Mingenew Police Group

Child Places

• 19005 Mingenew Police Station
• 25932 Mingenew Police Residence
• 25932 Mingenew Police Residence

Statement of Significance

Mingenew Police Group is associated with the mid-nineteenth century introduction and continued enforcement and policing of British law in regional Western Australia, and demonstrates the way in which the Western Australian Police Force responded to population expansion and settlement into regional areas, during boom periods in the nineteenth century, and again in the mid-twentieth century. The place comprises representative examples of late nineteenth century and mid-twentieth century police stations, both of which demonstrate operational and other changes in the provision of police services in Western Australia. Mingenew Police Station and Residence fmr (1897) is representative of integrated police stations and quarters constructed in regional Western Australia in the late 19th century; Mingenew Police Station (1964) is an excellent representative example of a regional Police Station designed and built in the 1960s in order to upgrade the existing police facility, and reflects the proliferation of public buildings and police stations constructed across the state during the mineral boom of the mid to late twentieth century; Mingenew Police Station (1964) is associated with significant Western Australian architect, Raymond Jones who was responsible for a number of government buildings in the 1960s.

Physical Description

Mingenew Police Group comprises the Mingenew Police Station & Residence (fmr) (1897)and the adjacent P19005 Mingenew Police Station and former Courthouse (1963). The two buildings are located within a triangular lot bounded by William, Moore and Phillip Streets within the Mingenew town site. The Mingenew Police Station and Residence (fmr) (1897) faces east onto William Street, adjacent to the more modern Mingenew Police Station and former Courthouse (1963) building which faces north at the corner of William and Moore Streets. The vacant area to the south of the Mingenew Police Station and Residence (fmr) (1897) includes the area formerly occupied by the stables and two-cell Lock-up, and a fenced vacant area.

History

Mingenew Police Group comprises the Mingenew Police Station & Residence (fmr) (1897). and the adjacent P19005 Mingenew Police Station and former Courthouse (1963). From 1863, a policeman was stationed at Strawberry, a small settlement west of Mingenew Spring, with control over a large area. In the 1890s the railway from Walkaway to Mingenew Spring was established, providing access between Mingenew and Arrino (Three Springs) and later to Perth. The privately owned town of Mingenew Springs was surveyed in 1891, and became the centre of supply for the surrounding pastoral areas. In 1895 plans were prepared for the construction of a new police station, Mingenew Police Station and Residence fmr (1897), which was estimated to cost £775, with the tender awarded to W. H. Linthorne. By September 1897 a stone police station and quarters had been constructed on William Street. The quarters were accessed via the William Street (eastern) entrance and comprised three bedrooms, living room, lobby and kitchen. The police station office and a fourth bedroom were accessed from the northern entrance. The construction of the police station and quarters facilities within the one building was a common feature of the time. The arrangement allowed the community to easily reach police officers, even after working hours, in a time before telephone communication and motor transportation was commonplace. In 1908, E. Jewell was awarded the tender, for £51 10s, to renovate Mingenew Police Station and Residence fmr (1897). Further renovations were carried out later in 1911 and 1912. The plans for ‘Mingenew Court House & Police Offices’ were presented in March 1963. The former police station and quarters were to be retained as a police residence. The decision to site the Courthouse, Police Station and residence in the same vicinity reflects the strong relationship between police forces and the justice system. In 1964 the new police station and courthouse (Mingenew Police Station (1963)) was erected to Jones’ design by Britannic Building Co. for the sum of £13,257. Although the building was located in the northern lot, adjacent Mingenew Police Station and Residence fmr (1897) and fronting William Street, it was oriented to face Moore Street. In the late 1970s a new Cell Block was proposed for construction to be attached to the 1964 Police Station and Courthouse. Tenders were called in 1979, and the contract awarded to D. Duvnjak for $95,360. By May 1980 the new Cell Block was nearing completion. Once the new Cell Block was opened, it was proposed to demolish the old Lock-up, and Senior Inspector Lawrence wrote to head office to request its doors and windows ‘for historical purposes’. The old Lock-up was demolished in January 1981 by local contractor J. H. Bursford & Co.

Archaeology

The archaeological deposits associated with the former Lock-up and Stables buildings (1897) and the Mingenew Police Station and Residence fmr (1897) have the potential to yield information contributing to a wider understanding of law enforcement in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in rural Western Australia.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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