Donnelly River Village Museum

A Special Little Place in the Forest...

Kangaroos languidly observe the surroundings in the picturesque Donnelly River Village while emus wander through the karris. Now a tranquil holiday destination, the village was established in the late 1940s for the workers at the Bunnings Bros. Mill which opened in 1950. Many of the workers and families were displaced persons from World War II, who were collected from the Fremantle Port and brought directly to Donnelly River. The State Housing Commission built the first 29 houses in 1950/51 with later houses built by the workers for their families, while huts on the other side of the mill housed single men. The two room school opened in 1953 to educate the children of the workers. The Museum is housed in one of the classrooms, and presents a fascinating insight into life in this isolated mill town. Photographs, stories, and memorabilia create a vivid picture. Though a lovely peaceful setting now, imagine what it would have been like when the air was full of the screech and roar of the mill saws and trains and the mill whistle managed the daily routine of the whole community.

Address:

The Old School
Cnr Andrew and Sears Road
Donnelly River WA 6258
Australia

Opening Hours

Open by calling the Donnelly River Village General Store on 08 9772 1308

Tuning into the ABC Radio’s educational broadcast was a regular feature of primary school life in the 1950s. The artworks on the wall show more liveliness than the faces of these neatly dressed...

When the Mill Social Club, built by the workers, opened its doors in 1951, women were welcomed as members, unlike many similar clubs at the time which were exclusively for men. This open membership...

Working in the mill was hot, dirty and dangerous work, and good safety practices were recognised with particular awards. A fitter at the mill earned this blanket, which was proudly embroidered as...

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