Dowerin District Museum

Get directions

A charming museum in an old house built by a saddler.

This charming museum is built upon the legacy of one family: the O’Shaughnessy’s. It is housed in the original home built in 1915, for Eugene O’Shaughnessy the local boot maker and saddler. The collection provides an insight into Dowerin and the Wheatbelt, from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Learn about the history of locals like Ethel Cook and the Dowerin Drapery, or the Couper family and their portal organ. The building continues to have no indoor plumbing, not even in the kitchen. The original shopfront for E. O’Shaughnessy, Saddler and Harness Maker was relocated to the Museum site and the attached building holds the original leather-working machinery.

Visit website

View Collection at Collections WA

Address:

16 Cottrell Street
Dowerin WA 6461
Australia

Tel:

(08) 9631 1202

Email:

dowshire@dowerin.wa.gov.au

Opening Hours

Mon - Fri

1950s football boots

Kangaroo kickers

These ‘footy’ boots were made in the 1950s and look like they have never been worn. They were designed for Australian Rules Football players and probably made by the O’Shaughnessy’s. Eugene O...

Photograph of Mr and Mrs O'Shaughnessy

Family legacy

Mae Yolanda O’Shaughnessy (nee Holyoake) and Eugene O’Shaughnessy were married in Pingelly and honeymooned in Busselton, before settling in Dowerin in 1915, in the house now occupied by the Museum...

Portable organ

Night-time singalong

This organ was transported from Victoria by members of the Couper Family. Steve Couper and his brother Bob settled in Dowerin in 1897 and encouraged his parents and sisters to relocate to Dowerin. The...

Eyre Bird Observatory Museum

A cosy natural history museum and bird observatory on the Great Australian Bight.

Visit a museum and bird observatory in one of the most isolated places in the world. Unwind, relax and take in the natural beauty and the natural history collection. The one-room museum includes...

Signpost Racing Museum

A passion for horse racing

This is the perfect place to research local horse racing history. The Museum began after the Palace Hotel was renovated and a diverse collection of racing items were uncovered. The collection includes...

Gwalia Historic Precinct

A ghost town with a mining history

The Gwalia Historic Precinct includes a ghost town and a museum featuring collections from the old Sons of Gwalia Mine and the Leonora district. The museum collection items are housed in the main shed...

Yilgarn History Museum

A meeting place between the Goldfields and the Wheatbelt

A visit to the Yilgarn Museum is a journey through the history of Southern Cross, which is sometimes referred to as the gateway to the Goldfields region. The museum building is the original courthouse...