Rockingham Roads Board Site

Statement of Significance

• The place has historic value for its association with the Rockingham Roads Board, first formed in 1897, which included prominent local members C. Parkin, J. Thorpe, D. Hymus, John Bell, James Bell, W. Day and G. Mead.
• The place has historic value for its association with the earliest school in East Rockingham established in 1897 which function at this site until 1975.

Physical Description

Plaque to commemorate the proclamation of Rockingham to city status on 12 November 1988. The original road board’s building has been lost and the corner site is now a Water Corporation site with no other indication that a building was located there apart from the memorial.

History

The Rockingham Roads Board was established in 1897 with inaugural members John Thorpe, William Day, George Mead, John and James (Jnr) Bell, Daniel Hymus and Charles Parkin, J.P. who was the Chairman. In 1905, a small one roomed timber building, with a stone frontage was built on this site on the corner of Office Road and Mandurah Road.
In 1933, the Roads Board office was leased by the Education Department to supplement accommodation for the East Rockingham School, which was located on the other side of Mandurah Road on the corner of Wellard Road. At the same time, the Roads Board decided that their office was too far from the town and eventually moved into a rented accommodation at Rockingham.
In the following year, a contract was let to A. Woodhouse for a new 30 foot by 20 foot school room on the block of land on Office Road, adjoining the old Road Boards Office. These buildings were sufficient until 1953, when the construction of the Oil Refinery at Kwinana brought a sudden increase in the number of scholars and subsequently, a two-room Bristol prefabricated building was added to the school. In later years, the number of scholars declined due to the development of Medina and decline in Kwinana Beach as a residential area. The school was closed in c. 1975 and the buildings were removed.
In 1929, the Rockingham Road Board requested the State Centenary Committee that a tablet be placed at the East Rockingham School site (cnr Wellard and Mandurah Roads) as it was believed at that time to be the oldest school still operating in the state. It has not been established if a tablet was installed at the site and there is no evidence of a table at the site today [2017].

Uses

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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