City Council Group

Child Places

• 13841 Weeping Mulberry Tree, Grounds of City of Gosnells Admin Centre
• 13823 Pioneer Park
• 13837 Albany Highway Bridge
• 13812 Gosnells Council Offices
• 13825 RSL Monument, Council Offices

Statement of Significance

The place has strong links with the early agricultural development in Gosnells. The Weeping Mulberry, various artworks and orchard in Centennial Pioneer Park provide a reminder to the rural way of life that was once a major part of the economic development of the district;

The parklands and mature plantings scenically located on either side of the river provide an aesthetically pleasing cultural landscape and a rich variety of natural and landscaped experiences, spatial qualities and micro-environments for the enjoyment of its users;

The place is strongly identified and highly valued by the local community as a venue for passive recreation, social interaction and as a venue for events, festivals, private ceremonies and memorial services, both informal and those formally focussed on the War Memorial;

The place incorporates civic buildings, which represent the growth of local government in the later part of the mid twentieth century in the State generally. The incorporation of a historic boardroom element reflects an understanding of historical continuity of a local government office in the district;

The place has the potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural and natural history of Gosnells. The landscape may retain evidence of the site’s Aboriginal occupation and of farming practices as the land was adapted by settlers for agricultural purposes;

Physical Description

In 2010, the City's administration building was extended and upgraded, and the building was renamed City of Gosnells Civic Centre. The Boardroom elements were relocated to the rear of the building near the large function room. The Boardroom is comprised of the original jarrah panelled wall, a large jarrah table located in the centre of the room, surrounded by chairs and the original leadlight doors open into the room.

Pioneer Park, declared in 1988, is a manicured park with landscaped gardens and natural vegetation along the banks of the Canning River. Within the park is an orchard surrounded by a post and rail fence. In another part of the park, near the Addie Mills Centre is a tiered amphitheatre, built in 1993, and a small stage for outdoor entertainment. Ornamental mosaic tiles with Aboriginal designs depicting the creation myth of the Darling Ranges decorate the park wall along Federation Parade. The tiered sections of the amphitheatre are also decorated with mosaics.

Nearby metal silhouette sculptures depict pioneer motifs. Within the Centennial Pioneer Park is the Tree Top Walk which connects the top of the park, along Federation Parade, on a boardwalk down to the river where a raised board walk is located.

The RSL monument, built in 1921, is a tall granite obelisk, set on a circular stone plinth. It is located at the end of a cement path, with flanking landscaped gardens. Set in rolling lawns, with a backdrop of mature trees, the memorial has dramatic impact.

The Banyan Tree is located near the Albany Highway bridge within the landscaped gardens.

The old Weeping Mulberry tree stands in a prominent position in a grassed area close to the eastern wing of the City of Gosnells Civic Centre.

History

The Gosnells Civic Group is located primarily on land originally established as an orchard by William James Bone and his family in 1922.

The administration of the Gosnells district was originally under the Gosnells Road Board, whose offices were located in Maddington. By 1961, when the Board became the Shire of Gosnells, a larger and more modern building was required. Disagreement over whether this should be located in Maddington or Gosnells delayed construction until the early 1970s. In 1973, the Administration Centre was opened in Gosnells on the site of WJ Bone's orchard, which was purchased from the Caruso family in 1969.

The jarrah panelling and leadlight doors salvaged from the 1929 Roads Board building and 1955 Board Room are located in the Councillor's Lounge facilities within the current Civic Centre. The large jarrah table is a later addition made for the Francis Brennan family on the occasion of their entertaining Prince Henry the Duke of Gloucester during a visit to Western Australia in 1934. Francis Brennan was the owner of Brennan's department store, which was a forerunner of Aherns/Bairds. Brennan became technically bankrupt during the Depression. The table was presented to the Shire by the Packer family in 1964. The Boardroom was retained in the 1987 extensions of the 1973 Council Offices.

Associated with the centre are: Centennial Pioneer Park; RSL Monument Road; Weeping Mulberry Tree; and, Banyan Tree. Pioneer Park represents the past in the establishment of an orchard and bushland along the river. Part of the celebrations of Australia's Bicentenary was the establishment in 1988 (opened 26 November) of Pioneer Park. On 21 November 1993 the amphitheatre was opened. Over the years occasional Aboriginal artefacts have reported to have been discovered on the riverbank in the park area.

In 2005, extensive works were undertaken as part of the Gosnells Town Centre Revitalisation Project which included removal of the rotundas, construction of a new public toilet and the new Federation Parade between Pioneer Park and the new Agonis Building. Extensive regeneration work was carried out along the river and many trees were returned to the waterway to allow the Canning River to re-establish itself. Further works are scheduled around the amphitheatre to make the area more accessible to people with a mobility or physical disability.

The park was renamed Centennial Pioneer Park in 2007. The portion including the RSL monument, ponds and area adjacent to the administration building were deleted from the park.

In 2007, to commemorate the Centenary of the City of Gosnells, an aerial tree top walk was built that connected to a series of wooden boardwalks in Pioneer Park. This was opened by the then Prime Minister, John Howard.

The 1921 RSL Monument was originally erected on a site at the junction of Albany Highway and Mills Road. The memorial commemorated those people who lost their lives in World War One. Owing to the site being resumed by the Main Roads Department for road widening, the monument was relocated to its present position in the grounds of the City of Gosnells Administration Centre during the 1960s. Later the names of World War Two and Korean War casualties were recorded. Annual Anzac Day ceremonies continue to be held at the site.

The Albany Highway Bridge near the Gosnells Hotel was originally built c.1868 in the time of Henry Passmore, the Engineer in charge of convict labour teams. The Gosnells Bridge was also known as the Upper Canning Bridge. A new timber bridge was built on the site in 1936 and in 1973 a new concrete bridge was constructed alongside. The original bridge carries southbound traffic and the newer bridge carries northbound traffic. Both bridges have been extensively adapted since their original construction.

The Banyan tree (ficus benghalensis) was planted in 1991 in the grounds of the City of Gosnells Administration Centre. It was propagated at the Perth Zoo from a cutting taken from an enormous tree found in the province of Bengal, India. The canopy of the parent tree measured 1,000 square metres and was acknowledged as being of a significant size for the species. The juvenile propagated tree was a gift from Perth Zoo and it is believed that there are very few specimens of Banyan trees in Western Australia.

WJ Bone planted the Weeping Mulberry tree in his orchard in 1924. It was located at the rear of the homestead and was described by Mrs Ruth Bone as 'being like a tent you could sit under on a hot summer day. The branches cascaded down to the ground'. It was transplanted to its present position in landscaped gardens about 50 metres away from its original site in 1971.

In 2010, the City of Gosnells Civic Centre was extended and upgraded.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High degree
Authenticity: Moderate to high degree

Condition

Good

Uses

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

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.