Founded in 1976, the award winning Historical Society of Cockburn is the City of Cockburn’s designated Custodian and Curator of Azelia Ley Homestead Museum, (pictured above) Wagonhouse Museum, Outbuildings, and Davilak Ruins, situated in beautiful Manning Park, Spearwood. The Society meets regularly on the first Wednesday of each month and informally on Monday mornings. We host several City of Cockburn events, as well as opening the Museums weekly, conducting tours and holding events throughout the year, such as High Tea, and Vintage Machinery Day, and participating in the State Heritage Festivals
The Society consists of a President, Vice President, Secretary/Curator, Treasurer and 20 active members, as well as life members, elected annually. This dedicated and passionate group volunteer approx. 5000 hours of service a year, opening the Museums weekly, archiving and curating collections, maintaining the venues and ever increasing displays of items donated and hosting tours and school excursions.
The Society is involved in ongoing Conservation of the Davilak Ruins Complex, the new extension to the Wagonhouse Museum, the conservation of the Outbuildings, and the Curating, archiving and conservation of all the Collections. The Museums display many significant artefacts in the Collections, notably the 1800’s costumes of Azelia and her mother, Florence Bickley, including Azelia’s wedding dress, the Drummond four poster bed which arrived here on the Parmelia in 1829, and the Armstrong harmonium brought here on the S.S.Gilmore in 1829. The Museum is open 1.30-4-30 every Sunday and by arrangement, entry a donation of $2
Brochures for each of the Homestead and Wagonhouse Museums, the Outbuildings and the Davilak Ruins are available, and activity sheets for school excursions and school holidays are provided. The book, Cockburn by Michael Berson is a good source of local history. The City of Cockburn are currently writing an updated history of Cockburn.