Residency Museum, York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Residency Museum |
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Residency Museum, York, in 2019
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| General information | |
| Address | 4 Brook St |
| Town or city | York, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 31°53′34″S 116°46′31″E / 31.8928°S 116.7754°E |
| Construction started | 1852 |
| Type | State Registered Place |
| Designated | 9 February 1996 |
| Reference no. | 2870 |
| References | |
| York municipal inventory | |
The Residency Museum in York, Western Australia is an old, important building. It has one floor and is built in the Victorian Georgian style. This museum is connected to the Old York Hospital, which is also a heritage site.
Contents
The Building's History
Early Days as a Cottage
This building was first built around 1852. It started as a small house for the person in charge of the Convict Depot in York. Today, it is the only part of that old depot that still stands.
The oldest parts of the building were made from special bricks. These bricks had a "broad arrow" stamp, which meant they belonged to the government. This stamp also showed that convicts had made the bricks.
In the 1860s, a doctor named Robert McCoy lived in the cottage. He worked at the Depot Hospital.
Becoming The Residency
In 1867, a local leader named Walkinshaw Cowan moved into the cottage. He was a Resident Magistrate, which meant he was a judge and a government official. He needed a bigger home for his family.
So, the cottage was made larger to fit his big family. After this, people started calling the building "The Residency."
Role as a Hospital Building
Later, in 1896, the Old York Hospital was built next door. It didn't have enough space for a maternity ward, which is where babies are born. So, The Residency building was used for this purpose.
As a maternity hospital, it had rooms for mothers and babies. It also had a room for nurses and a duty room. There was a separate area with a kitchen and a maid's room.
In 1926, more changes were made. A bathroom, toilet, and a new porch were added. The building then became the Matron's Quarters, where the head nurse lived.
The building was part of the Old York Hospital until 1963. That year, a new hospital and nurses' homes were built in York.
Saving The Residency
After 1963, the building was empty and started to fall apart. But in the early 1970s, a group called The York Society stepped in. They raised $6,000 to save the building.
The money was used to fix it up. Parts that had been added temporarily were removed. The goal was to make the building look as much as possible like it did when Walkinshaw Cowan lived there in the 1860s.
The Residency Museum Today
The building officially opened as a museum in 1972. It is managed by the local government, the Shire of York. Many community volunteers also help run the museum.
The Residency Museum shows off old items from the early days of the colony. It also has different exhibitions that change over time.
