District Museum, Dowerin

Statement of Significance

Aesthetic, historic and social heritage values may be ascribed to the buildings which form Dowerin's District Museum. Integrity of fabric which has been carefully maintained in the cottage is outstanding. The educational value of the cluster of buildings is high.
The heritage significance of the District Museum is considerably enhanced by the community support it has received.
The objects collected in the saddlery shop came from local businesses and show technology and scientific knowledge of the times to which they belong.

Physical Description

Dowerin District Museum consists of a shop, a shed and weatherboard and iron cottage, the latter built in 1915. Interior walls and ceilings of pressed tin, together with timber floors and a timber dado in the hall and breezeway of the cottage combine to give the effect of a contemporary vernacular style.

History

The cottage was lived in and owned by the O 'Shaughnessy family from 1915 to 1974 and has been restored by the Shire with the help of a local community group who have furnished it. The house remains intact and the furnishings, which have been carefully chosen, enhance the notion of 'authenticity'. Behind the cottage is a reconstructed saddlery and shed containing blacksmiths and saddlery tools. These, too, are the result of significant community endeavour.

Dowerin Town Lot 48 was declared open for sale at an upset price of £20-0-0 in June 1908. ('Government Gazette' 12 June 1908, p.1598) It was first offered at auction at the Northam Land Agent's office on 14 April 1910 ('Government Gazette' 18 March 1910, p.750), then made available for leasing at an annual rental of £1-0-0 in October 1912. ('Government Gazette' 23 October 1912, p.4148) It was granted to Thomas Brown Lee for £20-0-0 in November 1912. (DOLA - Crown Grant 535/146) Lee sold it to Eugene Raphael O'Shaughnessy on 16 April 1913. (DOLA - Certificate of Title 535/146)
Eugene O'Shaughnessy, better known to Dowerin residents as 'Shock', had arrived in the town in 1910 and set himself up as a saddler and harness maker. (The Dowerin Guardian 9 July 1953) By November 1912 he was leasing a new shop erected by the Dowerin Trading Co. (The Doiverin Guardian 1 November 1912) By all accounts he was a prominent sportsman, at one time secretary of the Dowerin Football Club, and an immensely popular figure in the district. He is said to have built the weatherboard and iron cottage on Lot 48 (the present Dowerin District Museum), in 1915. (Early rate books, if retained by the Shire of Dowerin, may assist in confirming this date.) The building featured pressed metal walls and ceilings throughout. O'Shaughnessy brought his bride, Mrs Maeyolande O'Shaughnessy, to reside in the cottage in 1915 and it was there that they raised three sons and two daughters. (Central Districts Herald Tribune 17 October 1968, p.l)
Mr O'Shaughnessy died in 1953, and ownership of the property passed to his widow. (DOLA - CT 535/146) She continued to reside in the cottage, and lived there for 53 years until her death in September 1968. (DOLA - CT 1166/480) The church was her main interest, and she was the Anglican Sunday School superintendent and secretary of the mission at Dowerin for 30 years. (Central Districts Herald Tribune 17 October 1968, p.l) The property passed to the children in equal shares in 1969.
In 1973, public meetings were held in Dowerin to discuss the feasibility of establishing a district museum. {Central Districts Herald Tribune 3 May 1973, p.16) The former O'Shaughnessy family home, unoccupied for four years, was suggested as an ideal building to preserve and restore as a local museum, and a District Museum Committee was formed. (The West Australian 25 October 1973, p.53) Finance was provided by the Dowerin-Goomalling Apex Club for the purchase of the property which was transferred to the Shire of Dowerin in June 1974. (DOLA - CT 1166/480) Although the building was officially opened by Mr J.L. Bannister, Director of the W.A. Museum, on 6 October 1978, restoration work was not completed until March 1980 with the reconstruction of the back verandah roof. {The Country Museum No.25, September 1978, p.4 and Western Farmer 27 March 1980, p.74) The cottage has since been furnished in a style reminiscent of an early 1920s home. {Countryman 18 August 1988, p.65)

Integrity/Authenticity

The cottage was lived in and owned by the O'Shaughnessy family from 1915 to 1974 and has been restored by the shire with the help of a local community group who have furnished it. The house remains intact and the furnishings, which have been carefully chosen, enhance the notion of 'authenticity'. Behind the cottage is a reconstructed saddlery and shed consisting of the original saddlery shopfront with reconstructed sides and rear and containing blacksmiths and saddlery tools. These, too, are the result of significant community endeavour.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Last Update

Disclaimer

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.