Museum rooms and Wagon House

The Entrance, which is still used as the main entrance, is on the north side of the building. The entry now houses the military memorials for the surrounding district, and civic memorabilia and Historical Society Museum restoration information.
 

Originally the Drawing Room, and named for the family that built all three homesteads on the larger Manning Estate.

On display in this room is some history of the Manning family, including the newly conserved 100 year old wedding dress of Azelia, and information and imagery relating to Davilak, where she was born and married.

The displays also reflect the traditional activities that took place and artefacts from this era, donated by the local communities.
 

Originally the Dining Room and now housing the archaeological explorations of Shane Burke, from diggings undertaken at Peel Town, displaying materials these pioneers, brought from England nearly 200 years ago.

This room also displays some of the first furniture to arrive in the new colony, belonging to Captain Armstrong, and arriving aboard the Gilmore in 1829.

Some of the artefacts reflect travelling, writing and seafaring equipment, and early musical instruments
 

Originally Azelia’s husband, Jack Ley’s room and now exhibiting costumes from the 1800’s, including childrens’, christening, wedding and bathing outfits, especially the costumes of Azelia Ley and her mother Florence Manning (nee Bickley) recently donated by their descendants.

Also shown are some early sewing machines and paraphernalia and accessories of that era.
 

Named for the ship bringing the early settlers to this area in 1829 together with the Hooghly and Rockingham in 1830, this room houses equipment showing early technology of music, film, cameras, typewriters, and textile industries.

The books on display reflect the fact that Azelia appreciated literature and had a substantial library in what is now the kitchen.

This room also displays an historical mosaic depicting the heritage of the estate, created by the Jobswest team commissioned by the City of Cockburn.
 

This was the original Guest Room, and features the four poster bed brought by the Drummond family to the colony, aboard the ‘Parmelia’, the first ship to bring settlers to Fremantle, WA, in 1829.

Used and passed down through the families to the present day and donated to the Museum by their descendants, this is one of the rare first pieces of furniture to arrive and still in existence.

The other displays in the room reflect childhood toys and activities, and some imagery of a few of the early ships.
 

The Hallway Picture Gallery, shows early photography of the settlers of the wider City of Cockburn area, homes, families and industries, including the Market Gardeners, and some history from the beginnings of the City of Cockburn.
 

Named for the large hacienda style homestead, built from materials on this Manning estate, the ruins of which are currently being conserved, and where Azelia was born and married, this was Azelia’s bedroom and houses the furniture of the time and examples of the equipment she needed as a result of polio as a child.

An interesting dressing table, once owned by the Congdon family, located in one of the Mell Road original stone cottages, built c1906, has recently been donated by the Gasper family, but little is known about its origins.
 

This room was originally the Library, as Azelia was a well-educated woman, who wrote extensive diaries, now housed in the Battye Library, Perth WA.

Now displayed as a kitchen, converted for use after her death, it now displays articles donated by the local community, that reflect the activities of this time.

Azelia’s original Kitchen was an annexed area at the back of the house with the Maid’s room and Pantry, which is now used by the staff and Historical Society for meeting, office and storage of items for archiving.
 

This is the original Bathroom, with deep iron bath and toilet commode. The cabinets display the various bathroom artifacts used at that time.
 

The Wagon House is located adjacent to the Azelia Ley Homestead. It is a large building constructed in 1985 to house the various wagons and trucks donated to the museum.

Inside the Wagon House Museum you will find a collection of trucks, farm machinery, wagons and carriages.