Irwin District Museum

The Irwin District Museum in Dongara is housed in one of the oldest police stations in Western Australia. A working station until 1984, it then underwent extensive restoration to bring the station, courthouse and gaol back to its prime. It is now a museum with a range of displays reminiscent of the district’s interesting history. Take a walk through the 1870s building and picture what it would have been like to be on the other side of the law in the 1800s. Take a look through the gaol cells and courthouse. See the living quarters of the resident policemen and their families. The museum also contains collections covering the early settlement in the area, including many antiques and heirlooms from the locals, and a display about the shipwrecks along the Irwin Coast. The museum is in Dongara, four hours north of Perth and just south of Geraldton. Famous for its Cray fishing industry, whilst in Dongara make sure you visit the live lobster facility at the marina, which can hold up to 35,000 live lobsters. If visiting in August or September make sure you take your camera as the wildflowers are spectacular throughout the region.