City of Armadale, History House
Since 1856, when the Narrogin Inn opened its doors to paying customers, businesses have come and gone in the City of Armadale. Many do not leave a trace, others have left behind only a small reminder of their existence. This collection of objects represent the wide variety of business that have operated in the City of Armadale as well as the individuals, families and community organisations who relied upon them to provided them with sponsorship, an income or with important services or product’s that made it easier to live in the local area.
Promotional Armadale Football Club match box holder from James Harrison, 1926.
James Harrison was a general storekeeper and general produce merchant who had a shop in Jull Street, Armadale. In 1926 he sold or gave away match box holders that supported the Armadale Football Club.
James purchased the store from W.E. Edsell in 1913 and would pass it onto his son Ronald, who started working in the store in 1918. The store was sold in 1975 and demolished not long after, to make way for a new commercial development.
Donated by B. Harrison
James Harrison General Storekeeper on Jull Street, 1950.
Courtesy Birtwistle Local Studies Library
The Manse Restaurant fridge magnet, c2015-2020.
The Manse Restaurant was opened in 1988 by Alex and Kerry Koers, in the former Congregational Church Manse located on Church Avenue. For over 30 years the restaurant was a favourite spot for dinner, especially if it was a special occasion.
In the early 1990s Gary Smith, who completed his chef apprenticeship at the restaurant, purchased the business. In 1997 the restaurant won a prestigious Golden Plate award for family dinning. Gary closed the restaurant in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a degenerating injury.
Donated by G. Smith
The Manse, 1916.
Built in 1907 as a residence for the Armadale Congregational Church Pastor. In 1983 the Manse was sold by the church and was used as a school room by the recently formed Dale Christian School, before becoming a restaurant in 1988.
Courtesy Birtwistle Local Studies Library
Gladalan Nursery cardboard box, c1970s.
Gladalan Nursery, located on the corner of Eight Road and what is today Armadale Road, was started by Gladys and Alan Brown in the 1950s. The nursery grew seedling and onions on a commercial scale as well as maintaining an existing orange orchard. The nursery grew into one of the largest employers in the district. In 1999 the Brown family sold the nursery and within a year it had closed, the land cleared and eventually sold for a housing development.
Donated by B. & J. Evans
Gladalan Nursery, 1974.
Bijin plastic bag, c1980s.
Bijin was a gift shop that operated in the 1980s and 1990s. It was located at Armadale Square, which opened on the corner of Jull Street and Third Road in 1972.
Donated by P. Herbert
Armadale Square, c1975
Looking at Armadale Square from Third Road.
Courtesy Birtwistle Local Studies Library
Cinema advertising record, 1952.
This record would accompany a slide show of advertisements for local business, which would played before films shown at the Armadale Hall. The record includes advertisements for Derry Na Sura Vineyard, Mr H. T. Redwell Electrician, Davey’s Hatchery, Matthew’s Brothers Transport, Armadale Agencies, Calloway Newsagency and Ferguson’s Mainway Garage.
Acquired by the Armadale Kelmscott Historical Society
Les Pike and Cliff Brown working the film projectors at Armadale District Hall, c1944.
Movies had been shown on a Saturday night at the Armadale District Hall since it opened in 1936. During the late 1940s mid-week movies were introduced. The introduction of television to Western Australia in 1959 and the home video player in 1980 saw attendance at the movie nights gradually decline with the showing of movies at the Armadale Hall ceasing in the mid-1980s.
Courtesy Birtwistle Local Studies Library
Receipt for good purchased at H.M. Rose Storekeeper Kelmscott, 11 December 1942.
Harold Mervyn Rose operated his Kelmscott grocery store, located on Albany Highway, between 1930 and the mid-1950s. Harold and his family lived in the house attached to the back of the shop.
Donated by C. Taylor
Pages Food Store, 1959.
Formerly Rose’s Grocery store from the 1930s to the mid-1950s. Located on Albany Highway in Kelmscott.
Courtesy Birtwistle Local Studies Library
Pencil advertising A.T. Ferguson Kelmscott butcher business, c1930s.
Mr A. T. Ferguson operated his butcher store on the corner of Albany Road and Gilwell Avenue in the 1930s and early 40’s.
The Ferguson family arrived in Kelmscott around 1931 from Beverley, where Mr Ferguson has run a butcher store. In the early 1940s he sold the business to Mr J.A. McLeod and Alf Martin and went to work for the Metro Bus Company as a driver. In 1944 the local paper reported that Mr Ferguson was back helping at the butcher shop while Mr McLeod was recovering from a stay in hospital.
Donated by B. Blair
Crane’s Butcher shop, 1959
This store, located near the corner of Albany Highway and Gilwell Avenue, was used as a butcher shop by several owners, including A.T. Ferguson in the 1930s and 40s.
Courtesy Birtwistle Local Studies Library
Receipt for goods from Armadale Cellars, 24 January 1976.
Armadale Cellars, located at 142 Jull Street, started advertising in the local paper in June 1975. The business was sold in 1994 and has continued to operate as a liquor store under a variety of names.
This receipt was for liquor purchased by the Armadale Caledonian Society for their annual Burns Night Dinner.
Donated by the Mundijong Caledonian Society
Derry Na Sura Winery price list, c1930s.
The first vines at Derry Na Sura Winery were planted in 1894 by Martin Jull and Dr Ferguson Stewart, on the hills overlooking the emerging town of Armadale. Over the next 60 years the winery was expanded and had a number of owners, including Derry-Na-Sura Vineyard Ltd. between c1928 and 1951. In the 1930s the vineyard won a number of awards at Western Australian wine competitions.
Donated by H. Hillbrick
Derry Na Sura Vineyard, c1910.
Looking from Armadale towards the vineyard and cellars.
Courtesy Birtwistle Local Studies Library
Blackburn Bakery paper bag, c1940s.
Blackburn’s Bakery was located at the western end of Jull Street in Armadale and operated between the early 1930s and 1967. The bakery was run by Robert ‘Bob’ Blackburn. Bob grew up in Armadale and did his bakery apprenticeship at bakeries in Byford and Armadale. The bakery sold bread, cakes and had an adjoining tea rooms.
Acquired by the Armadale Kelmscott Historical Society
Blackburn’s Bakery delivery van and cart, c1946.
Delivery drivers Keith Symes, standing next to the van, and William Blackburn (Robert’s father) in the horse and cart. William used to deliver the bread all over the district but when the bakery started acquiring delivery vans his round slowly shrunk down to customers in Armadale.
Courtesy Birtwistle Local Studies Library
A. Harrison & Sons honey labels, c1960s.
Albert Harrison and his family moved to Kelmscott in the 1920s where he started an apiarist business, placing bee hives throughout the nearby hills. When old enough his son, Albert ‘Linc’, joined the business. Linc continued to run A. Harrison & Sons following his father’s death in 1944. They named the honey after the native Wandoo (Eucalyptus wandoo) trees found in the nearby hills.
Donated by L&N Harrison
Cleaning cloth advertising Fahey’s Garage, c1950.
Fahey’s Garage was located on the north-east corner of Jull Street and Third Road in Armadale between c1930 and the early 1970s. The garage was demolished to make way for the new Armadale Square which opened in 1972.
Donated by R. Richings
Fahey’s Garage, 1938
The Garage was owned by Edmund ‘Ned’ Fahey who moved to Armadale around 1920. He opened the garage in the early 1930s.
Courtesy Birtwistle Local Studies Library
Elizabethan Furnishing and Giftware paper bag, c1980s.
This store was located in the Tudor Arcade which opened on Jull Street in April 1981. The store operated through to the mid-1990s.
Donated by D. Casserly
Hasties' Drapery Store advertising cardboard fan, c1931-1969.
Hasties' Drapery Store was the last of three Armadale based drapery stores located in the same building on Jull Street, near Third Road. The store was first opened in 1908 by Mrs E. Caldwell. In 1923 Mr Henwood took over the business before selling it to Mr Hastie in 1931. Hasties sold men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, manchester, fabric, furnishings and footwear.
Donated by R. Blackburn
Caldwell General Draper store, 1916.
The original Armadale drapery store, started by Mrs Caldwell in c1908. Mrs Caldwell ran the store until 1920 when she sold the business to Mr Henwood, who changed the name to Henwood's Bargain Centre and added an extension to the right side of the store. The building was demolished in the 1980s to make way for a new shopping centre.
Courtesy Birtwistle Local Studies Library
Frogmore Motor Garage advertisement, c1920s.
With the introduction of the motor car to Western Australia in the early 1900s, motor garages began to appear in the district. Frogmore Motor Garage was established by James Bamlett, a Kelmscott poultry farmer, on Albany Road, in the mid-1910s.
James started selling petrol, parts and doing repairs, but soon started hiring out motor cars to visitors to the region who got off at the nearby Kelmscott train station. Cars were hired out for tourists to drive up into the hills to enjoy the wildflowers, buy fresh produce, enjoy the swimming holes in the Canning River or simply enjoy a drive along the rough bush tracks. James operated the garage through to the 1940s.
Acquired by the Armadale Kelmscott Historical Society
If you have any objects or documents from a business that operated in the City of Armadale please contact History House at museum@armadale.wa.gov.au