Donnelly River Village Museum

Kangaroos languidly observe the surroundings in the picturesque Donnelly River Village while emus wander through the karris. Now a tranquil holiday destination, the village was established in the late 1940s for the workers at the Bunnings Bros. Mill which opened in 1950. Many of the workers and families were displaced persons from World War II, who were collected from the Fremantle Port and brought directly to Donnelly River. The State Housing Commission built the first 29 houses in 1950/51 with later houses built by the workers for their families, while huts on the other side of the mill housed single men. The two room school opened in 1953 to educate the children of the workers. The Museum is housed in one of the classrooms, and presents a fascinating insight into life in this isolated mill town. Photographs, stories, and memorabilia create a vivid picture. Though a lovely peaceful setting now, imagine what it would have been like when the air was full of the screech and roar of the mill saws and trains and the mill whistle managed the daily routine of the whole community.