Railway: Stationmasters house

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

The Stationmaster’s House is significant for its association with the Railway in Meekatharra and demonstrates a way of life for the Stationmaster and family. It is also one of only a few of the type, style and period remaining in Western Australia.

Physical Description

Single storey timber framed dwelling with a verandah wrapping the front and one side and part of the rear, under a break pitch off the main gable roof. Front fence obscures views but front verandah seems to be enclosed.

History

The railway from Geraldton, through Mullewa and the Murchison goldfield reached Cue in 1898 and was extended to Nannine in 1903 and Meekatharra in 1910. In 1929, the extension of the line to Wiluna was begun, and completed in 1932. It is likely the Stationmaster house was provided soon after the railway reached Meekatharra.

Integrity/Authenticity

INTEGRITY High degree AUTHENTICITY High degree

Condition

Fair

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House 44 Queen Rd

Uses

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Meekatharra District High School

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Meekatharra District High School provides a critical education facility in the regional location of Meekatharra and district.

Physical Description

The double storey masonry building is a typical high school structure of the late 1960s period.

History

The first school at Meekatharra opened on 8 August 1904 in an ironclad building, with 18 pupils and teacher Mrs Margaret Clarkson. Meekatharra District High School, established on its present site in 1967-1975, caters for students from Kindergarten to Year 12 and draws from a diverse population of around 600 locally and 2100 district-wide, representing Aboriginal communities, pastoral, mining and related service industries. It has an enrolment of around 200 students with over 90 percent coming from Aboriginal families. The need for a new school was hastened by the imminent closure of the Dominican convent school. The District High School has a custom built library, administration block and undercover area, computer laboratory with internet access, full size school oval and access to the community swimming pool and other facilities in the town. It has a farm attached to it, which is used as an alternative program for students whose needs are not being met within the classroom and an incentive to increase attendance. In 2009, a fire severely damaged the science and home economics classrooms. Adjoining the High School is the Meekatharra School of the Air. Established in 1957 with one teacher and 27 pupils it was originally located on the grounds of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. It moved to its present site in 1975.

Integrity/Authenticity

INTEGRITY High degree AUTHENTICITY High degree

Condition

Good

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Meekatharra District Hospital

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Meekatharra District Hospital provides a critical health facility in the regional location of Meekatharra and district.

Physical Description

The single storey masonry building is a typical health facilities structure of the late 1960s period. Its street frontage is predominantly timber framed full-length gazed panels each in a configuration of five horizontal panes. A full width verandah across the entire front is supported by slender round steel poles under the main roof structure.

Integrity/Authenticity

INTEGRITY High degree AUTHENTICITY High degree

Condition

Good

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Meekatharra Shire Hall

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

The Shire Hall represents the progressive change from Roads Boards to Shires and the provision of a community, civic and cultural heart in Meekatharra.

Physical Description

Single storey face masonry structure with a full gable frontage. The low-pitched roof extends at break pitch over a skillion addition along one side. A skillion verandah supported by masonry piers extends across the frontage of the hall with expansive set of steps across that width.

History

The Shire Hall was constructed c.1970 and comprises a main hall with foyer and stage area, a kitchen and screened verandah are on one side and an annexe on the other. The original building has been enlarged and likely originally comprised just the central hall with stage and foyer area. The place is the venue for many civic and social events, dances, concerts, etc and for the showing of pictures.

Integrity/Authenticity

INTEGRITY High degree AUTHENTICITY High degree

Condition

Good

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Town Entry

Uses

Historic Themes

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Statement of Significance

Town entry (battery) is significant in representing the gold mining history of Meekatharra.

History

A battery, also sometimes referred to as a crushing mill, was used to retrieve the gold from the ore, with associated dressing, cyanide and smelting facilities. 'State' batteries were established by the government to assist prospectors who could not provide their own facilities and whose relatively small ore quantities did not warrant the prices charged by commercial operations. Most large mines had their own battery. The Meekatharra Battery was established in 1901 and operated continuously until 1987, even during the periods when there was not a single large mine operating in the region. Through the depression and World War Two when no large gold mines operating in the Murchison, the battlers could still have their ore crushed at the battery. The Battery treated 290,927 tons of ore for a return of 208,219 ounces of gold. Associated with the operation were the assay office, strong-room and the battery manager's house as well as the tailing dumps and settling ponds. The buildings were demolished in 1994 and a five stamp battery and Berdan pan were installed as an entrance statement to the Meekatharra town site. The safe, too heavy to move, remained on the empty concrete pad.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate Degree

Condition

Good

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Railway Dam (south)

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

The Railway Dam is significant for its association with the Meekatharra railway and the use of sustenance worker labour

Physical Description

Concrete construction with tapered dam walls.

History

The railway from Geraldton, through Mullewa and the Murchison goldfield reached Cue in 1898 and was extended to Nannine in 1903 and Meekatharra in 1910. In 1929, the extension of the line to Wiluna was begun, and completed in 1932. Meekatharra had been a watering station as the terminus of the line, but with the extension to Wiluna, a larger and more reliable supply was needed for the steam trains. The construction of a 2 million gallon capacity dam a few miles south of Meekatharra was undertaken by sustenance workers. The dam was built in an area where it could be filled through diversion channels from surrounding creeks, and extra storage capacity was established by enlarging the pool in the main creek. Steam trains were replaced with diesel during the 1950s and 1960s, and the Mullewa-Meekatharra line closed in 1978. By the 1950s the roof over the dam had deteriorated and been removed. The water is now used to irrigate the town oval. The dam is also the venue for many social events over the years and for picnic and parties.

Integrity/Authenticity

INTEGRITY Moderate to high degree AUTHENTICITY High degree

Condition

Fair

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Aerated Waters Factory

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

The site of the Aerated Water Factory informs of the industry and development in the history of Meekatharra.

Condition

Site

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State Battery

Uses

Creation Date

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State Battery (ruins)

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

The site of the State Battery is significant in representing the mining interest in Meekatharra and the government support of that development.

History

A battery, also sometimes referred to as a crushing mill, was used to retrieve the gold from the ore, with associated dressing, cyanide and smelting facilities. 'State' batteries were established by the government to assist prospectors who could not provide their own facilities and whose relatively small ore quantities did not warrant the prices charged by commercial operations. Most large mines had their own battery. The Meekatharra Battery was established in 1901 and operated continuously until 1987, even during the periods when there was not a single large mine operating in the region. Through the depression and World War Two when no large gold mines operating in the Murchison, the battlers could still have their ore crushed at the battery. The Battery treated 290,927 tons of ore for a return of 208,219 ounces of gold. Associated with the operation were the assay office, strong-room and the battery manager's house as well as the tailing dumps and settling ponds. The buildings were demolished in 1994 and a five stamp battery and Berdan pan were installed as an entrance statement to the Meekatharra town site. The safe, too heavy to move, remained on the empty concrete pad.

Condition

Site

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Meekatharra Cemetery

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Meekatharra Cemetery is significant for the sense of place and record of history of the people associated with Meekatharra since 1907.

Physical Description

Fenced cemetery of grave sites with various headstones and grave markers.

History

Reserve 10223, Kyarra (Meekatharra) Cemetery was established in 1907 after gold was located underground close to the old Meekatharra Cemetery. It has an area of 5 acres.

Integrity/Authenticity

INTEGRITY High degree AUTHENTICITY High degree

Condition

Good

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Old Mount Gould Police Station Group

Values

The place is a good example of a simple stone building in the Victorian Georgian style located in a picturesque setting.
The place is an example of a remotely located lock up constructed to protect European pastoralists from so called Aboriginal attacks.
The place appears to be a rare example of a police station and lock up complex in the area, which dates from this period.
The use of stone and simple Victorian Georgian style of the place is typical of this era.

Physical Description

The site comprises a police station and residence, lock up, wind mill, stone water trough and 2 CGI water tanks. The police station is a square stone building with two chimneys and a hipped CGI roof which extends to cover surrounding verandahs. These verandahs are supported by busk timber posts with bush timber rafters, part of the verandahs have been enclosed. External walls are limewashed and the timber framed windows have shutters. The lock up is a small, square stone building located to the rear of the police station. It has a CGI roof and the building itself only had one room only. The verandah is located on all four sides and has bush timber posts. Window openings have metal grills.

History

The first pastoralist families who took up land in the Iriwn, Greenough and Bowes River areas were the Burgesses and the Browns among others. Sheep in particular proved a popular stock and were run on the land in this area. In the 1860s and 1870s more pastoralists took up land in the river country and the small shepherd’s huts were eventually replaced by larger homesteads. The Mt Gould Police Station and Lock Up is believed to have been established at the instigation of pastoralists in the area in an effort to have a permanent police force on hand for immediate action against sheep spearing and stealing by local Aboriginal people. The place was built in c. 1880 on Berringarra Station, which owned by brothers Len and Everard Darlot Brothers. From this lock up, prisoners were taken to Carnarvon for trial in neck chains by the mounted police stationed at Mt Gould. Those found guilty were sent to Rottnest Island. It is not known to what uses the place was put subsequent to its closure. Both buildings were re-roofed during recent restoration works.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity- Low Authenticity- Moderate

Condition

Sound

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Mount Gould Police Station is significant for the associations with the pastoralists from the 1880s, evidencing a distinctive way of life for the police officers and the pastoralists of the region.

Physical Description

Two buildings closely associated in an otherwise isolated location. The larger of the two buildings is rectangular in form and evidences a central corridor with rooms each side. The smaller is square in form and is the lockup with vertical steel bars to the window openings. The floor is earthen. Both buildings have perimeter verandas supported by bush timber posts, under the main roof.

History

The Mount Gould Police Station opened in the 1880s as a centre for police protection for Murchison pastoralists. In the late 1890s early 1900s, the police were concerned with checking cattle and sheep killing by the local Aboriginals. The buildings consist of the main station, which originally had a separate kitchen, lock-up, stone lined well and a grave. Iron bars, to which prisoners were chained, are still set in the walls of the lock-up. On 3 June 1987, the restored Mt Gould police station was dedicated to all the pioneers who settled the district.

Integrity/Authenticity

INTEGRITY Moderate degree AUTHENTICITY High degree despite well meaning interventions

Condition

Fair

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Hillside Station

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

The site of Hillside Station is significant as an early station establishment.

History

Hillside Station was established near Nannine by a Mr Arnold in the early 1900s. The property had a good water supply from a creek and wells, with water pumped up by windmills, and a substantial market garden and a citrus orchard were established. It was an oasis. In 1919, Wally and Linda Bell, of Meekatharra, took over Hillside. A slaughter yard was built and fresh meat was supplied to Nannine and to local mines. When Wally Bell died in 1940 his son Jack took over the property. He kept the business operating until the mines closed and Nannine became a ghost town in the late 1940s. Jack and his sister Jean then moved the Hillside homestead to Norie Station.

Condition

Site

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Karalundi Aboriginal Education Community Inc

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Karalundi Mission is significant for the Seventh Day Adventist establishment in 1954 until 1974, and the re-opening by former Mission students, in 1986, as the Karalundi Aboriginal Education Community.

Physical Description

Good

History

In 1954, Pastor Dudley Vaughan of the Seventh Day Adventist church established Karalundi Native Mission on Crystal Brook Station with the assistance of Aboriginal woman Mrs Avy Curley. Buildings were constructed or relocated from other areas. The Mission operated for twenty years, until the Church decided that the government's welfare approach had overtaken much of what the church was trying to achieve. Karalundi Mission closed on 30 November 1974. Former students of the Mission, however, became active in working towards its reopening and in 1986 the place was reborn as Karalundi Aboriginal Education Community. Karalundi is an independent parent controlled co-educational boarding school, which operates with a strong Christian ethos and caters for students from Kindergarten to Year 10. Students are housed in dormitories and return to their communities for holiday periods. Many new buildings and facilities have been added to the site and most homes are built from rammed earth and are fully air conditioned. The 3-room Big Bell schoolroom was relocated to Karalundi to augment the original schoolhouse, and a new chapel was built and officially opened by Mrs Curley in 1997.

Integrity/Authenticity

INTEGRITY High degree AUTHENTICITY High degree

Condition

Good

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Horseshoe Lights Mine

Uses

Creation Date

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Ilgarari Main Mine

Uses

Creation Date

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Ilgarari Northeast Mine

Uses

Creation Date

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Palace Hotel

Uses

Creation Date

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Keep it Dark Mine

Uses

Creation Date

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Rabbit Proof Fence No 1

Child Places

• 12080 Rabbit Proof Fence No 1
• 07144 Rabbit Proof Fence
• 13982 Rabbit Proof Fence No1
• 14216 Rabbit Proof Fence No 1

Values

The place is the longest fence in the world, extending over 1800kms.

The place is significant for its contribution to agriculture at the turn of the century.

The place is rare as a method of pest control, that was to eventually also help prevent the movement of dingoes, foxes and emus.

Physical Description

The Rabbit Proof Fence is the longest fence in the world and cost £250 per kilometre to construct. It was made from Saltwater paperbark posts, wire netting 42 inches wide, with a mesh not less than 1 1/2 inches, and no lighter than 17 gauge, ‘b’ grade with barbed and plain wire. Six inches of the erected wire netting was buried in the ground.

History

Rabbits were introduced to Geelong from England by Thomas Austin in 1859. Towards the end of the last century rabbits were known to have travelled across to Western Australia from Victoria. In 1896, Arthur Gregory Mason reported that rabbits were at least two hundred miles past the South Australian border and inside Western Australia at the town of Eucla. His recommendation to the government was to build a rabbit proof fence. After much debate and a Royal Commission, the government eventually adopted the idea of a barrier fence. In 1901 the Government Surveyor, A.W. Canning was commissioned to survey a fence line to be built to cut off the flow of rabbits entering Western Australia. Canning with only Hubert Trotman, Hassan (an Afghan Camel man) and eight camels completed the preliminary exploratory survey from Burracoppin to Starvation Boat Harbour in July and August that year. They surveyed a route for the fence and its construction began in December the same year. The fence from Starvation Boat Harbour to Burracoppin was built by contract with saltwater paperbark posts on the lower section obtained locally and other materials were shipped into starvation Boat Harbour. The fence was completed in 1906. When the fence was completed, it was the longest fence in the world, stretching from Starvation Boat Harbour, just west of Esperance in the south, to Wallal on the 80 Mile Beach in the northwest, a distance of 1822kms. Even before completion, the rabbits were past the fence and work had begun on Fences No.2 and 3. By 1908 the three fences were complete, over 3,000km of fence line in total. (See map.) Although the construction of the fences was finished, someone was needed to patrol and maintain them. Alex Crawford was appointed the first Chief Inspector of Rabbits and was required to inspect and maintain the fences. The fence was maintained by boundary riders patrolling 240km stretches of fence line with an ingenuous permanent water catchments and huts at regular intervals of 50kms. There were gates at every 32kms and trap yards for foxes and dingoes as well as rabbits every 8 kms. Grids and rabbit proof gates were constructed where the fence crossed the road. Without regular water, the use of horses to carry out the fence inspection was difficult. When camels were used, it was found that inspection of the fence was unsatisfactory from the height of a camel. Many other methods were tried such as bicycles, but this proved unsatisfactory. In 1910, a motor vehicle was purchased to carry out the inspection but was also to prove unsatisfactory. After many punctures and broken springs, it had to be towed slowly back to camp by camels. In the end the only workable solution for the inspection teams were buckboard buggies pulled by pairs of camels. Despite the best efforts to stop the rabbits at the barrier fence, it was to only slow the rabbit's migration. Erosion under the fences, holes in the wire and gates left open allowed rabbits to continue their movement west into the fertile agricultural areas. In their hundreds of thousands, they ate out pasture, ring-barked trees and devoured crops. Much of the fence is still in good repair, especially where it is used by abutting farmers as a boundary fence.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity- Moderate Authenticity- High

Condition

Good - although condition varies along the route

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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