electricity came first.... We bought 23 milking cows .. we were in business. The following year we purchased a further 20 heifers. But in a June storm a tree fell, killing 5 cows and broke the bulls leg, which had to be put down. The milking herd grew to be 70 cows and took 3 hours to milk morning and night. "There were no farm bikes back then. Bringing up the herd to the dairy was all done on foot with a torch and a wonderful dog called Nip. Jenny and my Mum reared up to 60 calves at a time. Our 4 kids were brought up in the dairy, the babies started in a playpen, then put into a 40 gallon drum trying to keep them safe from the open belts in the dairy that ran the milking machine. The milk was put through a separator. The cream was taken down to the roadside for the Capel Dairy truck to pick up 3 times a week. The skim milk was fed to the calves and pigs. We milked in this dairy for 15 years before building the new dairy. Our good neighbour John Brennan assured us, in the early years, that it would get easier!"" A page from the 9 Miles by Stephen Blakeney Wide Open Road Publishing, 2015 Shire of Augusta Margaret River Rosa Brook, Western Australia Margaret River Bookshop

12.01.2022 Alex Williams Speedway Driver "Growing up in Rosa Brook has given me a lot of treasured memories, working with my Dad on my race cars when I was younger and helping my Pop out around the farm. Pop has taught me to always work hard and instilled values in me that I will always be proud of.... This little patch of the South West is my home and I am very pleased to be introducing my son Izaak to everything we are so lucky to have and sometimes take for granted - family! A page from the 9 Miles by Stephen Blakeney Wide Open Road Publishing, 2015 Shire of Augusta Margaret River Rosa Brook, Western Australia Margaret River Bookshop Augusta Margaret River Speedway

11.01.2022 Barry Darnell Group 22 This property number 1756, has been in the Darnell family since 1923. My grandfather AH Darnell took up the group settlement block on Crozier Road in 1923.... Crozier was his next door neighbour. After working on the block for some years grandfather allowed Uncle Bert to farm the property. He was dairying on my fathers property (now my brother Alans) using block 1756 to run dry Cows. Much of the infrastructure was built by my Uncle Bert. He later bought the farm. My grandfather AH Darnell died in 1947. I bought the property in 1977, sold the house and removed the old four bale milking shed. Since then I have been running Friesian steers here." A page from the 9 Miles by Stephen Blakeney Wide Open Road Publishing, 2015 Shire of Augusta Margaret River Rosa Brook, Western Australia Margaret River Bookshop

10.01.2022 Nathan and Jim Bailey Brown Hill Estate Wine Makers Im looking a little worn out in this photo. Id spent the day hand picking, hand sorting and processing grapes with 30 backpackers from different countries. Predominantly Italian, French and English. We also had German, Irish, Japanese, Korean, Icelander and one Estonian. Its lovely to hear the multilingual banter in the vineyard. I was off home for a beer and an early night, ready to do it all again the next day.... Nathan Bailey A page from the 9 Miles by Stephen Blakeney Wide Open Road Publishing, 2015 Shire of Augusta Margaret River Rosa Brook, Western Australia Margaret River Bookshop Brown Hill Estate

08.01.2022 Cam Lumsden Dairy Farmer "My great grandparents Thomas and Lena Wilkinson were group settlers on the Peel Estate. I have his farm diary that tells us the date our very first cow calved.... It says; Flossy calved 23 September 1926, our first cow to calve. I owe a lot to them. The conditions were harsh but they managed to keep the farm when so many other group settlers walked off their land. Dairy cows are in my blood. I wake up at 4.15 every morning looking forward to every day on the farm." A page from the 9 Miles by Stephen Blakeney Wide Open Road Publishing, 2015 Shire of Augusta Margaret River Rosa Brook, Western Australia Margaret River Bookshop Rosa Glen #JesmondDairy

08.01.2022 Michael OConnor The Postie "I originally came to Rosa brook to help out my uncle, who was suddenly taken ill, just to look after his farm while he was too sick to do so. Unfortunately, he did not recover, so my visit had to be extended while his affairs were settled, as he had no family of his own. That was in 1981, and Im still here, 35 years later. . In 1996, I took over being the postie for the Rosa Brook - Rosa Glen - Osmington communities. Since then I have dodged tho...usands of potholes and hit thousands more. Ive dodged hundreds of roos and emus, 30 odd steers, a few calves, the milk tanker and even some Japanese tourists, who were standing in the middle of the road on a bend! I nearly ran over a tortoise on Bessell Road once, but I was able to rescue it and put it back into the water and it swam safely away. Over the years, many people have helped me when my car has conked out on the run, so that I could get the backup vehicle and deliver the rest of the mail. A big thanks to you all!"" A page from the 9 Miles by Stephen Blakeney Wide Open Road Publishing, 2015 Shire of Augusta Margaret River Rosa Brook, Western Australia Margaret River Bookshop Rosa Glen Margaret River

07.01.2022 It's On! Open Studios is back, taking place from the 12th to the 27th Sept in Margaret River! Get up close and personal with over 100 artists, including incredible woodwork artist, Ian Thwaites. Pick up a free event guide at any Jackson Drawing Supplies Store or South West Visitor Centre.

07.01.2022 Nathan and Jim Bailey Brown Hill Estate Wine Makers I'm looking a little worn out in this photo. I'd spent the day hand picking, hand sorting and processing grapes with 30 backpackers from different countries. Predominantly Italian, French and English. We also had German, Irish, Japanese, Korean, Icelander and one Estonian. It's lovely to hear the multilingual banter in the vineyard. I was off home for a beer and an early night, ready to do it all again the next day.... Nathan Bailey A page from the 9 Miles by Stephen Blakeney Blakeney Photography Wide Open Road Publishing, 2015 Shire of Augusta Margaret River Rosa Brook, Western Australia Margaret River Bookshop Brown Hill Estate

06.01.2022 Lyn Moorfoot Sambanista drummer... and many other hats "... a life in tune with the many moods of nature... ... a place where dreams have been fulfilled... and a new generation nurtured... ... the beauty of a red tailed cockatoo in flight.. ... a night sky filled with stars... ... a feeling of freedom and space... ... acceptance... ... community... ... connectedness... ... somewhere to play music and not have to worry about the neighbours! These are just some of the things almost forty years in Rosa Brook have brought to me."" A page from the 9 Miles by Stephen Blakeney Blakeney Photography Wide Open Road Publishing, 2015 Shire of Augusta Margaret River Margaret River Bookshop Rosa Brook, Western Australia #sambanista

03.01.2022 ROSA BROOK CWA LADIES "Kitty Darnell, Maureen Satchel, Anne Davey, Doris Arthur, Nealma Woodbridge, Maureen Fenton, Ellie Metcalf, Ursula Atkins, Helen Ridley, Lyn Criddle, Heather Mountford. Celebrating its 85th year in 2016 Rosa Brook CWA is one of the longest operating Country Womens groups in WA. In the period of one year this amazing group of ladies not only held regular meetings, they also had a stall at the local show with a raffle, a fashion parade and even hosted a ...3 course Xmas dinner for over 45 members of a caravan and camping group at the Rosa Brook Hall. Since the beginning of the CWA in Rosa Brook meetings have been held almost continually at the hall. Even in the early days when the hall was a school the ladies of the area met there. Because it got cold and windy on the verandah where they met the verandah was enclosed to keep them warmer and dry! Many of the first members where Pommie group settlers unused to life in the bush. The first CWA cookbook was released in 1924. When the local branch formed the ladies bought three copies for 2/6d each. The members were allowed to loan the book for 3d a week so they could learn to cook the Aussie way. In the early days it was hard for isolated country women to find a social outlet and the CWA provided many of them with the friendship they wanted. It could be hard to get to the meetings some times and Mrs Swarbrick a member from Osmington had a punt on the river and could ferry ladies across to get to the meetings when the river was deep and flowing fast. Today the traditions of the CWA are still carried on in rural Australia for the next generation of country women to be a part of." A page from the 9 Miles by Stephen Blakeney Wide Open Road Publishing, 2015 CWA Rosa Glen & Witchcliffe Shire of Augusta Margaret River Rosa Brook, Western Australia Margaret River Bookshop

03.01.2022 Elizabeth Crimp and Joy Wood Mother and Daughter Mum and I are the caretakers of the Osmington Church.... St Johns Church of England (Anglican) at Osmington was built by Charlie Williams and his son Chas. A gift of one hundred Pounds was sent from England by Margaret Rivington to build a church in the bush. The first service was held on the 2nd February 1934. St Johns is still very isolated and a special church in the bush. It hasnt changed, it has no electricity and is still used to this day. A page from the 9 Miles by Stephen Blakeney Wide Open Road Publishing, 2015 Shire of Augusta Margaret River Rosa Brook, Western Australia Margaret River Bookshop #Osmington Augusta-Margaret River Anglican Church

02.01.2022 The skull of a Noongar woman removed from a cave in Margaret River in the 1960s has been returned after being located in Canada. Caves served as burial grounds for Indigenous Noongar in WAs South West, however remains were taken without consent throughout the early to mid 1900s. "We traditionally put our old fellas in these caves so their spirits can go out to where the sky and sea meet," Custodian Wayne Webb said. ... Congratulation to the Undalup Association Inc. and their Board for arranging the repatriation, and to Seabird Films for documenting the event for posterity.

01.01.2022 Basil Narroway Gibbs (1889-1916) I can tell you I wouldnt mind being at home now. It would be a bit warmer than it is here. I wasnt satisfied when I was at Blackboy Hill but if I was back there now I wouldnt be in a hurry to get away. Ive seen enough of the trenches to satisfy me but I suppose I will see some more before long. - Private Basil Narroway Gibbs, Western Front, France 28 October 1916 Basil wrote this letter to his brother Herbert of Ferguson Valley. Less tha...Continue reading

01.01.2022 Rebecca Cool Artist ""I live on a beautiful property in Rosa Brook on the river with my partner Ross who is also an artist. We have studios on opposite ends of the block as he likes to work with loud music and I like to "hear the paint.... In this photo I am looking at a plaster cast taken of my face when I was a teenager at Claremont art school. Plaster casting was all the rage then. The photo shows a view of me then and me now surrounded by some of my current work. I am lucky that art has been my career all my working life. I have never had a "proper job. I love what I do and it is a joy to live and work in this amazing place and to do the thing that I love everyday, which is to paint." A page from the 9 Miles by Stephen Blakeney Blakeney Photography Wide Open Road Publishing, 2015 Shire of Augusta Margaret River Margaret River Bookshop Rosa Brook, Western Australia Rebecca Cool Art