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Take a Historial Tour of
Bunbury |
Bunbury has a large number of genuinely interesting historic
sites ranging from the old lighthouse (which is an extraordinary
combination - an earlier lighthouse has been placed on top of the
present lighthouse) to St Marks Church, King Cottage and the
Regional Art Gallery Arts Complex.
Bunbury Heritage Trail
There is an outstanding Bunbury Heritage Trail which combines a 12
km loop covering 28 important sites in the city area with a 4 km
walk through the central business district which adds another 22
interesting buildings and historic sites. The fact that there are
50 places of interest within the city is an indication that Bunbury
deserves at least a day of inspection. This is a city of
particularly beautiful old hotels, of interesting streetscapes
(looking up Victoria Street and seeing the gothic eminence of St
Patricks Roman Catholic Cathedral on the skyline is awe-inspiring)
and of excellent walks along the coastline.
The Old Railway Station
It seems as though all journeys around Bunbury start at the Old
Railway Station, which is now the local Bus Depot as well as
housing the Tourist Bureau. The original station was burnt down in
1904 and the building which replaced it is a classic, solid, turn
of the century, station designed when rail was the vital form of
transportation. The Tourist Bureau has a wide range of publications
about the city and, given that many of the major attractions are
off the beaten track, it is necessary to get a good map for trying
to find places like St Marks Church or the Bunbury
Museum.
Stirling Street Historic Precinct
Near the Railway Station is the Stirling Street Historic Precinct -
an area which has largely escaped modernisation. Originally the
road from Bunbury to Australind, in the 1890s it became a popular
area and its original character - long rectangular blocks of
houses, steep pitched roofs, bay windows - has been retained. It
offers an excellent insight into what Bunbury was like around the
turn of the century. On the corner of Stirling and Moore streets is
the building known as 'The Residency', a classic Australian
bungalow with a bull nosed verandah, which was built in 1896 for
the Resident Magistrate. At 82 and 84 Stirling Street are two
cottages which date from 1875 when the first buildings were being
constructed in the area. Number 84 is notable for its raised floor
which is a precaution against flooding in Leschenault
Inlet.
Further
along Stirling Street are a number of significant dwellings. At 131
is a substantial residence built around 1890. Number 137 Stirling
Street was originally built for the businessman and politician,
Thomas Hayward whose Thos Hayward & Sons, farm equipment
stores, spread throughout the south west after World War I. The
Heritage Trail booklet describes the history of a number of other
significant buildings in the Street.
Leschenault Homestead
One of the oldest buildings in Bunbury is Leschenault Homestead on
the Old Coast Road. It was built in three stages starting in 1844
with additions in 1854 and 1874. The original owner was William
Pearce Clifton, son of Marshall Walter Clifton, the Commissioner
for Australind.
The
first stage of the cottage was built from pit sawn timber with
clay, woven wattles, weatherboards and newspapers and whitewash. It
is a wonderful example of necessity providing interesting building
materials.
Additions to this simple dwelling have included a detached
verandah, bay windows and some very sophisticated joinery. It is a
hugely important building both architecturally and historically.
Unfortunately it is not open to the public.
St Marks Anglican Church
Another building of great historical importance is St Marks
Anglican Church on the corner of Flynn and Charterhouse Close (a
map is needed to find the building).
The
story of the church is extraordinary. On 8 July 1840 the American
whaler Samuel Wright was wrecked in Koombana Bay. The skipper,
Captain Coffin, salvaged timber from the whaler and built himself a
cottage at Picton. In 1842 the cottage was purchased off Coffin by
the newly arrived Reverend John Ramsden Wollaston. Wollaston had
arrived to become chaplain at Australind but by that time the
settlement was collapsing and he was told that there were no funds
to build a church and nowhere to stay.
Wollaston was undeterred by his problems in Australind. With
the help of local farmers and with remarkable tenacity (he was over
50 at the time) he built his own church out of pitsawn timber using
cloth soaked in linseed oil for the windows.
The
present building was extensively restored in 1942 but the character
has been retained. The churchyard contains the graves of many
important early Bunbury citizens including William and Margaret
Forrest (the parents of John and Alexander Forrest), Henry and
Susannah King who built King's Cottage, and John and Helen Scott
who were some of the district's earliest settlers.
King Cottage Museum
Bunbury's King Cottage Museum is located at 77 Forrest Avenue and
is open by appointment (contact the Tourist Bureau for details) or
by phoning (08) 9721 1586. The attractive King Cottage, which is a
typical country residence, was built of hand made bricks around
1880. It was built progressively but the end result was a typical
Australian brick bungalow with wide verandahs.
The
museum recreates various periods in local history. The sitting room
is furnished in typical Victorian style with a painting of
Lieutenant Bunbury over the sideboard. The bedroom has interesting
displays of old fashioned garments and cosmetics and the kitchen
has items like a butter churn, mangle and water pump.
Geographe Bay, Rocky Point and Lighthouse
To the west of Bunbury city centre is Geographe Bay which stretches
south to Busselton. A drive along the shore is interesting because
of the Rocky Point and the Lighthouse.
It is
believed that the black rocks at Rocky Point are part of a lava
flow dating back 150 million years which occurred as the great
integrated mass of Gondwanaland (Antarctica, South America, Africa,
the Indian subcontinent and Australia) started to drift apart. The
Bunbury basalt at Rocky Point cooled in columns giving it the
appearance of the Giant's causeway in Northern Ireland. It was no
accident that when Reverend Wollaston drew a map of Bunbury in 1843
he named this rocky outcrop 'Giant's Causeway'.
Bunbury Lighthouse
At the end of the beach is the Bunbury Lighthouse with the
checkered lighthouse which dates from 1959 on top of the more
recent section which was built in 1971. Look carefully and you can
see a join about 10 m from the ground. The original lighthouse has
been attached to the present one. The light is now 25 m above the
ground and can be seen 27 km out to sea.
Marlston Hill Rotary Lookout Tower
Further along the headland is the Marlston Hill Rotary Lookout
Tower, a Bicentennial project, which offers an excellent view of
Bunbury harbour and the breakwater.
Bunbury's Pubs
In the city centre are some attractive old pubs - The Grand Central
Hotel (1900), the Wellington Hotel (1918), the Burlington Hotel
(1895) and the Bunbury Hotel (1896). Perhaps the most interesting
of all the hotels is the Rose Hotel (1897) on the corner of
Victoria and Wellington Streets. A Rose Hotel was built on the site
in 1865 but it was completely rebuilt in 1897 to cater for the
booming holiday trade. Its decorative cast iron verandahs and
attractive facade make it an important part of the city's
streetscape.
Other Buildings
Other interesting features of the city centre include the Regional
Art Galley and Arts Complex in Wittenoom Street which have been
located in the impressive Chapel and Sisters of Mercy Convent which
was sold to the local council in 1981.
Boulters Height Lookout
Another excellent view across the city can be gained from Boulters
Height Lookout (turn beside the Art Gallery and proceed up the hill
following the signs). It is named after A. H. Boulter who
established a rotunda on the site in the late 1920s. In 1966, to
coincide with a visit from the Queen Mother, the local council
built a 26 m waterfall. The view from the lookout is dominated by
St Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral (1920) with its red roof and
soaring gothic lines.
Tourist Radio
Additional information - particularly very good up-to-the-minute
information - about this town can be accessed by checking out
Western Tourist Radio at http://www.touristradio.com.au. Not only does it
provide excellent information for people planning to visit Bunbury
but it also provides access to information for people while they
are actually travelling through the area. Check it out. It is very
useful information.
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