Wagin Historical Village

Historical Village started in 1978 as a working memorial to pioneers and now it is the largest and best social history museum in Western Australia. If you are in Perth and looking for an alternative to the beach or shops on the weekend - it is definitely worth a visit. There are 24 buildings that house the history of the region. Four of the historic buildings (school, bank, quarantine ward and hall) were relocated. Other buildings such as stone church were specifically constructed in keeping with the period and the methods used.

There is a large collection of old argicultural machinery. In the Post Office you can flip through the West Australian White Pages directories dated 1909 and 1911. The School has a very interesting collection of historic school work done by students in early 20-th century and, in difference with other museums where everything is kept under the glass, you can actually touch it and read through the one hundred year old copy-book. The hall has interesting collection of old photos/newspapers/memorabilia and a large collection of minerals.

Please note that Wagin Historical Village is a "community project built and funded entirely by voluntary labour and love" and is a the winner of the 2002 Heartlands Tourism Award for Volunteers. The Wagin Historical Village has also won the 2002 Tidy Towns Cultural Heritage Award, the Town of Wagin won the 2002 5 Star Award and the 2002 Tidy Town Award for a Town under 2,000 people, and the Tourist Visitors Centre won the 2002 Tidy Town Friendly Tourism Award. For more information please visit the Village Internet site.

Photos on this page are numbered and additional information is provided below. Please click on the image to enlarge it.

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1	The Post Office houses early telephone equipment. Western Australian White Pages directories from 1909 and 1911 are available for viewing.
2	'The Dunny' - an outside toilet common up until 1950's. It was a haven for snakes and spiders. The School House is an original that was moved to the Village from Boyerine, 30 km south of Wagin. Please note the original desks with inkwells, literature and the manuscript books in which children practiced writing. The National Bank building was transported from Woodanilling where it was in use until 1981.
3	The Argus Printing Works houses early printing equipment in working order. The first 'Argus' was printed in Wagin in 1905 and is still issued weekly. The Mud Bat Cottage is made from 1000 bricks made from the mud taken from a nearby creek.
4	The Mallee Root Shed - roots of trees were hand-picked after clearing and burning the paddocks, so they would be clean enough to crop. The roots were used for firewood but also to make a variety of buildings.
5	Agricultural machinery - there is a large collection of restored tractors, trucks, shearing plants and other farming implements. The Dressmaker's Shop has examples of clothing from the last 100 years. The Trading Post houses many artifacts which would have been in the first Wagin's trading post established in 1889.
6	The Bag Tent was often the first house of settlers and was made by stiching bags together and throwing them over a frame.
7	The Settler's Cottage is a replica of the 1880's building. The cottage is less in size than an average-sized lounge room and was used to house a family of nine.

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