Mitchell House Arts Centre

20/06/2026

20/06/2026

20/06/2026

20/06/2026

Saturday's activities

20/06/2026

Alanna and Miepie are 2 of our enthusiastic potters who will be welcoming visitors tomorrow. They can help to inform you about all things Mitchell House Arts Centre. These artworks are theirs.
Tomorrow we are open 10 to 4. 42 Albany Hwy across from Mount Barker Visitor Centre . See what else is on What's On in Mt Barker WA The Barker Art Scene.

19/06/2026

Karri Bank, Porongurup, 1928
This early photograph of Karri Bank captures a period when the Porongurup district was still being shaped by the hands of pioneering settlers.

The scene shows a modest collection of buildings surrounded by cleared paddocks and native forest, with the majestic Porongurup Range rising beyond. It reflects a time when families worked tirelessly to establish farms and homes in what was often challenging and isolated country.

The Porongurup district attracted settlers because of its fertile soils, reliable rainfall and timber resources. Yet life was far from easy. Land had to be cleared, homes built, roads formed and livelihoods created through years of hard work, determination and perseverance. The landscape we admire today was shaped by the efforts of those early pioneers who saw opportunity where others saw wilderness.

Karri Bank would later become associated with hospitality and tourism in the Porongurups, evolving into what is now known as Karribank, one of Western Australia's most historic country retreats.

As Albany celebrates its Bicentenary in 2026, marking 200 years of history, photographs such as this provide an opportunity to reflect on the people who helped build our region. We pay our respects to those early settlers, pioneers, timber workers, farmers, labourers and families who endured hardship, isolation and uncertainty while laying the foundations for the communities we know today.

Their legacy lives on in the farms, towns, roads and communities that continue to thrive throughout the Great Southern. Through their resilience, vision and determination, they helped shape the region and contribute to the story of Albany's first 200 years.

14/06/2026

How small does your art gear pack up? This is a light bit of art gear including a table easel. Joanne Francis will be painting in pastel between welconing visitors to Mitchell House Arts Centre today till 4pm. One of her artworks that can be found exhibited here. 42 Albany Hwy across from Mount Barker Visitor Centre in the historic railway station. What's On in Mt Barker WA The Barker Art Scene No Bluff News