Published 26 September 2024, updated 29 October 2024
The Local Studies Reading Room is open weekly Tuesday 3-5pm and Wednesday 9am-1pm. It is located within the Bunbury City Library, Parkfield Street, Bunbury.
You can arrange to view records relating to Council functions such as minutes of Council Meetings, rate books, reports, maps, official photographs, local history books and newspaper archives. We also have a range of donated material such as historical photographs, postcards and letters, booklets and leaflets about the region.
We hold copies of most Bunbury newspapers on microfilm (from 1853 to 2005) and paper copies of the Bunbury Mail (1990 to 2012). You are welcome to come and search these yourself.
If you wish to view specific records please contact the Local Studies Officer to book a seat in our reading room. We suggest you give two weeks’ notice where possible as seats are limited.
Each fortnight we will spotlight a different aspect of our collection:
October 1, 2, 8, 9 Bunbury Newspapers on Microfilm
Which date would you like to travel back to? Come on in - we can transport you to another era through our Newspaper collection (1853 – 2005). We have South Western Times, South Western News, The Coastal District Times, The Southern Advertiser amongst others and WA Post Office Directories from 1893 to 1949. Booking for this service is essential as we only have one reader.
October 15, 16, 22, 23 Timber Jetty Society collection
What are your memories of the Jetty? Bunbury Timber Jetty Environment and Conservation Society ran (with various names) from 1983 to 2014. For many years this dedicated band of volunteers maintained the jetty and ran campaigns to save it. They were supported by heritage champion, Mrs Snooky Manea. This collection contains many original photographs, negatives, newspaper cuttings and plans, as well as research into the history of Jetty and also the Old Post Office (1864).
October 29, 30 & November 5, 6 Bunbury Mail Newspapers
Do you remember your Graduation Ball? Or major sporting event? If it was in Bunbury since 1990 chances are the Bunbury Mail had their photographers there. Find yourself (or your parents!) in our Bunbury Mail archive. We have copies from issue 1 in March 1990 to 2014.
November 12, 13, 19, 20 Sister City Photo collection
Setagaya, a city in the south west of Tokyo metropolis, is Bunbury’s third sister city. On 10 November 1992 the two Mayors signed an agreement to create this special long-term bond between us. It has resulted in many official visits including sporting and youth exchanges. Our photo collection documents some of the official events in both cities. Have you been on an exchange?
November 26, 27, December 3, 4 Council Minutes
Did you know, the Council first approved a municipal library in 1950? Our first female Councillor, Marion Hudson, was the Council Representative on the Library Committee. It took a further two years for the library to open. Read up on the decisions made that affected life in Bunbury from sporting reserves to library collections – it’s all in the minutes!
December 10, 11, 17, 18 Kingia Magazine Collection
As we close another school year we reflect on the last 101 years of Bunbury Senior High – one of the oldest surviving government schools in WA. The Kingia school magazine was initiated on the first day of the new school. It is controlled by the students and a bound copy of each issue was presented by them to the “People of Bunbury” on the schools’ 60th birthday in 1983. Perhaps your parent or grandparent was mentioned as a prize winner, wrote an article or was the editor… come and take a look! (and we’d love a copy of the Kingia for the intervening 40 years to complete our collection!)