Community history

The library’s community history collection features books, brochures, historical photographs, private papers of local identities, records of local organisations, oral history interviews and other interesting items of a bygone era, relating to the Shire.

Items in the community history collection can be viewed by visiting the library. We are also working on providing access by members of the public to this historical information online.

BirtwistleWiki

BirtwistleWiki is a City of Armadale project and is coordinated by the Birtwistle Local Studies Library. Our Contribution is a place to discover people from the Armadale, Serpentine-Jarrahdale, and Gosnells districts who served in the Great War 1914-1918.

So far, there are over 1000 articles and this number is growing as more information becomes available. If you would like to contribute or correct some facts then please contact Birtwistle Local Studies Library on 9394 5641.

Learn more about BirtwistleWiki

Community history sound bite

Click the links below to listen to community history audio files.

Rob Gibb - Construction of Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale offices in 1949

A past employee of the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale, Rob Gibb, talks about the Shire offices built in 1949 and how the walk-in safe was constructed with worn out grader blades in the cavity walls for security.

Recorded at the SJ Community Fair 2014 as part of the Mundijong Library’s oral history program, "SJ Remembers”.

Cheryl Trueman - Local resident of Jarrahdale

A resident of Jarrahdale, Cheryl Trueman, tells how she came to live there.
Recorded at the SJ Community Fair 2014 as part of the Mundijong Library’s oral history program, "SJ Remembers”.

Jan Star - A “Fair” experience

A resident of Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale for 36 years talks about her first memory of a fair in the area.