Historic Museum Village

ESPERANCE HISTORIC MUSEUM VILLAGE

Salmon Gums School - Now Village Sheep Shop:

The original building was first erected at the Princess Royal Mine in the Norseman Goldfield. In 1916 it was transferred to Norseman as the primary school, before the Salmon Gums community acquired it as their first school from 1928 to 1978. Esperance Shire Council then purchased and relocated the building to the Museum Park.

Feeling the Cold? Pop onto the Village Sheep Shop for Ugg Boots for all the family. At the shop in the Salmon Gums School youll also find all sorts of sheepskin products, along with souvenirs, body lotion, gift lines and jewellery.

 The Village sheep Shop is opened Monday - Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm

                                                                 Saturday - Sunday 9.00am to 2.00pm

Hospital Matron's Quarters  - Now Julie Curtain Art

After servicing the Wellard area (towards Albany) as a hospital, this building was removed and re-erected in Esperance in January 1930. The Esperance Hospital was officially opened in this year and this building was to serve as the Matrons quarters in the hospital grounds. In 1971 patients requiring physiotherapy treatment then used the Matrons House. The Pathology Department used it some time, as did a consulting podiatrist. Finally becoming vacant on 1983 the house was relocated to the Museum Park.

Make the Alkaten Design your first stop to get all the help youll need to plan a wedding, birthday, functuion or special event. This shop in the Old Hospital Matron's Quarters have stationary, decorations bomboniere planning and themes.

Police Sergeants Quarters  - Now Bygones:

This building was built in circa 1927 and use as the Police Sergeants Quarters. In 1978 tenders were called to erect a Police Station in Esperance, which eventually opened in March 1897. In 1986 a new Sergeants house was built, the Police Station enlarged and also a new Crown Court of Law added. This saw the old Sergeants house being moved to the Museum Park.

 School Masters House  - Now Kristy's Cafe

Through the years this building has served many people, being built in approximately 1940 for the Education Department to house their schoolmasters. In 1961 the Esperance Shire Council purchased the house with the Shire employees living in it until 1978. In this year a committee was formed who eventually acquired the building as a centre for Esperance aged people to meet for social activities, but in 1980 the building was finally vacated, being too small. In 1983 the Esperance Shire Council decided to move it to the Museum Park.

Old Blacksmiths Shop

This unique building was built in approximately 1985 for a local identity Mr. Wolfgang Schultz to continue with his love of blacksmithing. In 1996 Graeme Wheeler expanded the workshop and added an "open" showroom to house the wrought iron furniture and sculptures. 

Sinclair House  - Now E.S.P.

From all reports Sinclair House started out at the turn of the century as part of a large dormitory-style building housing Mr. Bill Gibson and his family in William Street. His daughter then bought the home after his death and was later sold to Mr. Frank Dunn who deciding the building was by far too large sold half to Mr. Les Sinclaire who lived there with his sister Ethel after moving it to Dempster Street. It was the home to Ethel and her husband Roy for all their married life. Sometime after the couple had passed away, their son Neil made the gracious gift of Sinclair House to the Esperance Shire Museum Park.

Sinclair House is the place to go to indulge your sweet tooth. The E.S.P. shop has old fashioned sweets, lollies, fudge and toffee. There are also fun novelties, a gift, fab shoes and accessories and from October 2006 you can have Simmos homemade ice-cream.

E.S.P is opened Monday - Saturday  10.00am to 5.00pm

Old Methodist Church

This quaint building was originally built in 1895. Until recently, it was still used as a church as such, with many couples getting married in this historic building. It recently has been under going some much deserved renovations to bring this building back to its former character.

Today the Church is used for special occasions such as weddings and ceremonies. If you would like to have a look at the church please call into the Esperance Visitor Centre to arrange a pick up of the key.  Bookings for the Church can be done throught the Shire of Esperance on 90710666

Old Court House

Officially opened in June 1896, this building was originally constructed for the Esperance Shire as Council chambers and was located in Andrew Street. In 1898, council chambers moved and the vacant building became the official courthouse. This remained as such for a period of 69 years until 1967 when a new courthouse was erected in Dempster Street. In 1975 combined service club in Esperance worked to stabilize the old building in order to move it to its new home here in the Museum Park.

Stewarts The Chemist  - now Kepa Kurl Art Gallery & Eco-Discovery Tours

It was about 1934 when messrs L & RC Daw had a block of land in the corner of Andrew and Dempster Street subdivided and it its eastern boundary they built a shop for Mr. Blizzard, The local newsagent. Its ownership changed numerous times before it housed Esperance's first qualified chemist, Mr. AJ (Jack) Stewart. The Building remained as a chemist fro the rest of its time, seeing many new chemists come to town and quickly became friend and counselor to all. It was then retired to the Museum Park amongst the other historical buildings.

Visit Kepa Kurl shop in the build that was the Stewarts Chemist Shop to see their range of local Aboriginal art, Aboriginal spears, boomerangs, didjeridoos and returning boomerang. This shop also stocks glass gift, art from other parts of WA and souvenirs. You can also book Eco-Cultural Discovery Tour.

Kepa Kurl is open: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 10.00am to 4.00pm

                                  Thursday 1.00pm to 4.00pm

                                   Saturday CLOSED

                                   Sunday 9.00am to 1.00pm

Doctors Surgery

The Daw family originally owned this little building. It came from Red Lake where it had been a store. It was transported down to Esperance in the late 1940's being established as an office for land and real estate, taxation and accounting. Later it used by Dr. Tom Burcher as his surgery until 1973. It was not occupied again until it was moved to the Museum Park.