Mountain landscape at golden hour

Founded in 1954

King Cottage Museum

Entrance fees: $5 for adults Free for children
Open Wed–Sun | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
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Our History

The Bunbury Historical Society Inc. was founded in 1954. Its headquarters are at King Cottage, built in the early 1880s by Henry King, a bricklayer by trade. The King family sold the house to the Carlson family in 1923, and then in 1966 it was purchased by the City of Bunbury. The Bunbury Historical Society opened the cottage as its headquarters and a museum in 1968 and has occupied the site since. The Society became incorporated in 1970. A workroom was built at the rear of the cottage in 1970 and named the Laurence Sanders Wing after a long-serving treasurer. That building was demolished and the current Laurence Sanders Annex was built in 1990. Members are volunteers and meet at the Laurence Sanders Annex at the rear of King Cottage on Tuesday mornings from 10am. By 1984 King Cottage was in need of repairs and after a major restoration re-opened in 1988. The main rooms at King Cottage Museum are furnished to fit the period of the King family ownership – from 1880 to 1923.

The artifacts displayed are part of the Bunbury Historical Society's collection and reflect the way of life of a Bunbury family of that period.

Lofoten mountains Iceland glacial lagoon Faroe Islands cliffs

About Us

The Bunbury Historical Society is affiliated with the Royal West Australian Historical Society. It was formed in Bunbury in 1954. The Cottage was built around 1880 by Henry King, a bricklayer by trade. The King family sold the house to the Carlson Family in 1923. In 1966 the home and grounds were purchased by the City of Bunbury. It is leased to the Bunbury historical Society.

King cottage had major restoration work from 1984 to 1988 and re-opened as a Museum with rooms furnished to fit the period of the King Family ownership. Some of the artefacts were recently acquired from King family members and give great authenticity to the period. All rooms have artefacts of the period and our Volunteers change displays on a regular basis.

Volunteers

We are always seeking volunteers at the Bunbury Historical Society. You may be a volunteer and not a member. Volunteers are of varying ages and walks of life who share a passion for history, photos, books, historical artefacts and exploring the past. There are many ways to be involved as a volunteer and we would appreciate your help, be it occasional or on a regular basis.

New Volunteers will receive an orientation and work with other members. Members and Volunteers meet on Tuesday at 10 am or when the Cottage is open. We each assist in tasks to classify, preserve and record objects donated. We welcome visitors to the Cottage and also go on outings to other Museums or on occasion have guest speakers. Some enjoy gardening. If you would like to volunteer with us, please reach out to our team using the contact details at the bottom of this page.

Please consider joining us, you would be warmly welcomed!

Membership

Ordinary Membership with full voting rights is open to people over the age of 15 years. People under the age of 15 years are eligible to become associate members.

Membership fee is $20 per annum paid 1st January each year.

To become a member, please download and fill out the form below, then submit it to our team using the email address provided at the bottom of this page.

Download Membership Form

Research

The Society holds a small Library in Laurence Sanders Annex from which members can borrow items for a period of one month. This time can be extended if needed.

Interested in uncovering local history? To request a research inquiry regarding the Bunbury community, please download our request form below and submit it to our team using the contact details at the bottom of this page.

Download Research Request Form