Irwin Districts Historical Society and Russ Cottage

Old prison protects pioneering history

Wander through the old police house and court rooms which today house the vast Irwin Districts Historical Society collection and you can almost hear the click of chains which once bound prisoners here. So imposing is the building that Dongara continues to hold court here every second month in the hope of deterring would-be offenders. Be sure to peer into the depths of the well out the back, check out the historical artefacts in the old stables and walk the outline of a cell which was once crammed with Indigenous prisoners. These men had been marched to the tiny cell to await transport and horrendous conditions at the Rottnest Island Prison on Wadjemup. While you are in Dongara, you can also visit Russ Cottage Historic House Museum at 1 St Dominics Road, Dongara, and The Packout Room Pop-up Museum at 3 Macintyre Cove, Port Denison.

 

 

Address:

5 Waldeck St
Dongara WA 6525
Australia

Opening Hours

Mon to Sat 10am to 12pm

Stepping out in style

In May 1927 a Muriel Henning, wife of WA politician Charles Harriott Henning joined the country’s upper echelons for the opening of Parliament House in Canberra, wrapped in the velvety embrace of this...

One family’s history through melody

This organ could play the melody of the lives of Western Australia’s European pioneers, having once been owned by the first European girl born in the Swan River Colony. Built around 1820, the pedal...

Wildflower tourism emerges

While locals had long admired the profusion of dazzling wildflowers which erupted around Dongara each spring, it wasn’t until the 1960s that wildflower tourism emerged. The Midland Railway Company...

More Coral Coast collections

Several museums in one

The Carnarvon Heritage Precinct encompasses several museums in one area - the Railway Museum and Shearing Hall of Fame, the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage and the One Mile Jetty Centre, which includes...

Vibrant community art space

Carnamah is home to a group of people who describe themselves as ‘can-do go-getters’, and who have formed the not-for-profit North Midlands Project. Their aim is to help regional Western Australia...

Rail history brought to life

Stand on the platform of the former Walkaway Station, close your eyes and you can almost picture a train and hear the bustle of residents as they awaited passenger transport, the delivery of fresh...

Tiny museum provides glimpse into pastoral and mining past

This tiny museum is housed in the old Upper Gascoyne Road Board building, constructed in 1912. It features a collection which provides a glimpse into the region’s colourful pastoral, mining and...

While you're in the area

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Russ Cottage
Attraction
Russ Cottage
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