The Wharfinger House in Derby was occupied by the wharfinger from 1928 until 1962.
A wharfinger is a person who owns or has charge of a wharf. The house was first requested by wharfinger Camphle, however, it wan’t until the middle of 1928 before the house was completed, three wharfingers later.
Wharfinger Maguire was the first to occupy the house, paying rent 5/- per week. The house was occupied by several wharfingers through to 1962 when a new wharfinger residence was built.
The continued to be a resident for assistant wharfingers or clerks until 1976. The last resident was Bagsy Jones and it remained vacant after he passed away.
The house now operates as a museum with memorabilia and history of Derby and The Point. The Point is what the area where the Wharfinger House is located at used to be called.
A tramway depot was located here too, the hub of activity from the 1880s to the early 1960s. When a ship berthed at the Derby Jetty with passengers, they would catch the tram to the depot. At one time there were 3 hotels, stores, residences, and houses of disrepute.
Wharfinger House was roughly in the middle of the Derby Jetty and The Town of Derby, where the courthouse, police station and the Old Derby Gaol. Eventually, the space between filled in to become a single town.
The coastal area was first surveyed by Captain Philip King, who gave the name Cygnet Bay to the waters after the ship Cygnet, captained by William Dampier in 1688. It later became known as King Sound. We found this interesting as we have family connections to Captain Philip King.
Derby was named after Edward Henry Stanley who was the 15th Early of Derby and Secretary for the Colonies from 1882 to 1885.
Memorabilia displays are varied with old relics of sowing machines, bottles and household items. There is also a model of the proposed tidal power plant that was designed to take advantage of the massive tides from King Sound.
Entry to Wharfinger House Museum is available by collecting a key from the Derby Visitor Centre. The hours vary during different seasons but it is generally open every day between 9am and noon, except for Sundays between October and March.
