Greenbushes District Hall

Values

The place has some aesthetic value being representative of a single storey timber hall building during the Federation period with an unusual Post World War two façade.

The place has associations with the development of the town of Greenbushes in the 1890s.

The place has associations with the establishment of the tin mining industry in the area in the 1890s and in particular with the men who worked at the miners; the place was established as a miners institute hall in 1897.

The place has social and historical value for its use as a meeting place from 1897 up to the present day (in 2003).

Physical Description

The Hall is located on the north side of Blackwood road, at the very eastern end of the Town of Greenbushes. The Hall is located in green, open site, bound by Blackwood Road to the south, Thompson Park to the west, the old Court House to the east, and Jephson Street to the north. Greenbushes Town Hall is a simple, timber framed, weatherboard building with gabled iron roof and contrasting prominent brick parapeted façade. The cubiform facade fronting Blackwood Road emphasises its massing and load bearing structure, and is further highlighted by a projecting concrete hood over a white tiled entry. The east elevation of the façade contains a door at an upper level, suggesting the location of a former external staircase. Two skillion roofed forms abut the main hall; one to the south that contains an external, galvanised iron chimney flue, and a more recent timber framed and asbestos sheet clad addition along the west facade of the building.

History

The period from 1885 to 1914 saw considerable development of the Bridgetown/Greenbushes area. Factors in this development included prosperity from gold rushes and responsible government resulting in the establishment of a railway system into the area and implementation of government policies to encourage settlement. During this period, industries such as farming, the timber industry and a tin mining industry also grew. In the 1890s, Greenbushes, initially known as Tinfields, became a thriving centre for the local tin mining industry. The late 1890s and 1900s saw the construction of a number of buildings in the town site such as the road board office (1907) and several hotels. The Greenbushes District Hall was originally constructed as the Miners’ Institute Hall in 1897. It was constructed of jarrah weatherboards on a timber frame with a corrugated iron roof. The building had a new section added in 1959 and also steel portal frame structure added to the rear section for additional structural support. The building shows evidence of a bio-box and stairs added at the front and was probably used for showing movies from the 1920s or 30s. Currently [in 1994] the building houses a doctor’s surgery in the brick front extension.’ In 2003, it continues to be used as a district hall.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity- High Authenticity- Moderate

Condition

Sound

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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