de San Miguel Home

Statement of Significance

Aesthetic Value: The remaining limestone structures have aesthetic value as picturesque, but extremely modest buildings constructed using local materials and methods.

Historic Value: The place is associated with Angel and Mary de San Miguel, early settlers in the Hope Valley area who constructed the limestone buildings and operated market gardens from the site.
The place reflects the expansion of settlement in the Hope Valley area before the turn of the century.

Research value: The place has potential archaeological value in revealing the way of life of early settlers in an isolated rural community.

representativeness: The remaining structure is typical of simple stone cottages built in the region in the mid 20th century.

Level of significance: Exceptional

Physical Description

The place comprises three early limestone structures, one of which has been subsumed by the timber weatherboard residence constructed over it, and two others, both free-standing, located among the other sheds and farm structures that comprise the property. The main residence is a single-storey painted weatherboard and iron dwelling, rectangular in plan, with a low-pitched gable roof. Internally, the original limestone walls of a much earlier structure forms a central core, which has been extended on all sides to the depth of one room.
There are two other small limestone structures located to the southeast of the main residence. The southernmost structure comprises a single room approximately 4m2, with random rubble walls, a door and remnant porch to the west, a chimney to the north, and a single timberframed window opening to the south. This structure appears to be the earliest on the property.
The other limestone structure is a larger single-room shed, with coursed limestone walls, sections of which have been rendered, and a timber-framed skillion roof clad with corrugated iron. A rough-hewn timber tankstand is situated to the north of the limestone buildings. And there are two timber-framed iron sheds located to the east of the site.
Vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the buildings includes a number of mature Cape Lilac trees, remnant fruit trees, and mature tuart trees.

History

Born in northern Spain in 1848, Angel de San Miguel arrived in Western Australia in 1869 as an orphan with the party of Bishop Salvado, and went to work at the monastery and farm at New Norcia. Only one week after his arrival at New Norcia, Miguel disappeared from the community and made his way south to Fremantle. It was to be some years before the monks knew of his fate. In 1880, it is thought that he moved to Hope Valley and found work with George Postans. That same year he married Mary Postans, the step-daughter of George Postans.
In 1886, Miguel was issued with the title to Location 339, comprising 100 acres on the northwest corner of Long Swamp and southeast of Mt Brown. On this land he built a small dwelling for his family. Information from the 'Welcome Walls' of the WA Museum states that de San Miguel's original occupation was a stone mason therefore it is probable he built this family home.
Some time later, Angel de San Miguel increased his land holdings by purchasing Lot 66/2123 of 150 acres, just a little north of his earlier purchase, Lot 339. Angel and Mary Miguel together produced a family of 14 children, one of whom died in infancy. Angel and Mary de San Miguel retired from the farm c1919 and settled in Fremantle. It is presumed other family members continued the farm although further research is required.
Aerial photographs from the mid 1950s indicate that until the 1970s, the land adjacent to the cottage was still under cultivation. By the 1990s, there was no evidence of farming on this property or nearby properties.
Since the 2010s, the land around the cottage has been progressively cleared. The cottage is still in evidence with the roof cladding in a poor condition.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Moderate
Authenticity: Moderate

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.