Harvey Heritage Trail

Harvey Heritage Trail

From the 1830’s the Harvey area was known as “Korijekup” the Aboriginal word meaning “The place of the Red Tailed Black Cockatoo.” Early explorers named the Harvey River and by the 1890’s the Korijekup Estate became known as Harvey Estate. As the township took shape near the turn of the century, it became known as Harvey.

1. Replica of Stirling Cottage
A replica of a cottage built about the 1850’s on land owned by Sir James Stirling near Harvey River about 500 metres upstream from this site. The original cottage was lived in by May Gibbs, creator of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, during the 1880’s. Features of the original cottage were hexagonal paving blocks fitted together as flooring “pit sawn” Jarrah walls and a sheoak shingled roof all recreated in this replica of Stirling’s Cottage.

2. Internment Camp Memorial Shrine: Harvey Camp 11 – Classified by the National Trust
The Shrine was built in 1941 by Italian internees held at the Harvey Interment Camp during WWII. The camp held up to 1000 internees and 200 soldiers. For 50 years the Shrine stood in an open paddock. In 1992 a chapel was built around the Shrine to protect it from the elements. 123 German P.O.W survivors of the HSK Kormoran around the age of 20 and 818 Italian men were interned in the camp. The camp closed in 1942 due to security concerns. Amidst the horrors and misunderstandings of a World War, these men were representing both sides of the conflict while living in harmony. Hut: Each Hut held 30 internees 1940 – 1942. Prison: The original prison cells for the camp. Read more below.

3. Masonic Hall: Classified by the Nation Trust
The rear section was built in 1914 with the front part of the building with its unusual architecture added in 1934.

4. Snells Park
Mr. Alf Snell whose efforts the Harvey Town gardens were first formed originally gifted Snell Park to the Shire in 1936. Since then it has grown and changed with each new gardener or town caretaker. Today it boasts a number of old roses, gazebo, hundreds of bulbs, 2 arches and brightly coloured garden beds. Snell park is widely used by the community and is a relaxing spot to eat your lunch or a family gathering. Toilets available.

5. C.W.A Room
(Country Women’s Association) Built in 1933. Situated in Snells Park. In the 1950’s a group of women would congregate in this small Room. The club was known as the Virginian’s Club.

6. Harvey House
This brick shop as built in Hayward Street during 1913. Harvey House served the town as tearooms until the 1940’s. Since then it has been a Newsagency.

7. Westpac Bank: Classified by the National Trust
Built in 1938 as the Bank of New South Wales. In more recent years it has been modernised and renamed the Westpac Bank in 1982.

8. Cafe On Uduc and Residence
Built in 1932 as Feazey’s Bakery and became Campbell’s Bakery, later it became the towns tearooms, Part of the residence has been beautifully restored as a restaurant.

9. Harvey Council Chambers: Classified by the National Trust.
This Art Deco style building was added onto the Town Hall in 1935 as the Council Chambers.

10. Harvey Town Hall: Classified by the National Trust
The main hall was built in 1914 with money fundraised by the people of Harvey. Soon afterwards WWII broke out and the Drill Hall was added in 1915 as a military hall. The main hall was extended in 1935 with the addition of the present stage.

11. Church of England Hall
The timber church of England was built in 1906 on Young Street north of the Harvey Primary School.

12. Uniting Church Hall
The timber building was built as the Methodist Church in 1924.

13. War Memorial Library
Built in 1920 as a War Memorial to the Harvey soldiers killed in WA.

14. Harvey Grandstand and Entrance Gates
Constructed in 1936 by J. Johnston for one thousand four hundred and twenty eight pounds.. The grandstand was built for the purpose of viewing the Harvey Trots, which were first held under electric lights the same year. In 2004, the Entrance was named after Jim Rake who worked tirelessly as a volunteer for the Harvey Community.

15. Roman Catholic Church
Built in 1932 and used as a church until a new (Our Lady of the Immigrants) Roman Catholic Church was built in 1972. The old church is still in its original condition with timber floor and dado.

16. R.S.L. Hall
Built in 1938 showing a different type of architecture for that era at the front of the building. The interior is still in its original condition with timber floor and dado.

17. Harvey Primary School
The small timber building on the east end of the long brick block was built in 1901. The first red brick classroom was added on in 1909, with further additions of a brick classroom and teacher’s room in 1927, and another classroom in 1934. The old school served Harvey as classrooms for generations. It is now a Pre-School centre.

18. Railway Station
The railway line from Perth to Bunbury was completed in 1893 and soon afterwards the Railway Station was built. In 1936 the Railway Station was extended and the building improved with the addition of rustic weatherboards to the exterior and the roof tiled. For many years the Railway Station was the central point of activity for the district. By 1987, with the introduction of the modern “Australind” train, the Railway Station was no longer needed and closed. The Station now houses the Harvey Museum and is the only Railway Station remaining in the Shire of Harvey. The Museum is open to the public on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sunday of every month, 2pm – 4pm. Ph: 9729 1685

19. The Old Post Office
Now the S.E.S. building, built in 1923 and used as the Post Office until 1957.

20. Harvey Hotel
In October 1898, Alexander Thomas Smith opened Harvey’s first hotel, which was built behind the site of the present hotel currently known as the Harvey Hotel. It was a single storey wooden building and named the Korijekup Hotel. A brick Korijekup Hotel was built about 1907 and after the second storey was added (about 1915), it became known as the Harvey Hotel. The building is a large Federation style, two storey brick building with corrugated iron hip roof vented at the peaks. An intersecting half timbered gable from the middle of the roof and another over the corner facing the road intersection. Both floors have a full verandah running the length of the Harper Street frontage. These verandahs are supported on full height timber posts, which in the case of the upper floor are linked by an open railed balustrade punctuated with panel balusters, decorated with a cut-out ‘leaf’ shape (as mentioned above). The posts also have decorative grooved tops and a flat arched beam between each pair. The hotel interior features high ceilings, jarrah panelled walls and a central staircase. Leadlight windows featuring an Art Deco geometric pattern and 1930s style furnishings indicate a revamping during the Inter War period. There is also a large stone fireplace and several brick chimneys with enlarged corbelled heads featuring four terracotta chimney pots on each.

21. Harvey River Diversion
1931 – 1935 (20km). A Government Scheme during the depression employed 2,500 men to dig the diversion to divert water directly to the sea as the old Harvey River flooded over land as it wound its way to its natural outlet in the estuary near Mandurah. The clay section of the Diversion (first 10km) was dug by a coal fired drag line. The second section (second 10kms) was dug by hand. 2,500 men used shovels, wheelbarrows and horse and carts removed the sand to form the man made river.

22. Commemorative Plaques
a) In memory of thousands of men who worked on the Harvey River Diversion.
b) A plaque commemoration Sir James Stirling who explored and took possession of land in the locality of Harvey in 1837.

Harvey Heritage Trail brochures are available from the Harvey Visitor Centre.