Coffee Pot and Waggrakine Well

Statement of Significance

Coffee Pot and Waggrakine Well has considerable historic significance for its close association with the eccentric pioneer Reverend Charles Grenfell Nicolay, and as a remnant of his ambitious endeavour to establish a coffee plantation in Western Australia. Further, the place is an example of the Colonial Government’s support for experimental crops, in search of revenue for the young colony. The place has landmark value due to its elevated siting, its present lack of surrounding development, together with its distinctive and unusual roof form. Coffee Pot is highly regarded by the local community as evident by their past efforts at restoration of place. Waggrakine Well has historic value as a source of water first surveyed by W. Phelps in 1870.

Physical Description

The remains of a small stone cottage and well are located in a paddock on sloping land approximately 700 metres
north of Chapman Valley Road. Access at the time of the assessment was across private land, however the land is
subject to a planned residential subdivision. This will result in the cottage and well being located at the end of a culde-
sac on a Reserve vested in the Shire of Chapman Valley. The cottage is a rectangular, two-room structure with
stone walls and a distinctive steeply pitched pyramid-shaped roof. The roof is clad with wheat coloured colorbond
sheets which extends at a lower pitch to cover a room on the west side of the cottage. The random rubble stone
walls, approximately 450mm wide, have been laid on a plinth, projecting below floor level. Different hues to the
stonework indicate that the lean-to sections of the cottage were added at a different time – with darker stone used
on the original central section of the cottage and a lighter pink for the western lean-to and dark stone to the eastern
lean-to. The north-east corner of the building has collapsed, with the loose stone remaining on site. Located to the
east of the cottage, the well is at ground level with stone walls. The opening is approximately 2.2 metres in diameter,
with sheets of corrugated iron placed over the top of the well to provide cover.

History

The ‘Coffee Pot’, a corruption of ‘Coffee Plot’, is located on the site of an experimental coffee plantation. The
plantation was authorised by Governor Weld in July 1870, on the recommendation of Reverend Charles Grenfell
Nicolay, who was appointed as Chaplain to Geraldton in 1870. The unnumbered reserve was situated on the western
slope of the Moresby Ranges and was comprised of approximately 640 acres. The Government agreed to commit
100 pounds for the project which was used to pay for seed and to employ at least five ticket of leave men between
1870 and 1872. Nicolay and his son, Frederick, planted coffee seeds from Aden and Brazil, as well as several fig trees.
A well was also built alongside the cottage as a water supply. By the end of 1873 the experimental coffee plantation
had failed due mainly to the persistently strong winds and lack of rainfall, and the reserve was subsequently sold.
For many years the land was used to graze sheep and grow wheat while the building fell into ruin. During World War
Two the property was used by the army by which time the building had no floors or roof. In later years the building
was used as a silo requiring the chimney to be bricked up. In the early 1980s local residents organised the re-roofing
of the building to provide some protection from the weather. (Source: HCWA RHP Documentation)

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity : Medium

Condition

Poor

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

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.