Historic Mundaring

The existing Parkerville Public Hall, sited on a former gravel pit is the third one in the locality. The first, which doubled as the first school, was made of fluted iron (mini orb) and was built in 1897.

 

In c.1909, it was replaced by a timber weatherboard and iron building on another site at lot 72 Riley Road. Between 1917 and 1921, the local residents, supported by MLA, Mr S Sampson, lobbied for a new hall on a more prominent site. To finance its construction all residents pledged 5 pounds and storekeeper Charles Young guaranteed a 200-pound loan.

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The current Parkerville Public Hall was opened by the Premier James Mitchell on Saturday 30th September 1922. Since then, in c. 1960's an addition in the south and east sides of the hall has increased its facilities.

As local community and education centres, halls and Mechanics Institutes were an important part of early social and cultural history. Western Australia's first Mechanics Institute was established in Perth in January 1851.

 

The closest one for hills residents was at Guildford, built in 1865. In 1906, the same year Midland Junction opened their Mechanics Institute, Mundaring Weir citizens, Harry Ball, Eli Willis, Fred Jacoby and Engineer-in-Charge of the No. 1 Pumping Station, Mr. A Eggleton, began to raise funds for the Mundaring Weir Hall and Mechanics Institute.

 

Delays in construction caused by storm damage meant the building was not ready for official opening until April 1908. A crowd of 200 people attended the opening by M.L.A. Mr A.C. Gull. The foundation stone shows the name of James Price, Minister for Works and Mr Jordan as the Builder. An indication that the community was expected to grow can be seen in the temporary nature of the corrugated iron rear of the Hall.

In the 1920s and 30s, after the forestry headquarters were established at nearby 'Portagabra', the hall and nearby tennis courts were used for dances and tennis. Between c 1947 and 1951, when the wall of the Mundaring Weir, was being raised, children of the construction workforce were taught here as an overflow class from the Mundaring Weir school. The building was well used by local people until, with declining population levels, it fell into disrepair. In the early 1980's, the Shire of Mundaring rehabilitated the building for use by community groups.

The first permanent building to be established at the site known as Mahogany Inn, was a granite barracks, with separate kitchen and store, to house patrols for the protection of travellers on the Guildford to York Road.

 

The site was also convenient to a road which branched off to Northam. Established in 1839, the Mahogany Creek Barracks were abandoned in September 1841, and in November 1842, Perth merchants William and Robert Habgood purchased 320 acres (100 ha) of land surrounding the former barracks, setting up a "Road-side House".

On 22nd October 1898, soon after the Mundaring townsite was gazetted in May 1898, H.A. Hummerston, then licensee of the Helena Vale Hotel in Railway Parade Midland, acquired lots 54 and 55 on the corner of Jacoby and Nichol Streets and near to the newly-built Mundaring Railway Station.

 

In April 1899, the first publican Albert Maddock, opened the two-storey, brick building for business. In June 1900, John Chipper took over the lease and began to advertise to attract the holiday resort trade. It became a very popular weekend retreat and many other guest houses and cottages, such as 'Temuka', followed the trend.

 

Before the Masonic Lodge in Jacoby Street was built in 1926, meetings of the local Freemasons Lodge were held in the hotel. In January 1929, the lease was taken over by Bob Crawford from the Freemasons Hotel in Bridgetown. After Hummerston died in 1932, the hotel was bought by Mundaring identity Fred Jacoby. Jacoby first came to Mundaring in November 1893, when he and brother Mathieson Harry and father Daniel purchased the vineyard Peter Gugeri had established in 1882.

The brick and iron church at Glen Forrest was originally built as a Baptist Church. Its foundation stone was laid on 30th January 1905, by Mesdames A. Schneider and H. Pittersen. The opening was attended by 150 people including the then Speaker of the Legislative Assembly M.H. Jacoby, brother of Fred Jacoby.

 

In 1910, the church was bought by the Methodists and they held regular services until 1929. Later the Minister came from either Mundaring or Midland and from the 1960s, a multi-denominational Sunday School operated. From 1983, the church was used by Rev. Terry Tero and in c. 1984, a building was added at the rear.

From 1903, when the Weir first overflowed, the re-named 'Goldfields Weir Hotel', enjoyed patronage from sightseers as well as locals. Sometime in the period 1904-7, Fred Jacoby took over the running of the hotel, and added a two storey section to the front of the 1898 building.

 

A postal agency operated here from c.1907. Also in 1907, he was able to open the bar on Sundays, and in 1909, when the Western Australian Government Railways took over the Weir line, the tourist trade increased rapidly. Aside from a short period during World War I when the Weir was off limits to civilians, excursion trains remained popular until the advent of World War II.

 

As evidenced by advertisements in the "Motorist and Wheelman", the 1920's saw an increase in motor traffic coming to the hotel. The hotel was later run by Fred Jacoby's daughter, Elfreda Devenish.

In the time since World War II, the hotel remained licensed and continued to be used as a post office agency. It gradually fell into poor condition until restoration work was begun in the mid 1970's by the late Kerry Burke and subsequent owners.
 

Additions include the building in the early 1990's, of ten accommodation units and a swimming pool. In recent years, the Goldfields Weir Hotel has been the scene of classical and jazz music concerts, and other diverse social and cultural activities.

Described as the very first agricultural hall in the district, Smiths Mill's Octagonal building was one of the earliest brick structures in the locality. Its construction came as a result of a community effort.

 

Prominent local orchardist, gravel merchant, former coach builder, and substantial landowner, W.H. McGlew, not only donated the site, but also, with Tom Smith, owner of Smith's Mill, and Jacob Hawter, owner of the Darling Nurseries, went guarantor for a £100 pound W.A. Bank overdraft.

 

A local committee, headed by Josceline Amherst of Darlington Vineyards, designed and constructed the Hall, using a £300 contribution from the Government. The money was forthcoming because the Public Works Department failed to accept any tenders from the advertisement process begun in January 1896.

The Hall was finally opened in early 1897, with hessian walls which were later replaced by brick. It has been suggested that the octagonal shape was conceived to effectively display agricultural produce. One of the most significant alterations to the Hall's construction is said to have occurred when the internal central support pole was removed on a bet by the local sawyer and his horse (it is yet to be proved whether there is any factual basis for the anecdote).

The hall was originally known as Forrest Hall, after the Premier, Sir John Forrest. Over its long history it not only temporarily housed the local Road Board's meetings, but also many community activities, such as dances, concerts, Christmas Trees, picture shows, sporting groups and ANZAC Day Services.

Considering its history, it is surprising that the Hall survived in it;s present condition. By 1913, not only had the original overdraft doubled, but the then Secretary of the Hall Committee, Stationmaster FD Wickstead, wrote to inform the PWD that financial help was needed to repair cracks near the stage. When this request was refused, a public meeting rejected the suggestion to build a new hall, and instead, funds were raised to repair the old hall and discharge McGlew's overdraft.

 

In the 1960's, having long outgrown the original Octagonal Hall, the community spurred on by George Hawke, built a new Community Hall. Threats to bulldoze the decaying old hall were resisted by the community, and it was restored by the Shire for use by the CWA in August 1968. The Hall is leased today by the Eastern Hills Wildflower Society, who sub-let it to other community groups.

Until 1896, in common with many other localities, Chidlow's postal services were handled by the local station-master.

 

In 1896, a post office was built south of the Eastern Railway line, but when the town's activities moved to Thomas Street it was dismantled and moved in July 1910, to its present site.