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The Mingenew Aboriginal Reserve, ‘Littlewell’, was first established in 1938. In the 1950s, houses and ablution blocks were constructed on the 10-acre site, a well was fitted with a windmill and, eventually, town water and electricity were connected. In the 70s, with many of Littlewell’s residents moving into the town centre, the reserve was closed down.
All that remains today are the concrete slab foundations of the eight houses, laundry, ablution block and the steel base of the windmill. There are some scattered artefacts on the site, as well as the trunk of a large dead tree which is fondly remembered as a central meeting place.
Littlewell is a significant place with a rich history of connection, belonging and hardship for many Aboriginal families.
Former resident, Thomas Cameron said, ‘During my time on Littlewell in the 50s we were told stories by my grandfather about our culture, including bush tucker, yumbies and singing around the campfire’. Ex-residents of the reserve are the repositories of stories about significant sites such as Depot Hill, where ceremonies were conducted and babies were born.
Given its historical importance, in 2010 the Littlewell Working Group was formed, headed up by Mr Cameron. Members, all former residents, have a strong passion to share their stories and to commemorate the lives of the families who resided there.
To see and hear more about Littlewell, watch the videos on this page or contact the Mingenew Historical Museum.

The Mingenew Lodge held its first meeting in the Mingenew second Agricultural Hall in 1920. It continued meeting there until 1926 when the Masonic Lodge Hall was built on land donated by Brother E.A. Fields.
The Hall was financed by contributions from Lodge members and they contributed their time and skills in its construction. A supper room, Secretary’s office and Robing room were added over the years.
The Lodge provided fellowship and friendship for men from surrounding areas including Geraldton, Dongara and Morawa. The main modes of transport to the meetings in the early days were by horse, horse and sulky, the odd car and the Midland Railway. The journey from Geraldton by car took about four hours with many gates to open. (There were 32 gates between Dongara and Mingenew.) Members who travelled by train would stay the night in Mingenew.
In the 1940’s many servicemen who were stationed in the Mingenew area wished to be involved in the Lodge. The strict dress code was relaxed to allow “regalia adequate for the occasion” with some imaginative ways used to meet this requirement.
Mingenew Lodge members have contributed widely to the general fabric of the community both financially and in-kind through their support of organisations such as the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Mingenew Expo. Mingenew Primary School students have benefited by way of scholarships and awards and the school grounds have been enhanced by the recent donation of the beautiful entrance gates.
The Lodge closed in 2015.

In 1911 the earliest known butcher shop in Mingenew was operated by the Herberts on the corner of William St and Railway Parade. The Eakins family also operated a butcher and bakery business in Shenton St.
In 1925 Norm Saggers set up as a butcher opposite the Railway Station while a new premises was built on this site by C. Hope. The Saggers name was then associated with the butchering business in Mingenew through until 1954.
Livestock were in plentiful supply with cattle and sheep being yarded here prior to being transported by rail to Midland. Local meat supplies came from the stock and slaughter yards situated near Mingenew Hill. When the slaughter house closed the meat was railed from Perth to Mingenew. Locals recall with humour, the meat being unsecured at the railway siding (no sophisticated packaging in those times) which allowed local dogs to make opportunistic visits to satisfy their hunger.
The McAuliffe family were the last operators of this business from circa 1960 to 1970.
The building was demolished in 1970 and the land became part of Cecil Newton Park.

Mr R.R. (Ron) Ironside came to Mingenew as an employee of the Midland Railway Co.
In 1928 he resigned from this position to become the agent for the Mingenew branch of Dalgety & Co Ltd, the largest wool selling House in Australia. He set up shop on this site.
By 1935 he was also the local agent for “Sunshine” Machinery, Commercial & Union Assurance Companies, Dodge cars and trucks, Shell, Vacuum and Neptune Oil Depot and Malvern Star Cycles.
George (R.R. Ironside’s son) took over this business and through the 1950’s traded as Ironside & Taylor and in the 1960’s as Ironside and Rule.
Both Ron and George were prominent sportsmen and were actively involved in community events including the Mingenew Agricultural Society Show, the local race, tennis and golf clubs. Mrs Ron Ironside was a founding member (1929) of the local CWA.
In more recent times, until it was demolished in 1994, the building was used as a garage by different proprietors including the Croft family and the Bick family.

The first record of a baker in Mingenew was Mr Jock White in 1919. In 1926 Mr A.J. Harris rebuilt the bakery and leased it to William Muncie whose advertisement stated that “it was the most hygienic and up to date bakery in the state.” The shop was situated on the street front with the living quarters and the bakery at the rear.
In 1935 Ray and Kathleen Thorne purchased the bakery and it became known for its good quality bread and buns. Products were sold to other towns including Strawberry, Irwin, Dongara and Walkaway and delivered by train on Tuesdays and Fridays. The bread was wrapped in thick brown paper and tied with string then placed in a tea box. On occasion, customers would ring asking where their bread was, and it had invariably been carried to the wrong station, or the guard had forgotten to put it out at the station. Selwood’s mail truck also delivered orders to customers on their Morawa and Mullewa mail run.
During the Second World War, many thousands of soldiers camped around Mingenew and the army cooks came to Thorne’s bakehouse to cook poultry and cake for the Generals in Charge. After many years of making bread by hand, Ray bought an electric dough mixer, making life as a baker a good deal easier.
The business was sold to Mr Harold Chapman circa 1955 and then to Mr Vince Farley.

The Yandanooka and District branch of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial league of Australia was formed in 1918-1919. The earliest recorded President was W. Meldrum and J. A. Brown was a very prominent supporter of the league over many years. Returned Service men and women commemorated ANZAC Day with a service of remembrance, held for many years in the Yandanooka hall and Lesser hall in Mingenew. In July 1951, a memorial arch and abutments of local stone were added to the existing gateway to the sportsground complex. Two bronze plaques were set in the gateway pillars, honouring the fallen men of the district from both world wars. The arch and gateway were demolished in 1968 after being damaged by a truck attempting to pass through.
In 1961 the Yandanooka and Mingenew branch members purchased a prefabricated building in Perth and a local, Dick Neale transported it back to Mingenew. The hall was erected on Lot 20 Shenton street. This hall was hired by many groups including the kindergarten 1973-1978, and C.W.A. in 1979. In February 1985, the Mingenew Lions club purchased the hall for a clubroom and Expo office.

The Yandanooka and District branch of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial league of Australia was formed in 1918-1919. The earliest recorded President was W. Meldrum and J. A. Brown was a very prominent supporter of the league over many years. Returned Service men and women commemorated ANZAC Day with a service of remembrance, held for many years in the Yandanooka hall and Lesser hall in Mingenew. In July 1951, a memorial arch and abutments of local stone were added to the existing gateway to the sportsground complex. Two bronze plaques were set in the gateway pillars, honouring the fallen men of the district from both world wars. The arch and gateway were demolished in 1968 after being damaged by a truck attempting to pass through.
In 1961 the Yandanooka and Mingenew branch members purchased a prefabricated building in Perth and a local, Dick Neale transported it back to Mingenew. The hall was erected on Lot 20 Shenton street. This hall was hired by many groups including the kindergarten 1973-1978, and C.W.A. in 1979. In February 1985, the Mingenew Lions club purchased the hall for a clubroom and Expo office.

Early medical services were virtually non-existent except for the activities of midwives who attended women in childbirth. The earliest records recall a Doctor Bartlett visiting Mingenew and the surrounding district around 1900, travelling from Dongara once a fortnight. The C.W.A. organised the first health service in Mingenew from 1930. A sister was appointed and lived in the delicensed hotel building. A hospital was built in 1936 on 2 acres of land in Phillip Street gifted by J. W. Butcher. The hospital was run by a Matron and one assistant until its closure in 1942 when the army took it over as a casualty station for 12 months. During 1944-53 it was a leased residence and then divided into two separate living quarters for the Silver Chain and Infant Health sisters. A surgery was attached which was used by Sister Riseberry (Silver Chain nurse). A Doctor attended the surgery on a weekly basis. It returned to a private residence in 1977. A new Silver Chain precinct in Phillip street was opened in 1977 by Premier Sir Charles Court. Sister Jenny Maley (and her husband Fred) resided and worked from here until her retirement in 1997.
Please respect the privacy of residents.

Sister Doris Cameron commenced duties as Infant Health Sister in 1948 using the C.W.A. rooms once a week and travelling an area bound by Mullewa, Latham, Coorow, and Dongara. Mothers requiring assistance at home signalled by draping a baby’s nappy on their farm gate along the sister’s route. The Sister Cameron Infant Health Centre was built in Phillip street and opened in 1957 in recognition of her dedicated service. A public farewell was held in August 1962 on the retirement of ”Cam” as she was affectionately called. This building presently serves the community as a Day Care facility.

W.H. Linthorne set about building this church using local stone with the foundation stone being laid by Miss Clementine Nairn on 8th May 1903; Reverend John Alban Brown officiated (his name is inscribed on the church font). The first wedding was solemnised between William Shepherd Oliver of Mingenew, and Bessie Alice Johnson of Dongara. Two Poplar trees were planted at the church entrance in their memory. In 1908 a front porch was added to the building. The corrugated iron roof was replaced with tiles in 1962.
In the early days, the Revd. Ernest Gill travelled from Dongara to conduct services at the church and on various properties. He rode a bicycle from Dongara and no doubt, organised rides in the guard’s van on the train. By 1912 Revd. Ernest Groser resided in the townsite, and he rode his horse out to visit new settlements. Mr Hope, a local blacksmith & wheelwright, made and erected the bell tower in 1915.
The Anglican Ladies Guild was formed in 1948. Their main purpose was to raise church funds, which they energetically did over many decades. Some of the fundraising activities in the ?O’s included fancy dress parties, the annual Anglican ball, fashion parades, garden parties, quiz nights, progressive dinners and jumble sales. This organisation was also the recognised ‘official Shire caterers’ for many years.

The first Minister, Revd. Horace Faull, prior to 1882, included Mingenew in his district circuit, driving on his two- horse team buggy. Next came Revd. Arthur Barclay. Sunday school was offered in 1895 through the efforts of Revd. W. G. Mitchell. It is unclear where these services were held, until the time a weatherboard church was built circa 1908-1912 on this site. In 1955 a back addition to the wooden church housed a bedroom and wood stove kitchen. During 1960 the existing stone wall was erected.
One local family, Mr and Mrs Jack Pascoe and their 11 children were regular attendees at this church. Mr Pascoe would open the church up and light the swinging oil lamps. The carved Cornish Company organ, played by organist Muriel Jones from 1925, now resides in the museum.
Mr David Brand [later to become Sir David Brand, Premier of WA 1959-1971] married Miss Doris McNeil [Arrino] in 1944 in this Wesleyan church. The church was demolished in 1968.

The original Road Board office (on site) was built by volunteers using local stone in 1904. It served in this role until 1935 when new offices were added to the front of the Agricultural hall situated on its north side. This iconic original Road Board building has since been used by a variety of organisations including the school, museum, and Expo. The current Shire Offices have evolved through extensive additions in 1935 and then in 1983 the Shire voted to retain and modify this Agricultural hall, in favour of totally rebuilding.
Since 1905 ‘Halls’ have played a significant role in many activities in the town. Voluntary labour built both the 1st Agricultural Hall, which was destroyed by fire, and the 2nd Agricultural Hall built in 1917. The latter was used extensively until 1959 when the Mingenew Town Hall was completed .These venues catered for social gatherings, entertainment and indoor sports including weddings, balls, cabarets, dinners, reunions, quiz nights, film nights, Repertory Club presentations, school concerts, art shows, badminton and gymnastics. Sixty two years on the Town Hall urgently needs renovations so it can once again fulfil these functions.
The final entertainment venue was the outdoor pictures area set alongside the hall. Pre television days public picture shows were immensely popular. As early as “1920 Mr Walter Taylor screened silent films while Mrs Walter Taylor played an accompaniment on the hall piano in the dark.” In 1935 West Talkies showed pictures in the Hall. By 1948 improved projection and sound equipment allowed pictures to be screened outdoors in summer. Deck chairs set the tone for a relaxing evening and refreshments were sold during the interval.

The first school in Mingenew was built on 1 acre donated by
S.J. Phillips on this existing site.
W. H. Linthorne tendered for the construction of the building at a cost of 153 pounds.
The schoolroom was to accommodate at least 24 pupils. Later, another classroom and cloakroom were added, then a stone residence was built for the headmaster next to the school.
Mingenew’s first school master, Mr A.E. MacGregor, sailed on the steam ship Flinders from Fremantle to Port Denison, then completed the journey on the contractor’s construction train to Mingenew.
In 1959 the building ceased functioning as a school when the 105 students transferred to the new state school on Phillip St.
In 1965 it became a youth centre, then in 1978 the repertory club used one room and the Mingenew Historical society established a museum in the other room.

Prior to 1910 Mass was conducted once a month in the first Agricultural Hall. Circa 1910-1912 a timber and iron church was brought from Strawberry siding and erected on this site.
The first Priest, Father Scanlon travelled from Moora to Mingenew by train once per month. Next was Father Hawes, (later to become Monsignor Hawes) who rode his black horse from Mullewa once per month to officiate Mass. Father Hawes hobby was horse racing and one of his horses won the Yalgoo Cup. Circa 1929 Father Lynch serviced Mingenew, driving a new single seater Chrysler car from Three Springs.
The current brick church building was opened in 1959 by the Most Reverend R.E.B Gummer, Bishop of Geraldton. A small cottage at the rear of the church was built for priests requiring accommodation in town.
Father Spain a popular Parish Priest conducted Mass here from the early 1950s to 1986, retiring at age 80.