Drakesbrook Road Board
Past Chairmen
Drakesbrook Road Board Information
| Year/s | Chairman |
|---|
| 1898 |
J. Sutton |
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| 1899 - 1901 |
W. J. Eastcott |
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| 1902 |
C. C. Thatcher |
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| 1903 |
P. Fitzpatrick |
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| 1904 - 1908 |
J. H. Hall |
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| 1909 - 1910 |
R. Fouracre |
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| 1911 - 1915 |
A. H. Henning |
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| 1916 - 1918 |
R. Fouracre |
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| 1919 |
J. R. Mitchell |
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| 1920 - 1923 |
Jas. Hair |
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| 1924 - 1928 |
P. Fitzpatrick |
|---|
| 1929 - 1931 |
C. Sheridan |
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| 1932 |
S. O’Hara |
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| 1933 - 1938 |
C. H. Henning |
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| 1939 - 1944 |
Jas. Twaddle |
|---|
| 1945 - 1948 |
C. H. Henning |
|---|
The road board was used by the Chairmen (above). These people decided where and when to make new roads and kept records. The records of late John Fouracre were destroyed by a fire. For the early pioneers transporting and communicating across our wide land was difficult. Most of our first roads followed the aboriginal tracks.
The former Road Board building is located on the corner of Millar Street and South Western Highway. It is now occupied by the Waroona Historical Society and Museum and if you go in there now you will see all the old documents and maybe see someone you know. In 1933 the second Drakesbrook Road Board Office opened costing ₤500. It replaced the weather board building established in 1903. In 1961 the Road Board was renamed to the Municipality of the Shire of Waroona and the Council moved to new offices on Hesse Street in 1963.
The former Road Board building became the town library until 1992, then became the tourist centre until 2002 and today the building houses the Waroona Historical Society and Museum. As you might see below, roads in Waroona are named after past Chairmen.
The main reason the Drakesbrook Road Board was set up was to solve the road problem. No one was taking care of the roads so they decided to set up a building where they can have meetings on how to solve the road problems. Roads were made to make sure people can get around town easier with carriages. The Drakesbrook Road Board formed in 1898 at a cost of 53 pounds. The second Road Board building is now occupied by the Waroona Historical Society and Museum. If you meet up with one of the elderly residents you can learn a lot about the history of Waroona.
If you come to the Museum, you can learn a lot about the history of Waroona including old photographs which are about the town, old newsletters and a lot of other historic objects. If you live in town you can donate old items to the museum. If you like looking at objects that were owned by past generations, you will love to come to this Historical Museum. Lots of people have donated to this Museum. If you do get the time to visit there are photographs of lots of different people, old newsletters, and lots of other interesting things. The kids might not appreciate them but I think you adults will totally remember this great place.