The Albany Co-operative Store
New Year 2009 will see the Albany Historical Society's long held ambition to open the old P&O Albany Co-operative Store as a Display Storage Museum.
The Society for many years has used this building as a repository for its artefacts and objects that have not been on public display within its other Museums.
After 12 months of internal improvements, the building will open by arrangement to school groups and interested persons wishing to view the Society's some 30,000 objects. This will allow both young and old a unique insight into many rare and interesting pieces that are of provenance to Albany and surrounding areas, the only true Albany Museum containing such items, and this is the first time in 20 years these items have been available for public viewing.
The Co-operative building was opened as the P&O Store in 1870 with the specific aim of supplying heavily subsidised goods to P&O employees. This building has had a varied and chequered past, being used as a co-operative store, guest house, private residence and barracks for the West Australian Railways, and is now a museum downstairs, with the upstairs being used as a curatorial department for the Albany Historical Society.
Whilst this building appears rather unattractive from the outside due to the 1960s addition of brick wings and asbestos kitchen area, the core building however remains perfectly intact and is the only example of this type of architecture in Albany.
Open long weekends, school holidays and by arrangement
Please contact our Administration Office on 9841 5403 or the Co-operative Store direct on 9841 1401.
Or enquire about a guided tour for a group by completing our Group Tour Enquiry Form. We will get back to you as soon as possible regarding cost and availability.
Entry - $2 per person