Gabbin Boarding House and Tea Rooms (fmr)

Values

· The place is representative of the provision of accommodation and refreshment for the itinerant workforce in the wheatbelt during the early twentieth century, a workforce which expanded along with the expanding agricultural industry, as well as the role of women in the provision of these services to supplement household income
· The place represents the innovative and enterprising decisions taken by new immigrants to make a living in the harsh conditions of the wheatbelt during the early twentieth century · The place is testament to the enduring spirit of pioneering women in the Western Australian wheatbelt, and their capacity to make the best of the conditions they were presented with

Physical Description

The place is a rendered brick and iron structure with a simple lean-to verandah across the front on square timber poles. Windows are timber-framed, the majority having multiple small panes at the top. A number of doors open onto the verandah which appears to have simple gravelled/dirt flooring. No information was provided about the interior of the place in the nomination.

History

By the beginning of the twentieth-century Australia’s agricultural production expanded rapidly due to new and improved technology resulting in Australia becoming one of the world’s major food exporters. To support this growth, successive governments initiated assistance schemes with bonuses paid on the production of a number of agricultural products. Following the end of WWI, Australian agriculture further expanded and the ‘Government continued with its objective of establishing more of the population on the land and breaking up some of the vast 'squatter' holdings’ and ‘new areas of agriculture were established to provide returned soldiers with both a place to live and an occupation’. Unfortunately much of this latter scheme ultimately proved unsuccessful.

Condition

Poor

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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