Harvey Agricultural College (fmr)

Child Places

• 03168 Italian Prisoner of War Shrine at Harvey Agric High School
• 11998 Replica of the Hut Homestead
• 03168 Italian Prisoner of War Shrine at Harvey Agric High School

Statement of Significance

• The former internment camp has historic value as a demonstration of the internment policy which was practiced during World War II.
• The former Agricultural College has social value for the many students and teachers who attended the school since 1953.
• The place has social value for those who were interned at the camp and their families and for the wider community for its demonstration of the type of treatment administered during wartime.

Physical Description

The Agricultural College comprises a campus of a various building styles and ages and whilst they collectively form an important site, they do not all demonstrate cultural significance.

The accommodation block is a long timber framed structure set on tall timber stumped footings. The roof is a shallow pitched gable roof clad in short sheet corrugated galvanised iron panels. The sweep of the roof continues down to form the verandah canopy. The verandah is enclosed by corrugated metal sheeting and accessed via metal tread steps. The elevation is clad in fibro sheeting on a timber frame with ledge and braced doors into the room but no windows. The wings at each end incorporate deeper rooms. The remaining three external elevations are clad with corrugated sheeting with high level sash windows sitting below the open eaves. Air conditioning units have been inserted in some of the windows.

The hospital building is a further long timber framed range sitting on high timber stumps and accessed via various sets of timber steps. The elevations are fibro panelling with a continuous strip of windows extending across the full length of the front elevation, the rhythm of which is interrupted only by the entrance doors. There are no verandahs but the roof projects over the steps creating some shelter. The shallow pitched roof is clad in corrugated galvanised iron with tall brick chimneys. Weatherboard additions have been constructed at both ends of the range with timber framed sash windows and hipped roofs. The separate shower block is of similar construction with weatherboard cladding and timber framed casement windows, with a very shallow pitched corrugated iron roof.

The former prison is a single storey brick range containing four cells. Each cell has its own door on the front elevation of the prison and a high level corresponding window to the rear elevation. Mid-pitched gable roof with corrugated iron sheeting.
The pond was constructed by the Italians who had been interred at the camp during the war. The pond has random stone edging and a timber footbridge.

The two ‘Heritage’ sheds date from the 1940s and are both of timber framed construction with corrugated iron cladding to both the walls and roofs, with timber stumped floors. The smaller ‘Heritage’ Shed 1 has been consumed by a larger, more recent shed but the plan form of the original structure remains extant. The rear elevation of the shed is formed by the rear section of the original shed incorproating half the original roof. Internally, the framework for the roof can still be seen. The small timber windows and door in the side elevation are original to the smaller shed.

‘Heritage’ Shed 2 is more intact. The stand alone structure is a simple rectangular shape in plan form with a largely open plan layout internally interrupted only by a small store/office section at the far end of the space. The north and south elevations present with a regular rhythm of windows along the full lengths of the elevations with a single door access in the south wall fronting onto the access road and double timber doors in the west elevation.

The bridge was constructed in the 1940s to provide access across the site from the main entrance to the complex. The bridge has been structurally enhanced with steel pilings and replacement iron balustrade but the original bush timber pilings and bridge construction is still visible. The timber plan road surface is still extant but has been covered with bitumen.

History

The former Harvey Agricultural College was initially constructed during World War II as an internment camp for the accommodation of men designated as ‘enemy aliens’ or nationals of countries at war with Australia. The original buildings were constructed in 1940 by two private contractors, General Construction Co. Ltd and J. Hawkins and Son. A sum of £40,000 was allocated by the Commonwealth Department of Interior for the construction of the camp. Camp Management was overseen by Western Command of the Department of Defence with a Camp Commandant in charge.

The camp, also known as Camp No.11 accommodated over 1000 men who lived 30 to a hut. The huts were simple dormitory style timber framed huts clad with galvanised iron on the walls and roofs. The remaining former dormitory block demonstrates this original construction and the hospital building is a modification of the basic building and was constructed in 1940 separate to the original programme of works, by contractor H. A. Doust for £3533. It is understood that the bridge within the property was built in the 1940 programme of works.

Most of the internees held at Harvey were Italians who had been living and working in Western Australia prior to the war. They were miners, farmers, fishermen, tradesmen, businessmen and professionals. The crew of the German raider Kormoran and that of an Italian liner Remo were also accommodated there. The men followed a daily regime of work, recreation, meals and rest. Although not forced to work, the men cleared the surrounding bush, established market gardens and those with skills such as carpentry and shoemaking were kept busy at their trades.

The camp was managed on a military model, the camp commandant could issue punishment to internees for breaches of discipline including; insolence; abusive language; refusing to obey an order; interfering with the camp fence and attempting to escape. Punishment usually consisted of a period in the brick detention cells from 1 to 28 days in the cells. The date of construction of the prison cells has not been determined.

The camp closed in 1942 when the internees were transferred to Kalgoorlie. The camp was subsequently used for the remainder of WWII as a military training camp for the 3rd Australian Corps. The camp and the assets within it were no longer required by Western Command in October 1945. A 1945 catalogue of the assets on the site lists 116 buildings or structures including for example a sentry box, rifle range hut, telephone huts and a church hut.

In June 1947, the Harvey Rural Training Centre began operation at the site under the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme and two month courses were offered to ex-servicemen and women in farming techniques and methodologies.

In 1952, the camp became the focus for students who wished to pursue an education centred on farming styles common in the South West corner of Western Australia. The campus was administrated as an agricultural wing of the Harvey Senior High School. Having no farm land of its own students were ferried out to local farms for the practical side of their courses. Gradually small parcels of land surrounding the boarding facilities were acquired and developed for the students use. Other buildings were also added to the site during the second half of the 20th century as the needs and requirements of the Agricultural School developed. The campus initially catered for 48 male students solely boarding, but this changed in 1988 when the first 2 female students attended whilst boarding in town. In 1992, a transportable dormitory for girls was opened with 4 in attendance.

On the 19th January 1998, the Harvey Agricultural College came into existence splitting from the Harvey Senior High School. In 2000, the Western Australian College of Agricultural - Harvey was formed, joining four other Colleges from around the state in becoming a Registered Training Organisation. The college ceased operating from this site in 2012 and the place is currently [2014] occupied by Harvey Health and Community Services Group.

Integrity/Authenticity

High/ Moderate

Condition

Fair to Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.