Dongara, Irwin
Irwin District Museum
The Museum is housed in the Old Police Station, Prison and Courthouse complex. The building was erected in 1870, with extensions being completed in 1873. The original building comprised a court room, police station, cell block and living quarters, and was built from locally-quarried limestone; the walls are some 450mm thick, constructed in the coarse random rubble style. The roof, which was originally wooden shingle, has been replaced by corrugated iron. A sample of the original shingles is displayed in the exhibition.
The Irwin District Historical Society have another museum located at Russ Cottage, Dongara. See separate Guide listing.
Address:
Old Police Station, 5 Waldeck St, Dongara, WA
Tel:
0899271323
Hours:
Monday - Friday 10.00am-4.00pm, Saturday 10.00-11.30am.
Website:
Email:
Admission:
Adults $2.50, Concessions $2.00, Families $5.00.
Collection:
The collection has a wide range of items on display. A rabbit display shows where they came from, how they died and how they returned. A comprehensive camera display, policing in the Irwin District, shipwrecks along the coast, and pioneers of the Irwin District are all on display, together with communications, transport, family heirlooms and archival records.
Subject:
- Historic Site
- House Museum
- Social History Museum
- Photographs
- Drawings and Prints
- Furniture
- Glass
- Metalwork
- Painting
- Pottery and Ceramics
- Woodwork
- Archives
- Armed Forces
- Numismatics, Coins and Currency
- Domestic Items
- Emergency Services
- Exploration
- Genealogy
- Historic Buildings
- Historic People
- Images
- Law
- Local Government
- Local History
- Maritime and Naval History
- Medals and Badges
- Militaria
- Prisons or Convicts
- Professionals and Trades
- Religion
- Rural Life
- Social History
- Weapons Arms and Armor
- Women
- Animal Husbandry
- Bicycles
- Clocks
- Communications
- Electronics or Computing
- Food Science
- Hunting, Fishing, Trapping
- Lighting
- Marine Technology
- Mass Media
- Photography
- Postal Services
- Ships and Shipping
- Telecommunications
- Tools
- Aboriginal Artefacts
- Seashells
- Dolls
- Literature
- Models
- Music
Items
Desk Set
Description:
Leather-bound box with two inkwells, one silver seal, one silver calendar/date holder. Date cards are celluloid. The set was found by the Grierson faily who purchased the Lighthouse-keepr's Cottage, built in 1869.
Date:
c1890
Item Id Number:
1990 L/0019
Handcuffs
Creator:
Prisons Dept
Description:
Handcuffs with chain attached, used to chain two or more prisoners together.
Date:
c1870
Item Id Number:
1994 V/0021
Camera
Premo no 4
Creator:
Kodak
Description:
Folding camera in leatherette case with fibre bellows. Includes glass negative holder and leather case. Used by William Wilton in the Irwin district.
Date:
1910
Item Id Number:
2001/R 0316
Dongara
Bible
Wilton Family Bible
Description:
Illustrated family bible containing family birth, marriage and death dates and records (1818-1973). Owned by the Wilton family.
Date:
c1818
Item Id Number:
1990 L/0095
Irwin
Ticket of Leave
Creator:
HM Convict Prison, Millbank, UK
Description:
Ticket of leave for convict no 9779, with Employers, District, Date of Engagement, and Date of Discharge listed.
Date:
1884
Item Id Number:
1995 R/0020
Victoria