York Things to Do

The Holy Trinity Church sits on the east bank of the Avon River where it was built in 1854 on a grant of Crown land for parish purposes. The interior is admired for its beautiful stained glass windows and the original high alter and Wasingham shrine. The church also contains a rare Albert Piesse pipe organ with eight bells. The bells were specially cast for York, and are hung in a restored towers.

Balladong Farm is a genuine living museum and the only working museum in Australia. The farm still operates with traditional methods and skills. First established as a farm in 1831, it was later sold and in 1848 convicts came to work on the farm. They were responsible for the building of the Shearing Shed, Granary, Stables and Bridge House. Visitors can see sheep being blade shorn, crutched and drenched, a hand operated wool press, a granary with pit sawn timbers and shingled roof as well as cows being hand milked, a forge where traditional blacksmithing methods are still being use and the complete process of wheat growing. There are various displays and a wide range of animals on the farm including old Clydesdales. The farm was purchased by the National Trust in 1974 and is in the Blandstown area of York

Within the old sandalwood yards and storage area is the re-erected Tipperary School. The old school was built in 1874 on the property of ‘Tipperary”. It was gifted to the York Society and rebuilt at the yards. On the property is also the York Society which holds annual Photographic Awards.

On the corner of Avon Tce and Balladong Street is the site of the original mud church of St John the Evangelist which was consecrated in 1848. Today a large wooden cross marks the spot but there are still a number of graves, some marked with the headstones of the early pioneers.

Now the York and District Co-operative Ltd. This building started off as a large shop with the Edwards family residing above. It was built in 1872 by William Edwards who was from a local farming family. In 1894 his son Charles added a ornate stucco frontage with aboriginal motifs.

This is one of the more architecturally significant buildings in York The Church was designed by Reverend Patrick Gibney and built in a Gothic revival style using local stone. The foundation stone was laid on St Patricks day in 1875 and the building was completed in 1886. The windows were imported from Italy. The original Catholic Church began in 1859 and was dedicated to St. Patrick in 1860. It still stands today and is now used as the church hall. During the 1968 earthquake the church was severely damaged and it took almost 20 years for the restoration to be completed.

The Residency Museum is one of the oldest colonial houses in York. It was built between 1842 and 1859 as a home for the Deputy Superintendent. There is a separate servants wing to the rear and a large room to the east which were added later in 1877. During the early 1900’s the building was also used as an annex to the hospital next door.
In 1972 the building became the York Municipal Museum and houses a collection of historic artefacts which are connected with the history of York. The Residency Museum was the first country museum in the state to be recognised by the Museum of Western Australia.

Open Tues, Wed, Thurs 1.00pm – 3.00pm, Sat, Sun and Public Holidays 11.00am - 3.30pm.

The old York hospital stands next to the Residency Museum. It was built between 1894-95 and was designed to accommodate the many prospectors from the goldfields who were falling sick or being injured. Not your typical looking hospital of that time, the architect deliberately wanted the building to have more of a domestic touch with the mock Tudor gables and upper verandah, making it look more like a grand old home. The hospital ceased to operate in 1963 and in 1976 the National Trust bought the buildings and restored them. Over the following 20 years the building was used by the YHA only to be sold again in 1998 to a private party.