Mundaring Station Master's House
The Eastern Railway from Guildford to Chidlow was opened in 1884. At that time there was no town of Mundaring but about 1 kilometre east of the current town centre there was a stopping place called Gugeri's Landing/Siding. In 1898 when the Goldfields Water Supply Project to build the dam (Mundaring Weir) and pipeline to Coolgardie began, a railway line was required, and Mundaring was chosen as the beginning of this spur line. A town then grew around the (then)York Road and the railway line. This became a main station with staff to control the train movements on the two lines.
3060 Jacoby Street Mundaring
The Station Master's House was built later, c. 1903, using a standard design: four rooms with a central passage, a skillion roof, a kitchen and bathroom at the rear. The toilet was a separate structure at the back of the house. These houses were built to similar dimensions so that when station masters were transferred around the State, they knew their furniture would fit into their next home. The houses were constructed using either weatherboards or bricks.
Mr D. Williams was the first Officer-in-Charge to occupy the house in c.1903 and the third person to occupy this position. The position of Station Master was not established until 1910.
Prior to the closure of the railway line in 1954, John (Kerry) Caporn, obtained the lease of the house. He later purchased the building (the land remained as Crown Land) and it was held by the Caporn family until John's death in 1999. The Shire acquired the lease of the house in 2000 and undertook restoration works which involved replacing the roof, repairs to the front verandah, removing the bathroom, and recladding the rear wall.
In 2010 the house became the headquarters of the Mundaring & Hills Historical Society.
The Shire of Mundaring has another four station masters’ houses remaining from the days of the railways. These are located at Glen Forrest, Darlington, Mount Helena, and Wooroloo.
