Northam heritage celebrated
Northam has one of the highest concentrations of heritage places of any town in regional WA. It’s collection of heritage places reflects the important role that the town played from the earliest days of the colony.
Northam was one of the first towns to be established following the founding of the Swan River Colony in 1829. In the 1860s, the town started to grow due to the establishment of a flour mill, and by the 1890s, Northam has become an vital part of the Western Australian map as the ‘Gateway to the Goldfields’ when the Perth to Eastern Goldfields railway was routed through Northam. Northam continued to prosper during the twentieth century, as epitomised in the stunning 1970s Brutalist style Town Council Offices and Library.
A vast range of places in the town of Northam that are recognised in the State Register of Heritage Places includes places of varying architectural styles, building purpose, and construction dates, as well as a cemetery and memorial gravesite.
These include the grand residences of Uralia and Fermoy House, the civic buildings such as the Northam Post Office and Northam State School, commercial properties such as the ANZ Bank and Bank of New South Wales, and Western Australian architectural icons such as the Town Council Offices and Library.
The registrations of Fermoy House (fmr), Northam, Northam Fire Station No.2 & Quarters (fmr) and Northam State School (fmr) were announced by the Minister for Heritage in August 2014. Read the
media release.