Welcome to new Toodyay Historical Society website

Click here to find the Historical Society in Toodyay

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The Town of Toodyay

We acknowledge and pay respect to the Noongar nation, traditional custodians and elders past and present of this land.

Toodyay is on the Avon River, 85 km northeast of Perth, in Western Australia. Following the arrival of British settlers, Toodyay was one of their earliest inland settlements, established in the 1830s.

The first Toodyay township was on the site of today's West Toodyay.

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Toodyay Historical Society

The Toodyay Historical Society, established in 1980, is a knowledgeable, friendly and active organisation within the town.

Members meet monthly and also hold regular activities including excursions, dinners and lectures.

The Society has a substantial library of publications relating to Toodyay and a growing collection of historical photographs. Members have produced a significant body of oral histories and a number of small publications relating to aspects of the town's history.

Experienced members provide assistance to researchers, Toodyay businesses and local organisations in their historical research.

Postal Address:

PO Box 32, Toodyay, WA 6566

Meetings:

Drummond House,108B Stirling Terrace

Research Centre:

Donegan's Cottage, Toodyay Showgrounds

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Finding Us

Drummond House

(Bendigo Bank Building, right hand entry)

Meetings :

Anglican Hall, Stirling Terrace

7pm, third Wednesday of month (not December).

Drummond House will still open 10am-12 noon Saturdays for book sales, general information & submitting enquiries.

Donegan's Cottage Research Centre

(Generally open Thursdays 1-3pm. Call to check if travelling)

Toodyay Showgrounds

Toodyay West Rd Toodyay WA 6566

Opening Hours:

Thursdays 1-3pm

Driving to Donegan's Cottage: See Map below

Follow Stirling Terrace, cross Newcastle Bridge and take the first street on the left, Toodyay West Road.

Toodyay: a brief history

Toodyay is situated on the Avon River, 85 kilometres northeast of Perth, Western Australia. It was one of the earliest inland settlements in Western Australia. The first township was on the site of today's West Toodyay.

The people of the Noongar Nation are acknowledged as the traditional owners in the area. They gave Toodyay its name, which may mean a place of plenty or a place of mist.

From 1860, government and business activity was centred on the new townsite of Newcastle, several kilometres upstream. Newcastle's name was officially changed to Toodyay in 1910. The earlier site of Toodyay was renamed West Toodyay.

The area's history since white settlement has included farming, timber milling, sandalwood cutting, a Convict Hiring Depot, an Immigrant Depot, a gold-rush, tannin factory and historical tourism.

The area remains a 'place of plenty' today, with a busy town, a vigorous farming community and a significant 'tree-change' population. The town features a rich collection of historical buildings.

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Last chance visit to St Aloysius Convent Buildings

On a baking hot day in November 2019, large crowds took the opportunity to pay a final visit to these historic buildings when an Open Day was held at the site, prior to the planned subdivision and sale of the individual buildings.

Image from J Mensforth Collection,Toodyay Historical Society Inc.

The Toodyay Historical Society's fascinating slideshow of the historic site over the years supplemented an amazing display of photographs and memorabilia assembled by the organisers.

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Newgain Granary

Historical Society visit 2019

Iconic Ringa Bridge

THS Visit

From our archives:

Special Report! Documenting the 2009 Toodyay Bushfire

Click Here

Coming Events

Please note: Social distancing and other precautions will be observed at all events in accordance with the government regulations in force at the time

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2021

JUNE EVENTS:

Sun 27 June, 2pm: Visit to Former St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Toodyay, now a private residence.

Visit and afternoon tea (please bring plate to share). Please park on the road.

The owners have given permission for us to have our afternoon tea around their enormous kitchen table, but bring a folding chair just in case! Member Adam O’Neill will speak on the building's history and launch his new booklet on this topic.

JULY EVENTS:

Wed 21 July: General Meeting

7 pm, Anglican Hall Stirling Terrace, Toodyay

Feature Speaker:

Brian Wood

Sat 31 July: Visit to Yanchep Park

Stayover an option

AUGUST EVENTS:

Sun 15 August: Annual General Meeting

Guest Speaker: Dr Margaret Pember

2 pm, Anglican Hall

Stirling Terrace, Toodyay

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Research Enquiries

Still Operating via mail, email & telephone

Submit research enquiries via the usual email address:

research@toodyayhistoricalsociety.org.au

Other Activities

Drummond House Stirling Terrace

Now Open to the public, Saturdays, 10am-noon. Come in and chat, or leave an information request for our archives section.

Research Access

Donegan's Cottage

Toodyay Showgrounds:

Thursdays 1-3pm

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THS Snapshots

Previous years

Some of our favourite events

1980-2020

THS 40TH ANNIVERSARY

Historic Connor's Mill

THS members enjoying Beth's lively stories of the Connor's Mill building during its period as the Powerhouse generating Toodyay's electricity in the first half of the 20th Century.

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The Edison Phonograph returns to Toodyay

Richard Rennie entertained a capacity crowd in the Toodyay Library, speaking on Professor Archibald's remarkable demonstration of the Edison Phonograph in the Newcastle Mechanics' Institute on Sept 3 1891. Richard also demonstrated a genuine cylinder being played on an Edison Phonograph.

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E.L. Mitchell: the photographer who shaped Australia

Joanna Sassoon, special guest at our AGM in April, gave a fascinating talk on her recent book about E.L.Mitchell, the boy from Yorkshire who became a commercial photographer, much in demand.

Mitchell moved to W.A. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work was often published in Western Mail features and the Battye Library holds large numbers of his works, which have tremendous value now for historians.

He was a superb photographer. Toodyay Historical Society has obtained copies of 19 wonderful images of Toodyay and surrounds, c.1920, believed to be the work of Mitchell.

These included iconic local buildings such as Masonic Lodge, Gaol and St Stephen's,St Philip's Church and rare shots of what were probably Yock Lunn's orchard and Coondle School.

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