Culham Hall - Site of

Statement of Significance

The site has historic value for the associations with generations of Culham settlers who gathered for social, community and recreational activities. The site has research value as it has potential to contain subsurface archaeological remains.

Physical Description

No remains were found on the site.

History

The Toodyay Valley Settlers initially formed and met in the 1890's to raise funds for school purposes and a meeting hall. They revived the custom of ploughing matches at 'Culham' and 'Hawthornded'. The club qualified for the government grant for a hall and then changed their focus to the proposed railway. The Culham Hall was built on the northern boundary of the 'Culham Estate' at the Plains Road Boundary and opened in May 1899. The opening was celebrated with a cricket match against the Victoria Plains team and a ball in the evening. However, it was two mile east of Pell Mell School and miles north of Culham Church which proved inconvenient for the settlers in the region and a cohesive community centre was difficult to develop.
After the subdivision of the Coondle and Nunyle estates those communities used the Culham Hall but even after Nunyle built a hall in 1897 and Coondle n 1927the three communities worked together and supported each other.
In 1902 a meeting at the hall appointed a committee to agitate for the railway extension to Bolgart. The Toodyay Valley Settlers discussed the route of the proposed railway and organised a deputation to the Government in 1902. One of the most important social events in the Toodyay Valley was the annual Culham races. The race club was formed in 1902 and the track went around the hall with special permission granted to use part of the Bolgart Road. Over 500 people attended the first meeting at Easter 1903.
When the railway line reached Bolgart in 1909 a distinct holiday was declared and a celebration dinner was held in the hall that evening with a special train picking people up along the line. The railway line cut through the race track at Culham and although a new track was marked out the races gradually declined in popularity and the last meeting was held in 1913.

Condition

Site Only

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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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.