Historical Society
The Margaret River and District Historical Society (MRDHS) is dedicated to collecting, preserving and cataloguing the local history of Margaret River and surrounding districts. The MRDHS centers around the Old Settlement on the banks of the Margaret River and has around 30 members plus volunteers.
The headquarters of the Society is located in the Bramley School at the site and contains historical school paraphernalia, many local photographs and changing displays. In 2015, after many years of restoration work by MRDHS members and volunteers, another Group Settlement building, a “Groupie” house, was officially opened and operates as a museum.
The buildings and displays contain a vast collection of interesting local artifacts. A movie theatre located in the blacksmith workshop shows the interesting history of group settlement in the area.
The Old Settlement Museum
The museum holds a collection of Group Settlement artefacts, dating from 1920 and is surrounded by an extensive collection of farming implements, blacksmith tools, renovated spring carts and an old dairy and milk shed that were used during this period.
The Bramley school, the group settlement building, the blacksmith workshop and the other buildings offer an insight into the history of early life in the district during the early 1920’s and the families that once lived and worked the land.
The blacksmith workshop also features a movie theatre and displays items of more recent local history.
Margaret River & Districts Historical Society
The Old Settlement Museum
69 Bussell Highway
Margaret River WA 6285
Opening hours
Tuesday 10:00am - 12:30pm
Thursday 1:30pm - 4:00pm
Saturday 10:00am - 3:00pm
Sunday 10:00am - 1:00pm
A small entrance fee applies
Closed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
(Opening hours subject to the availability of volunteers)
Closed from Sunday the 22nd of December
Reopening on Thursday the 2nd of January
Acesss and parking
The Historical Society is located at The Old Settlement Museum, just south of the river. Access to the Historical Society is through Higgins Street.
Introduction to the Margaret River and Districts Historical Society
Visit The Old Settlement Museum in Margaret River and experience how the early settlers lived in the area. The Old Settlement is totally run by volunteers. Visit the old settlers house, the classroom in the old school, the extensive colection of farming equipment and the blacksmith shop with a great collection of old artifacts.
School visits
The Old Settlement is also a great place for school excursions.
Students can experience how the early settlers lived in the area. They will be shown around the old settlement by volunteers, they can participate in everyday tasks and visit the classroom in the old school.
For more information or to book a school visit, please contact our secretary Shelley Wightman.
