Pemberton Timber Mill Workers' Cottages Precinct

Child Places

• 01522 Pemberton Uniting Church
• 25015 Mill Manager's House

Statement of Significance

Aesthetic, Historic, Representativeness, Rarity and Social

Physical Description

• Located east and north-east of the Pemberton Mill; • A complex of single storey timber residences (karri); • Located in Broadway, Brockman, Dean, Pine and Kelly Streets, and Karri Rise; • Uniform streetscapes; • Rear lanes; • Uniformity of layout; • Generous back gardens; • Limited range of fencing types; • Federation Bungalow style; • Weatherboard cladding, and; • Corrugated iron roofs. 22 cottages from earlier period • Gabled roofs; • Steeply pitched roofed front verandahs; • Base four roomed construction; • Timber framed; • Panelled front doors; • Back addition under a skillion roof, and; • Brick fireplace. 20 cottages from later period • Medium pitched gabled roofs; • Full width front verandahs; • Skillion roofed back section; • Light timber construction balustrades on most verandahs; • Front walls symmetrically composed; • Centrally located panel and glazed front door; • Flanked by single or casement and fixed light windows; • Front walls clad with weatherboard with corner stops; • Side walls gabled with one or more skillions to the rear; • Wall vents; • Side windows match front windows, with sunhoods; • Aluminium framed windows on weather side, and; • Paned casement windows.

History

The Pemberton Mill Workers’ Cottages Precinct is a complex of single storey timber weatherboard residences , including related structures with corrugated iron roofs, in the Federation Bungalow and Inter-War Bungalow style in Pemberton, in Broadway, Brockman St, Dean St, Pine St, Kelly St and Karri Rise. The cottages were built by the State Saw Mills from C1913-1914-20, 1924-26 and C1951 to accommodate workers employed at the Big Brook (Pemberton) timber mill. The mill was erected in 1913 on Reserve 16354, held by the State Saw Mills on a 999 year lease. In 1930 a small experimental trout hatchery was built at Pemberton. This was later expanded into a more substantial hatchery which has created a successful trout business for the town. In 1932 Pemberton became the first and only town in WA to be powered by hydro-electricity. After 1945 a number of new houses were built to accommodate those returning from service in the Armed Services. The design of the houses in this era was sometimes different from those of the earlier period, although the use of karri was consistent. In the early 1990s a programme of upgrading the interior and exterior of the mill worker’s houses was commenced. Efforts to use an exterior stain were not successful, and the programme was curtailed. By 1992 the mill cottages had become recognized as ‘an historic precinct’. In 1995/97 the precinct was included in the Shire of Manjimup Municipal Heritage Inventory, recommending it for entry into the State Register of heritage Places. In Feb 2000 Bunnings Forest Products became Sotico Pty Ltd. In 2001 the Shire of Manjimup recognized the precinct’s historical and townscape significance and the recreational and tourist importance of the precinct, developing a policy to ensure that the character of the precinct as a whole was retained and the buildings within it. Planning approval is required for any demolition or removal of buildings, and for any additions and works which affect the external appearance of the buildings. Refer to 16.6 for more historical notes

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Good Authenticity: Good

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update