Corunna Downs Station

Parent Place or Precinct

03695 Corunna Downs Station & Former Wartime Airbase

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Statement of Significance

Corunna Downs is associated with pioneer families notably the Drake- Brockmans and the Foulkes Taylors and the group of buildings on it illustrate the high degree of development reached in its administration. Few other houses built from ant bed remain in the north and the property has additional interest in more recent years as a_ bomber base during World War II.

Physical Description

The homestead consists of a kitchen block and separate bedroom and living block of ant bed walls and concrete floor. The original roof has been replaced with a steel framed roof structure which spans cl ear over the verandahs and rooms leaving the walls free standing beneath. The roof is sheeted with corrugated galvanized iron. _ The plan consists of a large living room and a bedroom opening onto verandahs each side of the long axis with rooms under the verandah roof each end. The ceilings are level at wall plate height and ripple iron lined in the centre core. The rooms und er the verandah roof are faked ripple iron or stamped metal lined. The separate kitchen block has concrete walls and corrugated iron roof. The outbuildings are of no great interest and some of the earlier outbuildings have long been destroyed.

History

Assessment 1983 Construction: c 1890 Corunna Downs was owned for long periods firstly by A.H. & G.D. Drake-Brockman (1891- 1927)and secondly by Ernest Foulkes Taylor (1927-1951) who is buried in the station graveyard. It was described in 1915 as better equipped than any other station in the north-west . The main house was built of ant bed bricks in the 1890's. During World War II, two 7,000 foot runways for Liberator and Wellington bombers were put down on the run some distance from the homestead . The Japanese despite many attempts, failed to locate this base. Old machinery remains at the various early mining sites on the property.

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Statement of Significance

Corunna Downs Homestead (1897) has aesthetic and historic significance. It demonstrates a distinctive way of life in the Pilbara. and has scarcity value. The house, built of 'anthill' brick and granite, was distinguished among north-west station homes for its comfort and modern equipment. It was built with a view to permanency and comfort and has survived. It is a tribute to its builders, the Drake-Brockman family, who had pioneered the station property in 1890. and established a lifestyle of homes and gardens in a manner unexpected in the early days of the inland Pilbara. Comma Downs Homestead group has been classified by the National Trust, and is on the Register of the National Estate.

Physical Description

The setting of Comnna Downs Station is mainly undulating plain surrounded by hills which make a good natural boundary. This homestead site was chosen in 1897 following several previous unsatisfactory sites. The homestead is a complex of buildings dating from this time.." The original one being constructed of local 'anthill' brick and granite, with foundations of granite. ...A most comfortable habitation of the semibungalow type". Another homestead, built in 1903 and many outbuildings added over the years make up the present complex (kitchen, laundry and kitchen block, butcher's shop, workshop, spinifex bough sheds etc). Date palms are relics from its previous splendid gardens.

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Corunna Downs Station & Former Wartime Airbase

Child Places

• 14200 Corunna Downs Wartime Air Base
• 24460 Corunna Downs Station

Uses

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Poinciana House

Condition

Good

Uses

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Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Poinciana House has aesthetic, historic, and social qualities valued by the community and has significant heritage value. The house is significant not just for its solid construction and gracious appearance . but also for its association with George Miles who was a Member of the Legislative Council representing the North Province. Poinciana House has been classified by the National Trust, and is on the Register of the National Estate.

Physical Description

Poinciana House stands on the corner of two streets with wide verges. The terrain in the immediate vicinity is flat but further afield it is undulating to hilly. The surrounding residences are mainly framed and fibro cottages. The building is not part of a historic precinct and the general condition of the building is sound. The walls are rough dressed granite, lime mortar with rough lime mortar pointing, lined in random block pattern with indented lines originally painted black. Window surrounds are dressed with cement rendered quoins. The hipped tin roof extends out over the wide cement verandahs and is supported by steel upright posts. The house has rural colonial features: single storey, wide verandah protecting all walls, iron roof with simplistic lines.

History

Poinciana House was built between 1908-09 for George James Gallop Warden Miles, the work being done by day labour. It is one of the few masonry buildings in Marble Bar, most of the structures in the town being of frame and sheet clad construction. The stonework was constructed by a craftsman called Jerred. Mrs Miles appreciated her beautifully built home and planted a garden of poinciana trees and lawn around the house. The house was described as "a beauty spot and an oasis in the hot town of Marble Bar". (Gold Dust & Iron Mountains, p. 15.) A letter written to the CWA in 1980 by the daughter of Mr and Mrs Miles, Mrs Valentine, gives a beautiful picture of her life experiences in Poinciana House (p. 154 of Gold Dust and Iron Mountains). The house is associated with George Miles, who was an astute businessman, owning stores and hotels across the Pilbara. His businesses were taken over by his son, George Miles Jnr. In the 1960s Miles sold Poinciana House to the Johnson family. Soon after, in 1967, the CWA acquired it and ran their Association from the premises for nearly 20 years. In July 1935, 17 ladies had gathered at the house of Mrs Claude Martin to form the Marble Bar CWA branch (then the most northerly in WA). The CWA work included fiindraising for a rest house in Port Hedland for Marble Bar pregnant ladies, waiting to have their babies in the Port Hedland Hospital. Donations also went to the Flying Doctor Service and the Red Cross. In the 1940s the CWA first rented, then bought the home of Thomas Byass, and in 1967 bought Poinciana House. Peter and Jean Glover bought the house in 1991 and appear to have retained the historical name 'Poinciana House', though new poinciana trees had to be planted as the old ones were eaten by white ants. A restoration plan has been drawn up.

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Statement of Significance

The house is one of the few masonry buildings in Marble bar, most of the structures in the town being of frame and sheet clad construction The plan form is unusual and no doubt was an innovative attempt to deal with the hot conditions of the town (reputed to be the hottest town in the country). The stone work and cement rendered quoins are of high quality workmanship. The historic significance lies in its age, having been built in 1908 in relation to the declaration of the town in 1893 and its association with a prominent figure, George James Gallop Warden Miles, Member of Parliament and prominent publican. Mr Miles represented the North Province in the Legislative Council from 1917 to 1950 and was publican at various times of the following hotels: Iron Clad, Marble Bar, Coongan Pub, Colligong Pub and Conglomerite.

Physical Description

Walls of local stone and roof of corrugated galvanised iron held down with cyclone battens. The plan consists of a cruciform passage dividing the square central core into the four rooms and opening into a large lobby at the intersection of the cruciform. Verandahs which are on all sides of the central core are supported on steel columns and have concrete floors. The house was built for George James Gallop Warden Miles. The work was done by day labour and took six years to finish.

History

Construction 1908

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Ironclad Hotel, Marble Bar

Condition

Damaged during a cyclone in 1999; General Store completely destroyed by fire 27/11/04, debris subsequently removed to clear site. Ironclad Hotel, Marble Bar is generally in fair condition, although there is extensive evidence of termite damage. The termite damage is extensive, and can be seen in the main bar area door frames and the ablution block, in particular the timber stud frames, door frames and ceiling timbers. The accommodation facilities show extensive damage to walls and ceilings, and the dwelling facility has a collapsed ceiling and extensive damaged timbers.

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Statement of Significance

The heritage significance of the Ironclad Hotel lies in its historical and social contributions to the development of the Marble Bar community. The Ironclad Hotel is historically significant as the site of one of the first two permanent buildings erected in the Marble Bar Townsite. It has been the hub of the town from the gold rush era until today. It is the famed setting for many colourful characters, notorious pranks, tall stories, lost fortunes, happy celebrations and memorable wakes. The Ironclad Hotel is synonymous with Marble Bar. Across the nation one mentions one name and gets the other as the response. It has an unbroken link with many eras of rich history.

Physical Description

The Ironclad Hotel on lots 15 and 16 of Marble Bar townsite is a complex of buildings of various styles and ages with frequent additions and renovations over the years. The hotel is situated on the main road of Marble Bar and is a significant landmark in the town.The building has a corrugated iron roof with corrugated iron walls.

History

There is no doubt that a hotel has traded continually from this site since 1892 and records reveal that it has traded under the name Ironclad Hotel since November, 1893. The Hotel has always incorporated a public bar and verandah on the Francis Street frontage and efforts have been made to maintain some integrity of design with early Hotel photographs. It is highly likely that the Hotel was named after the richest reefing claim then, the Ironclad Lease, which had been granted in that name in November. 1891. (SAWA Mines Dept.,Cons 4136.) The hotel was one of only two permanent structures noted by E N Geyer on 15/3/1893 on Marble Bar townsite sketches

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Halley's Comet Gold Mine, Marble Bar

Condition

Halley’s Comet Gold Mine, Marble Bar is in fair condition overall. The museum and manager’s house are both occupied and maintained. The mine buildings are in fair condition with missing or damaged cladding, water ingress, deteriorated timbers, and rusted steel. The equipment and other elements mostly remain in situ, but are rusted. Generally the site is maintained for public use.

Uses

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Statement of Significance

The Comet Mine has historic and scientific heritage significance as an example of an important mining operation in the Marble Bar district. The major find occurred in 1936. and led to a 'second boom' for Marble Bar. the first having been in the 1890s.

Physical Description

The Comet Mine today (except for the tall smoke stack) is an example of a working mine with all the technological paraphernalia that goes with a mine of the 1990s. However evidence of the early days remains with various buildings from the 1940s still being used. Concrete pads are reminders of demolished employee quarters.

History

Halley's Comet Mine derived its unusual name from one of the founders, Thomas (Tommy) Starr, who said 'something like this could only happen once in a lifetime'. He was referring to the freak discovery of the gold bearing ore that led to the opening of the mine in 1936. Three prospectors working together in the tackings of the old mine, the Tassie Queen, followed their intuition that there was more gold to be found in the area. While Boyd and Robertson worked the tackings, Starr worked from a different angle. Carrying quite heavy prospecting equipment and water for his panning dish, Starr broke from his normal pattern one afternoon and followed a different route back to camp. Going over the top of a hill instead of into the easier gullies, Starr 'stopped for a breather', during which time, on an impulse, he panned-off another dish of dirt and was surprised to find a rim of golddust around the edge of the pan. That was how Halley's Comet Mine, commonly called 'the Comet', was discovered almost by accident. The Comet Mine continued on to have an interesting history. Claude de Bernales' mining company offered the three partners the large sum of £20,000 to buy the mine but the offer was refused. Only weeks later they accepted double that sum, a very large amount of money in the 1930s. Starr, Boyd and Robertson were not the only people that benefited from the Comet Mine transfer. Starr shared his luck with Marble Bar by giving £500 to the Christmas Benefit. The children of Marble Bar had an interesting time opening their presents at the 1936 Christmas Tree Celebration. Marble Bar also benefited from the Comet Mine's fortunate but unusual depth. The Pilbara mines were renowned for petering out but the Comet Mine was a very profitable investment, employing a number of people in the region and creating a boom for Marble Bar. An interesting aside to the history of the Comet Mine is the character of Claude de Bernales. He was a prominent personality who was involved in a number of mining investments - raising money from overseas investors, using little apart from his charm and smooth good looks. (Refer H Edwards' book, Gold Dust and Iron Mountains). In September 1940 the Comet Mine was the scene of a tragedy often faced in the mining profession - a death owing to a rock fall. A miner, Arthur Ware, was killed by a collapse of earth. His burial at the Marble Bar Cemetery was attended by a large number of people. Stuart Stubbs and his sons owned and operated the Comet Mine for half a century (1947-1996). It was the centre of their widespread mining operations. The Comet Mine was a well known landmark owing to the tall smokestack constructed at the mine. Towering 250 feet high, the smokestack was the tallest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere at the time. Comet Mine is presently not operating (1997). A caretaker lives on the site.

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Corunna Downs Wartime Air Base

Parent Place or Precinct

03695 Corunna Downs Station & Former Wartime Airbase

Condition

Fair

Uses

Historic Themes

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Statement of Significance

This place has historic, scientific and social significance. Airforce Historian, Lindsay Peet. classed Corunna secret airbase as "strategically crucial to Australia's northern defence". Maintained under top secret security, Corunna was never located by Japanese reconnaissance. U.S. airmen and B-24 liberators based at Corunna hit Japanese targets in occupied Indonesia. A round trip to Surabaya was about 4,000 kms. These were the longest bombing raids flown anywhere before 1943. The base had a significant social influence on the township of Marble Bar.

Physical Description

There are two intersecting runways constructed of bitumen on compacted crushed stone base. The northsouth runway is 5.000 feet long and the east-west is 7,000 feet long. Both are 150 feet wide and linked by a 50 feet wide taxi-way. Off this taxi-way runs a loop road with about 20 aircraft bays. Set in spinifex scrub and near an iron-stone ridge, the base buildings were few - namely kitchen, hospital, administration and recreation huts. Only stone foundations remain.

Integrity/Authenticity

All that remains of Base buildings are concrete-raft floors, sewerage pits etc. Clearance sales in 1946 completely demolished removable materials. Airbase runways/revetments are intact & in fair condition.

Condition

Fair

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Government Buildings

Condition

The complex was built to house a Warden's Court, çMining Registrar's Office, Clerk of Courts, çPolice Station and quarters, native Welfare çOffice, Mines Department office and Post and çTelegraph Office. It is a very handsome, unified çand harmonious collection of government offices. çRoofed with corrugated galvanised iron, it is çconstructed in local stone which blends with the çcountryside, and is decorated with stucco window çdressings and quoins, painted white.

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Statement of Significance

These buildings, which are very much the heart of the town and district, are most distinguished architecturally and very solidly constructed, Their age, appearance and history necessitate their classification.

Physical Description

A very handsome, unified and harmonious collection of Government offices, roofed in Corrugated iron, the group is constructed of local stone which blends in with the countryside beautifully and is decorated with stucco window dressings and quoins, painted white.

History

Contract let for Marble Bar public buildings on 24.10.1894 for £7,949.11.2 to be completed 24.8.1895. Buildings included: Post & Telegraph office and quarters, Mining Registrar nd Warden’s Court, Police Station and Sergeant’s quarters.

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Statement of Significance

have been classified both by the National Trust and the Australian Heritage Commission. They have also been Interim Listed on the State Heritage Register. Historic, aesthetic and social aspects of the buildings are valued by the local community and many visitors to the district. They have unity of setting and townscape and streetscape value. They are a rare and outstanding example of government buildings constructed in the 1890s in a remote part of Western Australia.

Physical Description

The Government Buildings of Marble Bar have been described in the HCWA report as being situated on a triangle of land above Sandy Creek. "It is a very handsome, unified and harmonious collection of government offices. Roofed with corrugated iron, it is constructed in local stone which blends with the countryside, and is decorated with stucco window dressings and brick quoins painted white." The complex consists of four single storey and four double storey blocks. They are further described as "simple functional buildings, that are nevertheless well-proportioned with pleasant massing". The original plans included a clock tower, but it never eventuated. Today (1998) the Marble Bar Government buildings are screened from the street by closely planted gum trees that provide shade but also block the architectural streetscape value that the buildings could provide.

History

George Temple-Poole, famous WA architect of many public buildings, had a strong influence on the design of the Government offices. These included offices for the Mining Warden and the Mining Registrar, a Court House, Police Station and Quarters and the Post and Telegraph Office. Contract drawings were signed on 31st October 1894 with the successful contractor being Charles Darley of Perth. The contract price was £7,949 1 Is 2d and the date for completion was given as 27th August 1895. A local critic described the construction of the Government Buildings by saying: "When this work is completed, Marble Bar may hug to its bosom this White Elephant; this gigantic emblem of official stupidity and extravagance which will remain long after we are in our graves and forgotten; to mark at least one epoch in the history of Marble Bar." (p.219 To The Bar and Beyond.) However, despite such criticism, the Post Office and government buildings went on to provide solid service to Marble Bar residents. Soon after their opening in 1896 the Post Office and Telegraph Office became a repeater station and the Post Office was regarded as the departure point for coaches. Mining Registrars came and left, many with great rapidity. Between 1896-1917 there were approximately 11 mining registrars. Severe cyclones in 1925 and 1930 caused damage to the Goverment buildings which saw the removal of the once substantial tower. For many years the buildings were well occupied and today they are still in use by the Police, Mining Dept. and Community Welfare. They stand as a symbol of the advent of civilization to this remote gold mining centre.

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