History. History. History. History.
From the W.A. State Government
Heritage Council’s “inHerit” website:
Kobeelya was the first significant residence in the town of Katanning, and one of the most up-to-date in the state. It has high social value as it was built for the Piesse family, an important pioneering family in the Great Southern, who were instrumental in the development of Katanning. In its heyday the house entertained and accommodated many important people. It was a prominent landmark when first constructed and had high aesthetic value.
Kobeelya was erected for F. H. Piesse in 1902, as the family’s private residence and built to overlook their property and the town. The name, suggested by Sir John Forrest, is an aboriginal word, which means “place of sleep and rest”. It originally contained seventeen rooms; bathrooms with hot and cold running water, in-door toilets (septic), seven bedrooms and billiard and ball rooms.
The house is typical of the period with its gabled roof, wide verandahs, many chimneys, bay windows, stained glass windows and side panels, ornate plaster work and polished jarrah floors. The Piesse family crest is featured in the arched stained glass window on the main staircase landing. Kobeelya was also connected to electricity. The bricks were made at the Piesse brickyards.
When the house was completed, there was still the road leading to its entrance which needed developing to Clive Street. However, rather than waiting for the Road Board to do this, Piesse hired “eight men for three weeks to gravel and level it, so that with a fringe of plane trees, it became one of the best roads in the district, and his own personal avenue”. [Bignell, p.205].
In January 1915, a large portion of the Kobeelya Estate was subdivided into building blocks (the Kobeelya Orchard Estate), which were quickly purchased.
Kobeelya passed out of the hands of the Piesse family in 1922, when it was bought by the Bunbury diocese of the Anglican Church for £5000. The interior furnishings were sold and the building became the boarding house and schoolrooms of Kobeelya College. This school for girls was opened on 14th September 1922 and was later associated with Penrhos College in Como.
Many of the original outbuildings, such as the coach house, were converted into educational facilities and other amenities. A chapel was also erected on the eastern side in 1939. A fairly unique feature of the school was that the girls were able to keep their own horses at the school.
In 1986 the Baptist Church purchased the site for use as a weekend retreat and education/conference facility. The church itself is also located on the site in the former dining hall ,”Kennedy Hall”, for the Kobeelya School.
The Kobeelya site also houses a building called the “Coach House”. It was first built to house the coaches belonging to the Piesse family. When the property was converted into a school and started to expand the coach house proved to be a valuable asset. The loft was used for storage of the boarder’s cases and only a privileged few could climb the loft. The bottom story of the Coach House was used as servant’s quarters when the Piesse’s resided at Kobeelya.
Major renovations began in 1964 at which time the loft was transformed into a sitting room for senior girls. The “Coach House” was also renovated incorporating TV Theatrette, Arts and Crafts Centre and Classrooms.
Refashioning and equipping this building was a gift from Mrs. Montague Balston in memory of her daughter – a former pupil. A bronze plaque was also placed. Mrs. H.E. House donated a radiogram. In 1980, the common room moved into the downstairs dormitories and the Coach House was used as a general store room. The building was later used for Sunday School classes.
The Kobeelya Girls Association (ex pupils) now house archives and memorabilia from the Kobeelya Girls School in the Coach House.
A conservation plan was completed on the building and a LotteryWest grant has enabled the re-roofing of the building to be completed. The Katanning Baptist community has continued to raise funds for the restoration of the building.
The house is a Late-Victorian Italianate style mansion, typical of those constructed for the wealthy at this time. The building is an asymmetrical two-storey design, constructed from brick and corrugated iron, with stucco dressings, pilasters and panels. A second story was added to southeast side of the building (evidenced by different coloured bricks) and later the upstairs verandah with fibro sheeting.
In 2001 extensive renovations and conservation was carried out with fire stairs being added and further alterations and additions to the house in January 2002. Most of the outhouses still exist and had been converted into educational/dining facilities. The roof height is complex with a combination of half-timbered gables, a tower over the entry and tall chimneys. Verandas had been filled in to form dormitories for the students and the interior was much altered.
The Katanning Baptist Community have since extensively renovated the building bringing much of it back to its original condition. The community now uses it as a retreat, conference, and accommodation centre. Continue reading
The Chapel
From the “Kobeelya” School website
The strong religious influence of which under-laid the basic structure of the school was reinforced when a chapel was built on the school grounds in 1939. This was the result of many years fundraising by students and their parents. The chapel became the focal point of daily life, with morning and evening services, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Baptisms and even weddings being a regular occurrence. Students took an active role in the running and planning of Chapel services, with school sacristans serving at the alter during Communion.
Prior to the construction of the school chapel, students would attend Sunday services at St Andrew’s Church. Continue reading