Kobeelya School Museum

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An unusual story about ‘Kobeelya’, a Western Australian country boarding school for girls from 1922 to 1986, in the former Coach House.

Kobeelya and Kobeelya Penrhos school collections are in the Coach House at Kobeelya on the grounds of the Katanning Baptist Church and Conference Centre. The Kobeelya Church of England Girls’ School opened in 1922 at ‘Kobeelya’ the former residence of the Honourable Fredrick Henry Piesse. The museum reflects the changes in education and curriculum, society values and fashion over sixty years. The school was the only school in WA to have a registered Pony Club with horses and stables on site. There are five themed rooms, and you can even step into a dormitory and get a sense of what daily life was like for the boarders.

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Address:

1 Brownie Street
Katanning WA 6317
Australia

Tel:

0427 854 249

Email:

okapresident@kobeelya.com

Opening Hours

Sat 1:20pm - 2:30pm. Also open by appointment. Contact the Old Kobeelyans’ Association on 0409 298 050 or 0427 854 249, or the Manager of the Kobeelya Conference Centre on 0434 313 689.

Dormitory beds

The boarding house

The boarding house rules were very strict. The girls were permitted three items only on their bedside table and the bed was made with hospital corners. Some girls only boarded during the week and went...

Autograph books

Pictures and ponderings

Kobeelya autograph books were passed amongst students, teachers and friends to fill with poems, drawings and personal messages. The collection of autograph books ranges from the 1920s to mid 1970s.

Pony club

Avid sports women

Kobeelya students were enthusiastic sports women. They represented their school in local competitions and travelled to Perth to compete against other independent private schools. Students in the Pony...

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Understanding our history to plan our future

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A secret society

In many towns the list of historic buildings includes the local Masonic Lodge. The Freemasons were exclusively male, non-Catholic and often with significant influence on the ‘goings-on’ in the town...