Local Government
Meekatharra
Region
Midwest
58 Darlot St Meekatharra
Courthouse and Mining Registrar’s Office (fmr)
Meekatharra
Midwest
Constructed from 1911
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Register | Registered | 15 May 2021 | HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument, HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Register of the National Estate | Permanent | 21 Mar 1979 | ||
| Classified by the National Trust | Classified | 04 Mar 1975 | ||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 21 Sep 2013 | Category A | |
Courthouse and Mining Registrar’s Office (fmr) is of considerable significance as it represents the establishment of law and order and mining controls as a pivotal element in the development of the Meekatharra town and district. The architectural style is typically responsive to a remote regional location. Courthouse and Mining Registrar’s Office (fmr) also demonstrates significant associations with Mrs Curley and the Bundi Club.
The single storey timber framed building is clad with painted weatherboards. The predominantly hipped roof with vented gablets, is clad with corrugated iron that has been painted. Three sides of the one part of the building has a verandah with a separate roof. The High Street frontage has been compromised by the close proximity of newer buildings.
The Courthouse & Mining Registrar's Office was built in 1911. Magistrate's House and Doctor's house were on adjoining lots. When the population of Meekatharra decline to around 100 residents in the late 1950s, the Courthouse was closed. In 1963, the building was handed to Mrs Avey Curley for an Aboriginal meeting place. She named it the Bundi Club, 'bundi' meaning good. The Bundi Club was used for sewing, dressmaking and cooking classes, where Mrs Curley and the young women with children and the older women made school uniforms and clothes to sell, preparation of school lunches, pensioner's Christmas lunch, a venue for dances, wedding receptions and gatherings after funerals, emergency and temporary accommodation and fund raising events. In 1988, the Miniara Resource Agency, a local co-operative Aboriginal organisation, was established with offices adjoining the Bundi Club. Around 1995-96 the Bundi Club ceased to function due to changing community needs and lack of funds for maintenance and essential equipment. Miniara Resource Agency has a mobile office unit in the front yard of the place. Mrs Curley was awarded the Order of Australia for her services to the Aboriginal community in the Murchison and Warburton area.
INTEGRITY Moderate to high degree AUTHENTICITY Moderate to high degree
Poor- unoccupied
| Ref Number | Description |
|---|---|
| 20 | Municipal Inventory |
| Library Id | Title | Medium | Year Of Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4345 | The Bundi Club: a conservation plan. | Heritage Study {Cons'n Plan} | 2000 |
Individual Building or Group
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | SOCIAL\RECREATIONAL | Other Community Hall\Centre |
| Original Use | GOVERNMENTAL | Courthouse |
| Style |
|---|
| Federation Bungalow |
| Type | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Wall | METAL | Aluminium |
| Roof | METAL | Corrugated Iron |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY | Settlements |
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.