We now approach a period which foreshadowed vital changes in
the surroundings of the hitherto peaceful abode of the natives.
The Great Southern Land Company, after lengthy negotiation with
the then-government, had secured an enormous land concession in
return for the building of a railway between Albany and Beverley.
It was decided to hasten the work of construction by working from
both ends of the line and this decision may be said to have
brought about the building of a town in this locality. It
happened in this manner. Mr Michael Brown, then farming a few
miles out of Wandering, was fairly familiar with the country
hereabouts owing to its excellent supplies of sandalwood and he
foresaw the difficulties of the engineers in respect of the
construction work on the north end of the line as compared with
the easier gradients on the southern extremity. This, he
concluded, would result in both sections of the newly constructed
line meeting somewhere in this vicinity: and consequently there
was a good opportunity to establish a wayside hotel, which would
serve the requirements of the men. He immediately decided to put
this theory to the test by removing from Wandering to a block of
200 acres which he secured alongside that owned by Mr. Dodd. Here
he erected his hotel in 1888—the first by the way to be
established on the Great Southern railway. The building is still
standing on the other side of the Municipal Sale yards and
although much dilapidated is an object of traditional interest to
the older hands who are still living. It served its purpose until
the railway was completed and the tumult and shouting of
boisterous spirits had faded into the atmosphere of a silence
which was only punctuated at intervals by the shrill whistle of
an approaching engine. Soon after the Land Company decided that
the railway Station which had been established should be
supported by a township and accordingly decided to have the
surrounding area surveyed into suitable blocks. This survey was
subsequently carried out by Mr. Newton Moore later Sir Newton
Moore and Premier of the State. Mr. Brown was quick to take
advantage of the opportunity to get in closer to the railway
station with the result that he secured the commanding site on
which the Hordern Hotel now stands. Added to this he also
strengthened his position for the future by buying a number of
other blocks in the vicinity. It may be stated that the late
Anthony Hordern was the contractor for the railway and it was
after him that the hotel received its name. Having established
himself firmly, Mr. Brown proceeded to attract as many people as
he could to the new townsite, claiming that it was destined to
eventually become of considerable size and influence. He lived
long enough to see this belief crystallised into fact, although
at the time there was very little to justify his optimism.
Gradually the new centre began to enlarge with the addition of
buildings. The first store was erected by the late F. & C.
Piesse. who were then engaged in business at the Williams. This
occupied a site opposite the present railway station and had been
previously in use as a public hall at Williams. The manager was a
Mr. Morley. Subsequently the store was taken over by the late J.
T. W. Chipper, who later on moved into a brick building, since
converted into the huge establishment of Mannings. With the
erection of a store, a police officer (Constable Dellar), arrived
and took up his abode in a small batt building, now occupied by
Mr. Tyers, the baker. There was no lock-up and prisoners were
subjected to the indignity of being chained to a tree at the rear
of the premises. The next arrival was the late Alfred Larwood,
whose abode was the batt premises at the rear of the Duke of York
Hotel now partly occupied by Mr. Colgin. Then followed a black
smith (Mr. Vagg), and a schoolmaster (Mr Carruthers) The first
school was opened in the small stone residence now standing
alongside Mr. Powell's garage and opposite Millars. This was
erected by Mr. M. Brown for the purpose and served until a larger
building was provided by the Government. This in turn was found
too small for the growing number of children and became the Court
House, after the present State School was built on Williams Road.
Later the Court was removed to the Agricultural Hall, where it
still functions whilst the vacated premises were given over to
the Agricultural Bank authorities. This, of course, is by the
way.
Still later these men were followed by others who also demonstrated their abilities and skill in town building, notably:- G May, J. P. Myers, J. A. Greig, Dr. D.W.H. Mackie, W Mickle, G. F. Parsons, A P McCormick, W. H Skewes, Gottsch Bros., T. Hogg, W. Clarke, M. Fox, C D Mitchell, T Brett, Hallett and Glyde, T. and A Hardie, E Hennig. W. Hughes, E. P. Illingworth. H. Job, Hislop, P. McCrostie, F. W. Bird, J.R. Ashworth, A. R Barratt, J. B. Higham, E. and I .Jenkins, S. Warne, N R Anderson, C. H, Hoffman, H.C. Burkitt, J. Spouse M. Culleton, Bert Wharton. J. McGuire.
In 1905, Narrogin was a very small place and it might be of interest to briefly comment on its standing so far as buildings were concerned. The railway station stood at the lower end of Fortune Street with a wide approach, since given over to park purposes. Chipper's old store was then used as a dwelling, the new store being on the corner of Fortune and Federal. Streets. The corner now occupied by the A. M. P. was used as a fowl yard. The Hordern was a one-storied building with the yard running to Federal Street. Several small stone shops, still in existence, carried down to the Road Board block on which there was a small stone office. On the west side was the Agricultural Hall, a store, later occupied by Mr. J. H. Shilling; a butcher's shop carried on by a Mr. Rewell; a baker's shop and a newsagency carried on by a Mr. Newton; another shop, used temporarily by the Union Bank, and a saddlery carried on by Mr. Farrelly, who had a farm on the Cuballing road. Then came Bushalla's store and Cornwall's Store with vacant land on the corner. The Duke of York was a wooden one-storied building with a batt house at rear. Further down was TP.O'Connor's smithy and the first school house. J. Clayton and H. Rintoul had a livery and bait stables (still standing) and Mr. Clayton lived in a small house close by, which is also still intact. Their chaff house was the first office of the "Narrogin Observer." Beyond was the Show ground and a few scattered, abodes. In Fortune Street, the present Town Hall site was vacant with a few ramshackle shops further up. Then came a small 10 x 12 brick building — the first National Bank, the Post Office (now used by the District Inspector), a few more wooden shops belonging to the Trading and Agency Co., the Baptist Church, and two small batt buildings, one on either (side) of the street. The present Police Station had just been erected and was then also in use as a Court House. The school was on the corner of Earl and Egerton Streets; across the road was F. McKinnell, the Auctioneer, in the building now used by Mr. H. Marsh. Then came a number of new shops, with the Land's Office still, as at present, and the W. A. Bank. On the opposite side of the railway was the Cornwall Hotel, Methodist Church, the residence of Mr. J. Dodd, the office the first newspaper "The Advocate," run by Smalley and Gilhooley (later burned to the ground). and a few residences nestling amidst the dense scrub. There were several houses south of the town, which at the time were regarded with distinct favour; several others clustered around the hill in the centre of the town including the Church of England. Beyond Earl Street was the new school in building. but otherwise the surrounding area was a dense scrub, penetrating to the Williams road which, like other arterial communications with outlying districts was very little better than an axe track. And so, briefly, did the newcomers, round about 1903-4-5, find Narrogin. What they subsequently did with it and for it is a story of its own which would. require some telling, but in a Review of this nature it is unnecessary to do more than skim the surface of the past, leaving it to some other and more favourable opportunity to go deeper. Suffice to say that the period of activity and enterprise which ensued from that time and continued for many years afterwards was fraught with the most momentous consequences to the future of the town—not forgetting the fact that in the work of their accomplishment, the atmosphere was continually surcharged with the spirit of intense competition which resulted in a perfect crescendo of fortissimo effort. It was a bare knuckle Contest in which no apologies were solicited. Each man had a mission of his own to fulfil in a field which was entirely favourable, provided he could stay the distance: and back of it all was the objective of making Narrogin a monument to his own individual skill and enterprise. Under such conditions it was only reasonable to expect continued progress, but it went beyond that in an achievement of town buildings such as few, if any, localities had ever previously consummated.
The evidence of this is all around us, mutely testifying to the superhuman efforts of the past generation, whilst pointing out the way to those who are now called upon to take up the responsibility of maintaining the town and district's prestige. The call, no doubt, will be accepted. The spirit of enterprise is still abroad and the community is obviously dominated by a wish to do better things. Surrounded by the environment of a true democracy the town has, figuratively speaking, reached a vigorous manhood. Its people see before them the bright vista of a future entwined with happy associations in which all shall join with the object of still further uplifting the town until it will have reached a position of the highest importance, inviting others of lesser degree to bask in the shadow of its greatness, whilst benignly investing them with its social, commercial, and political influence. Such a spirit has been engendered in the breasts of the living present by the example so gloriously set by those 'who laid the foundation of the splendid edifice of the district's prosperity. The residents of to-day would be recreant to the faith which animated these earlier pioneers were they to deny the responsibilities or the trust so worthily laid down on their behalf, and it is to some extent as an imprimatur of their will to carry on the policy of the past that this Review is being issued.
"The Pride of work is theirs, the pride and lure of it,
The thing done well, so well that all stands fast;
The seeing what is far, the making sure of it,
The future conquered through a conquered past."
[In compiling the above, every effort has been made to render it substantially correct within the limited time available for examination of past records. In any case, it is to be regarded merely as a cursory survey of the surface conditions which prevailed during the period under review; written with the main object of showing the tangible results of a fine co~operatve spirit.—Ed.]