151-155 Victoria Street, Australia Post Bunbury
The first building on 151 Victoria Street was constructed in 1869 for the Mitchell family (reference). William Bedford Mitchell came to Australia from England to manage the Prinsep Estate located at Belvidere from 1861-1869 (reference). During this time William and his wife Caroline née Morgan, married in 1865, lived at Paradise Farm, Dardanup, and had two children (reference). In 1869 George William Floyd, a local master carpenter, constructed ‘The Willows’ for £47 15s 8d (reference). Once complete, the young family moved into their new cottage which would serve the Mitchell family for nearly a hundred years.
Caroline had a child nearly every year, having given birth to 16 children, 12 of which survived infant-hood (reference). William supported his growing family by working as an auctioneer and land agent (reference) until he died in 1909 (reference). Caroline lived another 9 years without her husband, joining him in death in 1918 after suffering from double pneumonia and passing away at ‘The Willows’ (reference).
William and Caroline Mitchell’s children, all raised at ‘The Willows’, went on to contribute to their community and Western Australia as a state. Their firstborn child, Sir James Mitchell (1866-1951) became premier and governor of Western Australia (reference). William Mitchell (1869-1928), named after his father, worked for the Western Australian Bank and was then appointed as the youngest branch manager so far in the history of Western Australia (reference). Amy Mitchell (1877-1946) was the Honorary Secretary of the Bunbury Benevolent Society, where she had all clothing donations sent to be processed at ‘The Willows’ (reference). Amy also worked as a principal of Avenel College in Bunbury (reference). Amy and her sister Kate (1867-1960) were well known for remaining at ‘The Willows’ all their life, later growing and selling flowers together on Victoria Street (reference).
After their father's death, Caroline took her daughters to England for a year in 1911, leaving ‘The Willows’ empty during that period (reference). Upon their return in 1912, their beloved house’s chimney was damaged by a large storm consisting of winds so strong that it ripped a tree across the road out of the ground (reference). During Caroline’s life, she also kept a grey-pink cockatoo which was lost in 1914 (reference).
Kate Mitchell was the last to live at ‘The Willows’ (reference). After Kate’s passing, the rundown house was demolished in 1962 by Mr Shorty Sauer. The vacant block was then used as a car park and operated as Bunbury’s first pay-for-parking lot. Parking cost 1 shilling an hour (about $1.38), or 4 shillings a day (about $5.50) (reference).
In 1969, 100 years after ‘The Willows’ was constructed, the current Australia Post Office was built. ‘The Willow’ was remembered when the Bicentennial Heritage Trail was constructed in 1988, with a plaque being attached to the Post Office detailing the story of the buildings predecessor and the family who inhabited it (reference).
Further information on the Mitchells can be found in Charles Charlesworth’s book, “The Mitchells of Bunbury”.
Residents of 151-155 Victoria Street
1869 Mitchell family