About Us

The Murray Districts Historical Society, Inc. is situated in the historic town of Pinjarra, 80 Km. south of Perth and central to the Shire of Murray in Western Australia.   The Murray Districts include the townsites of Coolup, Dwellingup, North Dandalup, Ravenswood, North and South Yunderup and Furnissdale.

 

The Historical Society was founded in 2009 with the primary aim to collect, record, preserve, promote and share the history of the Murray.  It has its home in the Old Schoolmaster’s House within the historic precinct of Edenvale in Pinjarra.

 

 

Our Home - The Old Schoolmaster’s House

 

The Old Schoolmaster’s House at Edenvale, Pinjarra, has been home to the Murray Districts Historical Society since early 2012. This four roomed teacher’s cottage, which faces St. John’s Church and the Heritage Rose Garden, was built in 1896 at the same time as the nearby Old Schoolhouse.  It was constructed using locally baked bricks with an iron roof and a jarrah verandah.  The brick has been rendered on the south side and weatherboard extensions have been added to the rear to include a kitchen, dining room, bathroom / laundry and store room.  The extensions were added after the Murray Roads Board took over the old school and used the Schoolmaster’s House as accommodation for the Secretary of the Road’s Board.

 

In 1921 a new school was erected at the southern end of Pinjarra and the ‘Old’ one was no longer used as a school.  The school buildings were used during the next 90 years by the Roads Board, the Anglican Church and finally by the Murray Shire. Early occupants of the Schoolmaster’s House were school teacher Mr Henry (1896) and Headmaster Mr Cooper from 1898.