Dongara Police Station, Courthouse & Gaol (fmr)

Parent Place or Precinct

18626 Dongara Townsite

Statement of Significance

Dongara Police Station (fmr) has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
the place contributes to the streetscape of Dongara and forms part of a precinct of nineteenth century public buildings in the town;
the place was the first police station built in Dongara and was the original centre of public administration for Dongara;
the place is a good example of a multi-purpose complex of nineteenth century rural administration buildings;
the place has had a significant role in the Dongara community. Until 1983, as a police station and,
subsequently, as a tourist information office; and,
the building form and materials used are representative of the construction of the period.

Physical Description

The buildings are of limestone rubble construction. The main building is 'L' shaped with a high pitched hipped corrugated iron roof with separate hipped surrounding verandah roof. In the rear yard there is a small gable roofed building containing the earth closets and the walls to the stables remain intact. The main building comprises a court room, police station, quarters, a day-room and three cells. The limestone walls are 600mm thick and the courtroom has corrugated iron ceilings 5500mm high. The original joinery and iron hinge bolts are intact in the cells. The verandahs are supported on timber posts with timber verandah floors. The front windows are double hung timber framed 12 pane, with one casement window to the day room. Timber doors are framed ledge and brace with double entry doors to the courtroom. A timber framed fibro sheet clad toilet block has been added to the north side.

History

1997
Built at a contract price of £1200 by expiree Joseph Walton in 1870-71 using ticket-of-leave labour, the
building was used as a police station, courthouse, gaol, ticket of leave hiring depot, and police quarters.
By 1874 the building had a lean-to addition added to the north side which served as a post and telegraph
office. The native cell to the west and some of the rear yard walls were demolished in the mid 1950's.
The building served as a police station, courthouse and quarters until 1983. In early 1984 the building
was occupied by the Tourist Centre and between 1984 and 1987 extensive restorations were funded and
carried out by the Old Police Station Restoration Committee with additional funding through a grant form
the WA Heritage Committee. Currently the building is also used by the Dongara Denison Tourist Centre,
the Ministry for Justice as a reporting centre and by the Irwin District Historical Society as a research
office with historic displays.
(Source: IDHS Records)
2004
The Irwin District Historical Society took over the lease of the building in July 2002 and opened the building as the Irwin District Museum in November that year.
In July 2003 the Historical Society completed works funded by a Lotterywest grant. The grant funded conservation works to the internal walls of the cells, dayroom and research office.
An infestation of termites was found in early 2004 in the north verandah. The insects were controlled by chemical application and repairs carried out to the verandah flooring, work was funded by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure.
In April 2004 a Western Australian 175th Anniversary Grant was awarded to the Irwin District Historical Society for the purposes of constructing a display and storage shed. The Society received permission from the Heritage Council of WA for the structure to be sited on an area of the rear yard formerly occupied by the stables. Work commenced on this project in October 2004.
In May 2004 the Shire of Irwin negotiated a management order with the Department of Planning and Infrastructure with the IDHS as lessees to the Shire.
In June 2004 the IDHS received a Lotterywest grant for conservation works to fund reinstatement of the back verandah timber flooring and drainage works to the rear yard.
IDHS Records.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High

Uses

Historic Themes

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.