Waroona Historical Society

18/05/2026

The next meeting of the Waroona Historical Society Inc, will be held this Wednesday the 20th May commencing at 4.30 pm at the Waroona Museum at the cnr of South Western Highway and Miller St Waroona. entry via the back door. New members and visitors always welcome. For further information email: [email protected] See less

21/04/2026

What on earth is a Corduroy?

A. a type of fabric weave or
B. a type of road construction

If you answered both, you are correct and both relate to each other somewhat.

Corduroy roads in Western Australia were historic, early 20th century log, sleeper or plank surfaces used to traverse swampy, sandy, or soft ground.

These roads, featuring jarrah timber laid perpendicularly to the traffic or side-by-side, were vital for early transport, particularly in the Perth area and logging regions. Some designs included two parallel tracks of sleepers for horse-drawn carts and early trucks, often featuring timber planks that sank into the sand.

They prevented wheels from sinking and were often later upgraded with tar or gravel.

A corduroy just followed the natural surface of the land. It wasn’t smooth. “Planks were laid down and wriggled their way into the sand under the weight of carts”

Corduroy roads, constructed from logs laid side-by-side to traverse mud and swamps, were vital for early Australian pioneering, particularly in Gippsland (VIC), Perth (WA), and along Cobb & Co routes. These roads, which often used durable timber like cypress pine or jarrah, provided crucial passage for horse-drawn carriages, bullock teams, and, later, early motor traffic across soft or boggy ground.

These rugged tracks were notoriously uncomfortable, offering a heavily jolted ride, but were a necessary engineering solution to the challenges of traversing the Australian landscape before modern roads.

These roads got their name from the ridged appearance of the logs, similar to the fabric corduroy.

While often covered by modern roads, remnants of these old timber structures have historically reappeared in some areas after heavy grading or erosion.

Corduroy roads can also be built as a foundation for other surfacing. If the logs are buried in wet, acidic, anaerobic soils such as peat , they decay very slowly.

If anyone has any further information they could contribute on the location of local corduroys, we would be interested to hear from you.

Photo courtesy of the State Library of WA and titled
Corduroy Road in the South West circa 1910’s

10/04/2026

The Museum and Historical Society corner of Millar Street and South West Highway will be open from 9.00am this Sunday - at the All Australian Car Show. Call in to see what we have on display.

07/02/2026

The next meeting of the Waroona Historical Society Inc. will be held on Thursday the 19th February 2026 at 4.30pm at the Old Road Board Office on the corner of SW Highway and Miller St. entry via the back door. New members and visitors always welcome. For further information email: [email protected]

30/11/2025

The latest installment at the museum. An AH Patch - Black Hawk Grain Grister.

Asahel Huntington Patch, born in Massachusetts in 1825, was an early pioneer in America’s farm implement industry. At a young age, he assumed responsibilities feeding the poultry on the family farm. He dreamed of inventing an affordable, portable corn sheller during those days on the farm, but at the time it was only a dream. His struggle to successfully operate an implement factory paid off late in life when he developed the Black Hawk hand corn sheller, named for the strong and determined Indian chief, Black Hawk, and patented it in 1886.

From this invention, Patch solved many other issues facing the agricultural industry.

“Persevere, persevere, persevere.” Those words summarize the philosophy A.H. Patch adopted early in life and what likely led to his invention of the Black Hawk corn sheller, a hand-held implement that found an enthusiastic market worldwide.

This implement is a AH Patch Black Hawk hand operated grain gristing mill. You can grist any type of grain, including corn, barley, wheat, rye. You can grist or grind to a fine flour. Freshly milled flour contains all parts of the grain, including the bran and germ, which are often removed in commercial flour production. This means that the gristed flour is more nutritious and flavorful, with a higher fiber content.

This particular grain grister was used by the Weller Family of Waroona and was donated to the Museum by Dianne & Charles Hull.

This small unit is very heavy and has to be bolted to the edge of a heavy duty horizontal table in order for the hand crank to conduct full revolutions. Because of the uneven weight distribution, a stand with counter balancing feet was required.

The Stand frame was designed and built by Jye McCall – McCall Bros Engineering and donated to the Waroona Historical Society.

Next time you are visiting the museum, bring your grain in and you can have a go at making your own grist or flour. These biscuits were made with barley grists.

12/10/2025

09/10/2025

The first Merry Go Round at the Waroona Show - year unknown.

09/10/2025

Are you ready for the Waroona Show on Saturday? Here's what was happening over 30 years ago.

24/08/2025

Yesterday, a 2-year project was completed with a memorial service held for the installation of a war grave for Pte Richard Herbert Roberts at the Drakesbrook Public Cemetery.

Many thanks to the following for their contribution to this project.

Waroona Lions Club - Financial contribution towards cleaning up the original grave site prior the installation.

Shire of Waroona - Guidance and permission to access the original grave site for installation.

Brian Bevans - 10th Light Horse Harvey Troop Inc. - for advice on the process of application for a war grave and for representation at the service.

Harvey and Waroona RSL - Representation at the service.

Allan Ward - Retired Reverend - Provision of a spoken service.

Department of Veterans Affairs Office of War Graves - installation of the memorial.

Jan & Mal Davey - family permission to install the war grave.

Hancock Memorials - Removal of old surrounds.

National Archives of Australia - War Service Documents

Richard Herbert Roberts was one of 10 children, born 27th April 1877 in Yorkshire to parents Richard Roberts and Susannah (nee Kaye).

Richard married Nellie Johnson on 3rd June 1905 in Yorkshire, England. Nellie became a long time and well-loved schoolteacher at the North Drakesbrook School.

The couple had three children - Richard, Delys and Kathleen, all of whom were educated by their mother at the North Drakesbrook School.

On 17 March 1916, Richard aged 38, enlisted and was given the service number of 5427 in the 7th Infantry Brigade, 28th Infantry Battalion, 14th Reinforcements. Training was conducted at Blackboy Hill and he left Australia on 8 July 1916 on HMAT Miltiades A28.

On 23 August 1917 at Bapaume, France, Pte Roberts received gun-shot wounds to his right leg, which had to be amputated. This resulted in an early discharge and repatriation back to Western Australia.

On his return to Waroona in February 1918, a welcome home was provided to Pte Roberts by the parents and students of the North Drakesbrook School. Mr J Hall provided an address, welcoming Pte Roberts back to “our midst”, praising him for his work and also to Mrs (Nellie) Roberts for what she had given for her country.

Pte Roberts became involved in the local RSL. On 24th May 1919, Pte Roberts became the inaugural Secretary of the Waroona RSL when the sub-branch formed. Still secretary in 1928, he received a Certificate for Honourable Service.

Pte Roberts campaigned strongly for the er****on of a Memorial Hall in Waroona. In a letter to the editor of the South Western Advertiser on 9th October 1931 he wrote “……………….It will not only serve to remind the people of this and future generations of the deeds of those who went from amongst them, never to return, but will fill a long desired want for those who had the good fortune to return and to their children, relatives and the public in general.”
In 1934 Waroona received it’s Memorial Hall with a room dedicated for RSL use.

In December 1943 Mr. Roberts was appointed a local Justice of Peace.

Richard Roberts died on 6th November 1951. It is believed that his war injury contributed to his premature death. He was buried at Drakesbrook Public Cemetery in Waroona.

Richard Roberts did not have a military plaque on his grave, and it was felt that he should have a memorial befitting his service to the country and the district after his return from service.