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Monday 10am - 4pm Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 4pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

Busselton Historical Museum housed in the Old Butter Factory

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Busselton Historical Museum housed in the Old Butter Factory

The Busselton Museum invites you to explore the rich history of Busselton through our displays and artefact collections.

Discover the significance of the dairy industry and its impact on family life over the generations.

01/09/2026

HOBSONS BUILDING

Hobsons is a family-owned local business that has been in Busselton for over 100 years. It began as a general and furniture store, and over the years, it has become a fashion retailer.

The store remains a well-known landmark on Queen Street, an area rich in history with many nearby buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries. One important neighbour was Percy Bignell's historic house, which used to be right behind the old Hobsons store before changes reshaped the town in the mid-20th century.

These images related to Hobsons are from the 1970s and 1980s, capturing a unique time in both the store's history and the community.

Source: BHS Photo Archive

24/08/2026

SUSSEX HOUSE

In the 1890s, blacksmith C.J. Hough and his family lived at the corner of Queen and Prince Streets. The family sold drapery from their home and later opened a small general and drapery store.

The house was replaced in 1911 with a new two-storey brick building with an upstairs verandah and balustrade. Named "Sussex House", it opened as a boarding house for holidaymakers. A newspaper advertisement at the time described it as "a first-class and up-to-date Home for Visitors," managed by Mrs J. L. Ost, featuring new and modern comforts, including sitting rooms, baths, a grand internal staircase and other conveniences.

The building hosted wedding receptions and community events and served as a boarding house during World War II. It later belonged to Mr Prosser, who leased parts of the ground floor to banks. Extensions to the rear of the building in the late 1980s completed the current layout, and the building name is still found on the parapet detail.

Sources: InHerit, Trove, BHS Photo Archive

16/08/2026

COLLECTORS MARKET COMING SOON!

New to the Busselton Museum is the upcoming COLLECTORS MARKET & SURPLUS SALE on Sunday, 18th October.

If you have antiques, collectables, tools, etc. to sell and wish to join a group of like-minded collectors, then book your site now!

3m x 3m grassed sites $50 each

BYO tables and gazebos (to be erected using weights only)

Seller entry 7am with vehicles to exit by 8.30am for a 9am start.

Sale ends at 1pm for pack-up and exit. Normal Museum opening hours between 1pm-4pm.

Event proceeds help to fund projects and maintenance of the Busselton Museum.

Email booking requests to [email protected]

09/08/2026

WORKINGMEN'S INSTITUTE TABLE

This impressive table is prominently located in the front reception room of the Busselton Museum. For the past 50 years, it has been a gathering place for members and visitors during weekly morning teas, regular meetings, and lively conversations. It also holds many untold stories of its 165-year history in the community.

The table originated from the heritage-listed building on Queen Street, now known as the Weld Theatre. This building was originally constructed as a Mechanics' Institute in 1860, following the establishment of the Swan River Mechanics' Institute, the first organisation of its kind formed in the colony ten years earlier. The Mechanics' Institute aimed to support the working class and was predominantly run and supported by middle-class men. Its main focus was on literary activities, through occasional lectures, discussion classes derived from literary meetings and a reading room. The Institute had rules that prohibited discussions on current political issues. Membership was by subscription and required no qualifications other than being a respectable member of the community, meaning that ex-convicts were not accepted as members.

The building later served the community as a library, town hall, a meeting place for the Returned Services League and home to the ⁠Busselton Repertory Club from 1960.

Every scratch, ink stain, coffee cup ring, and imperfection on this grand table tells a unique story that contributes to its remarkable character, making it not just a piece of furniture, but something increasingly special and irreplaceable.

03/08/2026

MORETON BAY FIG TREE

The iconic Moreton Bay Fig tree located on Kent Street holds a rich history, believed to have been planted way back in 1896. This remarkable tree has not only stood the test of time but has also become a significant landmark in the area. It serves as the entrance to Fig Tree Lane arcade, which was constructed in the late 1980s.

As part of the building project, several buildings were demolished on Kent Street on the north side and along Prince Street on the south side. These included a bootmaker's, the Doll's House Boutique and David Gibbs' house, built in 1916.

The fig tree has been recognised as a significant historic landmark and noted on the State Heritage Office inventory. Next time you are strolling through to grab a coffee or browse the stores, take a moment to look up and appreciate the incredible history standing right above you.

Source: BHS Photo Archive

27/07/2026

FORMER ST JOSEPH'S CHURCH

This building was the first Catholic church built in Busselton. Construction commenced in 1866, under the supervision of stonemason and master bricklayer Christopher Wheatman using voluntary labour, and it was completed in 1868. The limestone for the walls was from the banks of the Vasse River and the original roof was made of shingles.

From the 1830s, the small parish relied on visiting priests from Perth, but even after the stone church was built, priests from Bunbury continued to travel to celebrate Mass. In 1885, Fr Anselm Bourke was appointed the first Parish Priest of Busselton.

By the 1930's the church had become too small for the growing congregation, and in September 1933, the new St Joseph's Church on Kent Street was blessed and opened by Archbishop Clune.

Sources:
BHS Photo Archive, InHerit, Busselton Catholic Parish

15/07/2026

WA SAND BAG DAY

In Western Australia, "Sandbag Day" was an important community fundraising event that took place in December 1915 to assist Australian soldiers stationed overseas. It was organised by the Sandbag Movement to gather funds for acquiring materials needed to create sandbags, which soldiers were urgently utilising for protection and defence on the front lines. Reports from Gallipoli indicated that the need for cover was so critical that Australian soldiers occasionally filled their own shirts with sand until proper sandbags could be supplied.

The Sandbag Movement represented a collective, civilian-led initiative involving Australian women, community organisations, and local wartime committees aimed at fundraising and manufacturing during World War I. Ultimately, it was a completely grassroots network that transformed community leisure and volunteer efforts into essential defensive materials for troops fighting abroad.

Cottesloe Beach became the central location for community fundraising for the December 1915 event, naming the start of the beach season ‘Cottesloe Sandbag Day’. The picture shows a thumb-size souvenir sandbag from the day.
The money collected was used to purchase fabric for the sandbags. Boy Scouts and students from Perth Boys School sewed the bags, and later, workers from Joyce Brothers in Fremantle offered their time as volunteers.

Source: Souvenir - WA Sandbag Day 1915 | Collections WA

https://collectionswa.net.au/items/c6c72985-cdbf-4071-92a4-b94e1233e79a

08/07/2026

SCHOOL HOLIDAY VISIT

Looking for a fun family activity during the school holidays? Visit the Busselton Museum!

Explore the charming 100-year-old schoolhouse, touch a genuine whalebone, and send messages using Morse code. Check out our collection of horse-drawn carriages, dial vintage telephones, and even pump water from a traditional well. And don’t miss our new Blacksmith, who will be on site most weekday mornings, where you can watch him forge metal and perhaps take home a small souvenir!

We're open Wednesdays to Mondays from 10am to 4pm (last entry at 3pm). We can't wait to see you and your family at the Busselton Museum!

02/07/2026

CAPE FARM WALL

The Cape Farm wall, featured at the Busselton Museum, is a rare surviving example of mid-19th-century colonial architecture. Originally part of a farmhouse built around 1860 near Dunsborough, this section of wall was salvaged in 1997 during the building's demolition and transported to the Old Butter Factory inside a protective steel and timber frame.

Its significance lies in its wattle and daub construction — a resourceful technique used by early settlers and convicts. By weaving native acacia and coastal peppermint branches (wattle) and coating them in mud (daub), pioneers could build sturdy homes without the need for expensive nails or imported materials. A limestone plaster finish often provided extra protection against the elements.

Cape Farm was allotted to Henry Chapman, who arrived in WA in 1829. He owned Cape Farm and Inlet Park. In 1862 Henry gave Cape Farm to his nephew, William Curtis, as a wedding present. The farm remained in the Curtis family until 1924, when the property was sold to the Keenan family. It eventually shifted from agriculture to industry when it was sold to a mining company.

Sources:
BHS Newsletter May 1996
BHS Photo Archive

23/06/2026

MOURNING CARDS

Mourning cards in the 1900s were tangible keepsakes distributed to friends and family after a death. They featured thick black borders, ornate religious imagery, and custom typography with details of the deceased. By the turn of the century, these cards evolved from simple bookmarks into elaborate folded booklets containing portraits, poems, and memorial verses. Below are examples of early mourning cards from our collection.

The first card commemorates John Bovell (1844 – 1900), born in Antrim, Ireland, in 1844 and who emigrated to Western Australia with his family in 1868. He joined the police force and served in Bridgetown and New Norcia before retiring to Mullalyup. John purchased a farming property known as “Ellen’s Grove” from Mr Thomas Maslin. In 1898, he became the licensee of the Blackwood Arms hotel at Mullalyup and was issued a Wayside Houses Licence to provide food and accommodation to travellers. Following John’s death in 1900, his wife, Mary Ann, continued to farm the property and run the Inn with her family until failing health resulted in her moving to Bridgetown. Both John and Mary Ann are buried together in Bridgetown Pioneer Cemetery.

The second mourning card commemorates Elizabeth “Jane” Burnside (1829-1909). Jane was married to Joseph Bovell, the brother of John Bovell. The couple emigrated from Ireland to Western Australia in 1859. Joseph served as a Policeman for 17 years before resigning from the force. The family moved to Vasse, where Joseph was elected to the Municipal Council for several years. He also became the proprietor of the Ship Hotel and managed it until his passing in 1903. Both Joseph and Jane are interred together at the Busselton Pioneer Cemetery.

Source: Memorial Cards - John Bovell & Jane Bovell | Collections WA

Address

76 Peel Terrace
Busselton, WA
6280

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Website

http://busseltonmuseum.org.au/

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