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Bunbury Historical Attractions

Historical Sites of Interest

Bunbury Heritage Trail

The outstanding Bunbury Heritage Trail has 12 km loop covering 28 important sites in the city area with a 4 km walk through the central business district which adds another 22 interesting buildings and historic sites. The fact that there are 50 places of interest within the city is an indication that Bunbury deserves at least a day of inspection. This is a city of particularly beautiful old hotels, of interesting streetscapes and of excellent walks along the coastline.

The Old Railway Station

The Old Railway Station, which is now the local Bus Depot as well as housing the Tourist Bureau is a classic, solid, turn of the century, station designed when rail was the main form of transport. The Tourist Bureau has a wide range of publications about the city and can supply a map for those off-the-beaten-track attractions.

Stirling Street Historic Precinct

Near the Railway Station is the Stirling Street Historic Precinct - an area which has largely escaped modernisation. Originally the road from Bunbury to Australind, in the 1890s it became a popular area and its original character - long rectangular blocks of houses, steep pitched roofs, bay windows - has been retained. It offers an excellent insight into what Bunbury was like around the turn of the century. On the corner of Stirling and Moore streets is the building known as 'The Residency', a classic Australian bungalow with a bull nosed verandah, which was built in 1896 for the Resident Magistrate. At 82 and 84 Stirling Street are two cottages which date from 1875 when the first buildings were being constructed in the area. Number 84 is notable for its raised floor which is a precaution against flooding in Leschenault Inlet.
Further along Stirling Street are a number of significant dwellings. At 131 is a substantial residence built around 1890. Number 137 Stirling Street was originally built for the businessman and politician, Thomas Hayward whose Thos Hayward & Sons, farm equipment stores, spread throughout the south west after World War I. The Heritage Trail booklet describes the history of a number of other significant buildings in the Street.

Leschenault Homestead

One of the oldest buildings in Bunbury is Leschenault Homestead on the Old Coast Road. It was built in three stages starting in 1844 with additions in 1854 and 1874. The original owner was William Pearce Clifton, son of Marshall Walter Clifton, the Commissioner for Australind.

The first stage of the cottage was built from pit sawn timber with clay, woven wattles, weatherboards and newspapers and whitewash. It is a wonderful example of necessity providing interesting building materials.

Additions to this simple dwelling have included a detached verandah, bay windows and some very sophisticated joinery. It is a hugely important building both architecturally and historically. Unfortunately it is not open to the public.

St Marks Church (built in 1842) - the second oldest house of worship in Western Australia

St Marks Anglican Church

Another building of great historical importance is St Marks Anglican Church on the corner of Flynn and Charterhouse Close (a map is needed to find the building).

The story of the church is extraordinary. On 8 July 1840 the American whaler Samuel Wright was wrecked in Koombana Bay. The skipper, Captain Coffin, salvaged timber from the whaler and built himself a cottage at Picton. In 1842 the cottage was purchased off Coffin by the newly arrived Reverend John Ramsden Wollaston. Wollaston had arrived to become chaplain at Australind but by that time the settlement was collapsing and he was told that there were no funds to build a church and nowhere to stay.

Wollaston was undeterred by his problems in Australind. With the help of local farmers and with remarkable tenacity (he was over 50 at the time) he built his own church out of pit sawn timber using cloth soaked in linseed oil for the windows.

The present building was extensively restored in 1942 but the character has been retained. The churchyard contains the graves of many important early Bunbury citizens including William and Margaret Forrest (the parents of John and Alexander Forrest), Henry and Susannah King who built King's Cottage, and John and Helen Scott who were some of the district's earliest settlers.

King Cottage Museum

Bunbury's King Cottage Museum is located at 77 Forrest Avenue and is open by appointment (contact the Tourist Bureau for details) or by phoning (08) 9721 1586. The attractive King Cottage, which is a typical country residence, was built of hand made bricks around 1880. It was built progressively but the end result was a typical Australian brick bungalow with wide verandahs.
The museum recreates various periods in local history. The sitting room is furnished in typical Victorian style with a painting of Lieutenant Bunbury over the sideboard. The bedroom has interesting displays of old fashioned garments and cosmetics and the kitchen has items like a butter churn, mangle and water pump.

Bunbury Lighthouse

Bunbury Lighthouse

At the end of the beach is the Bunbury Lighthouse with the checkered lighthouse which dates from 1959 on top of the more recent section which was built in 1971. Look carefully and you can see a join about 10 m from the ground. The original lighthouse has been attached to the present one. The light is now 25 m above the ground and can be seen 27 km out to sea.

Timber Jetty

The initial construction of the timber jetty commenced in 1864 and was four-hundred and twenty-seven metres in length. In 1957, after several extensions, it reached its ultimate length of one-thousand eight-hundred and thirty metres.

Due to the development of the inner harbour in the 1970's the jetty ceased commercial shipping in October 1982.

When fully utilised, the jetty, comprising of six berths, handled major commodities of mineral sands, fertilisers, fruit, timber and grain.

The jetty, now used for pedestrian traffic, is a popular fishing and crabbing spot for people of all ages.

Sir John Forrest Memorial

Sir John Forrest, Baron Forrest of Bunbury, CMG, KCMG, PC, GCMG, Hon. LLD, FRGS, FGS, FLS, Kt of the Order of the Crown of Italy, surveyor, explorer, politician and peer, was Western Australia's greatest son.

Born in 1847 at his father's wind-driven flour mill at Mill Point, at the mouth of the Preston river, 7 kilometres from Bunbury, he spent 18 years in state politics, all in executive office, then 18 years in federal politics, almost half as a cabinet minister. First MLA for Bunbury, first Premier of WA, five times Federal Treasurer and, for a time, Forrest was acting Prime Minister.

In 1918 he was created Baron Forrest of Bunbury, the first Australian to be raised to the British peerage. Aged 71, he died that year at sea and is buried in Karrakatta cemetery.

In 1979 Bunbury businessmen commissioned Mark Lebuse to sculpture Forrest's head, now in St Paul's place, on the corner of Victoria and Stephen streets, Bunury.

St Nicholas Church

Today the only remnants of Australind's early history are St Nicholas Church (in Paris Street) which is reputed to be the smallest church in Australia it is only 3.6 m wide and 8.2 m long and was originally built as a workman's cottage. Services are still held in this church was built in 1848.

Henton Cottage

Over the road is Henton Cottage (1841) which is now part of an historical complex recalling the early settlement of the region. It houses the Tourist Information for the town and showcases a number of local artists. It is crammed with local arts and crafts and is home to Cottage Fairies.

Upton House

On the corner of Old Coast Road and Upton Place is Upton House, an elegant two storey dwelling which was built in 1847 for Marshall Walter Clifton. The french windows, wide verandah and casement windows are a far cry from Mrs Clifton's description of the tents in which the settlers originally had to live. It is ironic that the house, most of which was shipped out from England, was built long after most of the settlers had departed. It must have been a strange feeling being the Commissioner of a settlement which virtually did not exist.