Heritage listing for Coles Shaft and the Armadale District Hall

12/6/03
Two historically significant places in Armadale - Coles Shaft and the Armadale District Hall - have been interim listed in the State Government's State Register of Heritage Places.
Environment and Heritage Minister Judy Edwards said the listings recognised the unique historical and social qualities associated with the sites.
"Coles Shaft, at Summit View Armadale, was the first mineshaft in Western Australia and illustrates early prospecting activities in the Perth area in the Depression years of the 1840s," Dr Edwards said.
"It marks the beginnings of mineral exploration and the commencement of the mining industry in the State.
"The place also has historic value for its associations with the principals and shareholders of the first mining company established in WA, the WA Mining Company, which was formed in September 1846.
"The company was set up to promote the discovery of minerals in the colony and to purchase mineral land. An announcement that it would reward prospectors who discovered mineral deposits caused much excitement in Perth and many would-be prospectors set out to try their luck.
"The discovery of promising lead deposits in the Darling Range resulted in the sinking of Coles Shaft in 1846-47 to a depth of nearly 10m.
"Although Coles Shaft is fairly typical of a number of experimental mineshafts put down along the face of the Darling Scarp, it is the only one remaining from the 1840s."
The Minister said the Armadale District Hall, at the corner of Jull Street and Church Avenue, was a brick-and-tile building consisting of a main hall, a lesser hall and entrance foyer in the Interwar Art Deco Style, built in 1936.
"The place is a product of the renewed optimism that was emerging at the end of the Depression and is associated with the development of Armadale and the immediate district," she said.
"It was the second community hall built in Armadale and represents the increase in population and consolidation of the district that occurred in the 1920s and continued following the Depression.
"The place is highly valued by the local and regional communities as an important meeting, social and entertainment venue.
"It is a distinctive building set in a prominent location and an important local landmark."
Minister's Office - 9220 5050