Subiaco's Past Brought to Life

Visitors and locals alike may not realise that Subiaco has its very own museum – but it is well worth a visit. WORDS | Brooke Evans-Butler

THE SUBIACO MUSEUM is a beautiful Federation-style building, located at the corner of Rokeby and Bagot roads and looked after by the City of Subiaco. The museum houses many pieces of Subiaco’s history – but the building has quite a history of its own.

Originally built in 1911 for the local Board of Health, the building was later used as the No 2 substation for the Subiaco Electric Light Supply.

In 1923, the offices were converted into one of three sub-stations for power distribution. From the 1950s to the 1970s, the building was used as a community meeting place and for storage.

It was in 1975 that the Subiaco Historical Society converted the building into a museum – and Subiaco Museum was officially opened by Miss Chugg and Miss Daglish – the descendants of two of Subiaco’s pioneering families.

What to expect

“We get a lot of passers-by who walk in for a look because they didn’t realise the museum was here,” Subiaco Mayor Penny Taylor said. “It is popular with Subiaco locals or former residents and we get many people who come back multiple times because the displays are changed regularly.”

If you haven’t been to the museum before, you will find there is plenty to discover in this hidden gem. There are over 12,000 items in the museum’s collection, with only a small amount on display at any one time – and the vast majority are items donated by Subiaco residents.

The Jualbup Gallery is dedicated to domestic and school life, which features old prams, school desks and other collective items. Here you will also find a life-size leadlight door and house façade.

There is a display of early childhood toys, which is very popular with the students who come to the museum on school excursions. The selection of old toys includes dolls, wooden toys and spinning tops, which are out on display and available for interaction with children.

There is also a gallery dedicated to community art, which changes ever four months, with photographs by local resident Denny Roberts currently on display.

A special part of the museum’s collection is the library of oral histories, with many long-term Subiaco residents recording their stories for the archive.

The majority of the oral histories at the museum were recorded in the 1990s and the friendly museum staff are able to do a search of these for visitors if, for example, they wanted to look into their family history. The museum is always trying to record new stories to build this collection.

As well as people looking into their family history, the museum staff also get various research requests – especially from Subiaco home owners wanting to find old photos and the history of their properties.

A visit to the museum does not begin and end in the Rokeby Road building; visitors are also encouraged to explore the area via walking tours of the City.

“The museum has brochures on all of the self-guided heritage walks around the area and we also have a wonderful volunteer, Marion, who has been conducting free guided walking tours for almost 20 years,” Mayor Taylor said.

“Marion’s 20th anniversary tour will be conducted at the Regal Theatre on Sunday July 11 this year which is a huge milestone – we can’t thank her enough for her contribution to our community.” Donating to the museum A large number of the museum’s pieces are donations by local residents – and they are always looking to further add to their collection.

Old photos of the area, old toys, Wembley Ware ceramics, and items manufactured here are always on the wanted list, alongside unique local finds.

Volunteers wanted The museum wouldn’t be what it is today without the help of its volunteers, and the City of Subiaco is always on the lookout for new recruits to help scan photographs, box and handle items, and meet and greet visitors.

“Our volunteers are invaluable to the museum and Subiaco wouldn’t be the same without them,” Mayor Taylor said.

Fast Facts

Visit Subiaco Museum Address: 239 Rokeby Road, Subiaco (between the City’s Administration Centre and Subiaco Library) Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday (1pm to 4pm). Saturday (10am to 2pm) Cost: Free admission Contact: For research enquiries and group bookings, email museum@subiaco.wa.gov.au or call 08 9237 9351 Visit: subiaco.wa.gov.au Other: The building has ramped access. There are no toilet facilities in the museum. Note: Any displays mentioned were current at the time of print.