West Collie Co. Brick & Pipe Machine House - Site

Statement of Significance

SITE West Collie Co Brick and Pipe Machine House is considered to have heritage significance for its archaeological potential to reveal further information about the site and the industry undertaken there.

Physical Description

Historic Site

History

The townsite of Allanson was originally known as ‘West Collie’ and is located 6km west of the Collie townsite. A railway siding and station was established at West Collie and land set aside for a townsite in 1898. The West Collie townsite was gazetted in 1906. As much of the original townsite land was underlaid by coal seams, little land was released and a new subdivision was made in 1911 and gazetted in 1912. In 1916 the name of the town was changed to Allanson, probably after Arthur Allan Wilson, Collie MLA from 1908 to 1947.

West Collie first appears in the Post Office Directories in 1904, although its listings are included with those from Collie until 1907 when 20 names are listed. Occupations amongst the residents included farmer, sleeper hewer, teamster and a blacksmith. Although the name of the town was officially changed in 1916, it does not appear in the Post Office Directories until 1929. At this time, eleven residents, all farmers, are listed. Street addresses are not provided in the Post Office Directories for Allanson.

In May 1897 it was reported that the first consignment of machinery had arrived for Mr Atkinson for the coalfield located about 4 miles from the government mines and the present township. The machinery consisted of ‘3 engines, 4 boilers, 2 powerful steam pumps, crab winch and a ‘May’ winding plant…Mr Atkinson, while boring in this locality, passed through a splendid seam of coal about 5 feet in thickness. A circular shaft is now being sunk the ground with a diameter of 13 or 14 feet. It is now down 25 feet and when the rock is reached an inner shaft will be formed of segments of jarrah 9 x 6 and the space between puddled with tempered clay to keep back the surface water…The coal will be reached at 130 feet. A drive will then connect with No 1 shaft sunk last year, for ventilation and greater pumping facilities. Mr Atkinson states that he will then be able to bring up between 300 and 500 tons of coal each working day of 8 hours. Machinery for working the fire clay found in great quantities between the coal seams in that part of the coalfield is coming from England’.

The next month it was reported that the ‘coal in this property is a pitch coal of a very high order, closely approaching bituminous coal, and considering the high percentage of fixed carbon it contains, will make this colony wholly independent of outside supplies for household or steam raising purposes. The quantity and superior quality of their fireclays should produce goods of the very highest class, and the common clays on the property if worked to advantage will be no mean source of income to the proprietary. In their resident managing director, Mr WT Atkinson, the general manager, Mr John Evans, FGS and Mr Badlington, the overseer, this company has the services of a magnificent staff second to none in Australia…”

In 1898, the Commissioner of Railways, Mr FH Piesse travelled by rail from Perth to Collie to inspect the newly constructed railway line. On reaching West Collie, the party inspected both the West Collie Coal and Fire Clay Proprietary Limited’s colliery and brickworks. A ‘score’ of men were reported to work at the brickworks which were described as being ‘of a complete and substantial character’ and ‘the machinery is capable of turning out 30,000 bricks per day. It includes and “Acme” patent pipe-making machine, which can make drainage pipes of any size, from 2in to 30in in diameter. It finishes off the pipe by making the socket as well. This has usually to be added by hand on a turntable’.

In June of the same year it was reported that ‘a large plant of the latest patter was imported from Messrs Johnstone and Co for the manufacture of bricks and sanitary tubes’.

A map of the Allanson townsite, as recalled and drawn by Mr Norm Young, is included in A History of Allanson: Our Little Bush School. This shows the ‘brickwork site’ between Ireland Street and the railway line south-east of Montgomery Street.
Photographs from 1898 show the brick and pipe machine house as a substantial brick building of two storeys with associated outhouses.

The company became known as West Australian Collieries and Fireclay Co some time prior to 1905 and later as the Cooperative Collieries (1909)

Integrity/Authenticity

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Condition

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Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.