Welcome to new Toodyay Historical Society website

The Town 0f Toodyay

Toodyay is on the Avon River, 85 km northeast of Perth, in Western Australia. It was one of the earliest inland settlements in the state.

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

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

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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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Drummond House, adjoining Bendigo Bank

Meetings:

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

Also open for book sales, general information & submitting enquiries: 10am-12 noon Saturdays.

Donegan's Cottage Research Centre

Toodyay Showgrounds

Toodyay West Rd Toodyay WA 6566

Opening Hours:

Thursdays 1-3pm

(Other times by appointment)

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.

Iconic Ringa Bridge

July Visit

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Special Report! Documenting the 2009 Toodyay Bushfire

Click Here

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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.

We acknowledge the Ballardong people of the Noongar Nation 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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Coming Events

2019

Upcoming Events

 
February 2019

Wed 20 Feb, 7pm:

THS Meeting, Drummond House

Sat 23 Feb, 7pm:

Event: BBQ in Duidgee Park

March 2019

Wed 20 Mar, 7pm:

THS Meeting, Drummond House. Feature Speaker: Desraé Clarke, oral history interview with the Principal of Toodyay District High at the time of the 1993 school fire.

Sunday 31 Mar, 2.00pm:

Event: Visit to Bilya Koort Booja Centre for Noongar Culture and Environmental Knowledge, Northam, 2.00pm, followed by riverside stroll and fish'n chips picnic tea. Contact Secretary for further information.

April 2019

Sunday 14 February, 2pm (check venue):

AGM, 2pm, (probably Anglican Hall - check closer to date): Guest Speaker: Len Leeder on 'WA Railways on the move, 1960s to 1990s'.

Wed 17 April, 7pm:

THS Meeting, Drummond House

No end of month event planned at present.

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THS Snapshots

2018-2019 events

Christmas Party

The old Wicklow Shearing Shed was a popular venue for the THS 2018 wind-up - thank you to Margie Eberle and the Shire of Toodyay.

The night included a delicious feast, background music supplied by Joe Edgecombe, the launch of Beth Frayne's new volume in theToodyay Chronology series and a tricky quiz devised by Bob Frayne.

Historic Connor's Mill

In October, members viewed the new Coorinja Winery display, shared a sumptuous spread, caught up with friends and listened to Beth's lively stories of the building when it was the Powerhouse generating Toodyay's electricity in the first half of the 20th Century.

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The Edison Phonograph returns to Toodyay

In September, Richard Rennie entertained a capacity crowd in the Toodyay Library. We heard about Professor Archibald's remarkable demonstration of the Edison Phonograph in the Newcastle Mechanics' Institute on Sept 3 1891. We were also able to listen to a genuine cylinder being played on an Edison Phonograph.

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The Great Ride

Carmel Charlton charmed the crowd in the Toodyay Memorial Hall in September, with her presentation on an epic WWI trek involving the 10th LIght Horse.

Butterly Cottages

Association History

Dr Robyn Taylor presented a fascinating talk at the June THS meeting on the fundi

ng, building and ongoing history of the Butterly Cottages for local retirees in Toodyay. Very few Australian towns can boast such accommodation run by an independent volunteer body. The Committee's fundraising and organisational success over the years has been phenomenal.

Lost Images of Toodyay Rediscovered

At the movie afternoon in June, an enthusiastic crowd thoroughly enjoyed the introductory feature, a short film from the Eastern Goldfields Historical Society. It told the fascinating story of the completion of the Trans Australian railway, with many wonderful images.

The main feature was a film made by Rick Mason, who was involved in the exciting rescue and identification of a wonderful recently-discovered collection of Toodyay-related glass negatives in the collection of Robert Faust, who was manager of the Toodyay CLub 1911-1931. Members were able to view a display of copies of some of the prints from these negatives during afternoon tea.

Nursing at Toodyay

The July meeting was enlivened by a real treat: Desrae Clarke's Oral History interview with former Toodyay nurse, Agnes Cook. Agnes described with great good humour the very basic living and nursing conditions which existed at Toodyay Hospital in earlier years, around the 1930s-1940s.

Historic York

A very cheery group of members enjoyed the recent Historical Society visit to York, which included a fascinating tour of the Residency Museum. After a picnic lunch in the museum grounds we explored the wonderful new ANZAC display in the York Town Hall.

Moondyne Festival

This year's Moondyne Festival in Tooday was a great success, in spite of the changeable weather. Our Historical Society stall was popular. Visitors enjoyed studying our display on Moondyne Joe. Others were keen to make inquiries about their own Toodyay ancestors.

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.

Jenny Edgecombe showed copies of these Toodyay images at the April general meeting. 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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