Little Holland House

Values

· The place was constructed in 1909 as a retirement residence for Henry C Prinsep, former Chief Protector of Aborigines, and his wife Charlotte Josephine Bussell, the daughter of John G Bussell.
· The place is associated with two very significant Western Australian individuals, Henry Charles Princep, the Chief Protector of Aborigines between 1898 and 1907, and Charlotte Josephine Bussell, the daughter of John G Bussell.
· The place is likely to be the only remaining original residence of Henry Charles Prinsep in WA.
· The place has aesthetic value as an unusual and picturesque example of a two- storey homestead in the Federation Queen Anne style.
· The place contributes strongly to the historical significance of the district.

Physical Description

Little Holland House is a partial two-storey homestead set in a picturesque setting on the banks of the Vasse River. The place comprises a homestead, a tennis court, paddocks and some associated buildings. The ground floor of the homestead is mainly constructed of jarrah and limestone with walls half a metre thick. The upper level is of timber and weatherboard. The homestead has a gabled iron roof with brick chimneys. The architectural style has been influenced by the Federation Queen Anne and Inter-War Old English styles and features the common characteristics, being a two-storey residence with timber gabling and imitation half-timbering.

History

European settlement of the Vasse region began with the arrival of the prominent pioneering families of Bussell, Molloy and Turner in May 1830. After early problems, John Bussell, accompanied by several other pioneering families, set out on foot from Augusta in 1833 in search of better land that was found on the Vasse River. The town of Busselton was proclaimed in 1832. Little Holland House was built in 1909 by Henry C Prinsep and his wife Charlotte Josephine Bussell, Prinsep was born in 1844 in Calcutta, India, and was the son of Charles Robert Prinsep standing council to the East India Company and occasional acting advocate-general of Bengal. Charles Prinsep invested in the colonisation of Australia, establishing the Adelphi estate in Van Diemen's Land and the Belvedere estate (P17632 Belvidere, Leschenault, Harvey) in Western Australia. Henry Prinsep arrived in Western Australia from England in 1866, where he had lived with his cousin, Thoby Prinsep, President of the East India Company at his home in Kensington, London, which was also named Little Holland House. In 1868, Henry married Charlotte Josephine Bussell, the daughter of John G Bussell, one of the pioneers of Busselton, and together the newly weds settled at Prinsep Park (P3013 Princep Park Homestead) near Dardanup in 1869. Prinsep also managed his father’s Belvedere Estate in Harvey. The estate bred horses for the Indian army and exported jarrah sleepers. The Belvedere Estate was sold in 1874, after financial difficulties arose. While residing at Prinsep Park, Prinsep employed Aboriginal workers including a horsebreaker, a stock rider, and others for gardening and doing household chores. During the 1870s, Prinsep developed an interest in the welfare of ‘half-caste’ children in the district, and assisted the establishment of a committee to provide for their care.

Condition

The place is in good condition.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.