The Wheatbelt’s unluckiest town hall
I came across Bilbarin while researching and filming my previous video about Western Australia's state hotels. It was situated between two of them - Bruce Rock and Corrigin. The ruined red brick hall sticks out like a sore thumb within endless hectares of Wheatbelt farmland.
I wondered what the story was and was surprised to find that this is not the first town hall that Bilbarin has lost... it's not even the second! This is the third hall the town has lost to natural disaster. Let's delve deep into the history of Bilbarin and not only discover what happened to the town halls, but the rest of the town.
Sources:
https://wikiaustralia.com/destination/bilbarin/
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/d445f62b-1457-4efa-8bf7-3df22daf361d
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/3d389fa5-5981-418a-8181-a83d795ef09d
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/59a39d3e-d0b3-45aa-814c-4da2e8137ab3
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/b78049db-25dc-49e9-8419-066d6fc64bc5
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/18d413cc-9c7d-4737-88b2-511160895d14
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/ea9a97d7-bd52-4c2b-ac15-849eeddc0655
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/ae8744dd-9863-4e38-9aaa-0abfefcdd0a4
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/d445f62b-1457-4efa-8bf7-3df22daf361d
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/aa4c2689-9e2e-4b02-b0e6-8ac4c8ecbe58
https://www.corrigin.wa.gov.au/Profiles/corrigin/Assets/ClientData/November_2025.pdf
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-06/bridgetown-and-denmark-bushfire-update/100808380
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-19/corrigin-bushfire-insurers-investigate-legal-action/100999304
https://www.corrigin.wa.gov.au/news/bilbarin-hall-survery/1348
https://www.corrigin.wa.gov.au/documents/1375/shire-of-corrigin-municipal-heritage-survey-2019
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilbarin,_Western_Australia
https://mappingbrisbanehistory.com.au/history-location/fettlers-camp-and-railway-gatehouse-404/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheatbelt_railway_lines_of_Western_Australia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldier_settlement
Newspapers
21st April 1928
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/79492732
First storm.
3rd February 1936
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32987312?searchTerm=bilbarin%20hall
Second storm. Shows image of impaled wood
Photos:
Bilbarin school
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b6005403_14
Survey plan 1914
https://archive.sro.wa.gov.au/index.php/bilbarin-sheet-1-tally-no-503743-0126
Bilbarin “out of shed” 1978
Library:
https://encore.slwa.wa.gov.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2193020__Sbilbarin__P0%2C1__Orightresult__U__X6?lang=eng&suite=def can’t request?
https://encore.slwa.wa.gov.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2176958__Sbilbarin__P0%2C6__Orightresult__U__X6?lang=eng&suite=def west australian
