Mandogalup Townsite

Child Places

• 12092 Soldier Settler Homes, Mandogalup
• 12116 Balmanup Post Office - Site of
• 12087 Mandogalup Post Office (fmr)
• 12130 7 Mile Site ("Sevvy" to later settlers)
• 12115 White Bridge
• 12114 Jolly's Bridge
• 12100 Hall Reserve - Mandogalup

Statement of Significance

Aesthetic Value: The remaining soldier settler homes, combined with the hall site and the post office and store ruins, reveal the layout and character of the early buildings that formed the focus of Mandogalup townsite, and combine to represent a historic precinct.

Historic Value: The place has historic value as the site of the Mandogalup townsite, which was established as a Soldier’s Settlement in 1921.

Level of Significance: Historic Site

Physical Description

A few residences and the ruins of the Mandogalup Post Office is all that remains of the early Mandogalup townsite, which was centred around the intersection of Mandogalup Road and Anketell Road.
The extant houses are predominantly located on the west side of Mandogalup Road and typically comprise single-storey residences on large rural blocks. These include the three remaining Soldier Settler homes, namely no.’s 27, 31 and 45 Mandogalup Road.
The Pioneer Reserve is located on the northwest corner of the intersection, incorporating a grassed open space edged with bushland, as well as the more recently constructed Fire Brigade buildings, playing court and picnic area, marking the location of the former Mandogalup Hall.
The Post Office ruins are located on the south side of Anketell Road, opposite the intersection.
The identified places associated with the former townsite are
Soldier Settlement Homes
Balmanup Post Office - Site
Mandogalup Post Office (fmr)
7 Mile - Site
White Bridge
Jolly's Bridge
Mandogalup Hall Reserve

History

The crossroads of Anketell Road and Mandogalup Road where originally the centre of the tiny township of Mandogalup, a Soldier’s Settlement that was established early in 1921. The settlers ranged from ex-servicemen, the unemployed, temporary PWD workers and British migrants. When they first arrived, the settlers lived in a communal camp near that of the Public Works Department workers, in tents with a communal corrugated iron shelter for cooking. Many new arrivals found work with the PWD, which was then surveying the area and draining the swamps to open up new areas for farming. The income assisted many new settlers to help pay for their houses, with only the ex-servicemen being financed by the
Agricultural Bank. By July 1921, the first house had been built by Mr. William McLaughlan, an ex-regular of the British Army. By the end of 1921 the local drainage and road works were almost finished, and most of the settlers already there had built their homes, small unlined weatherboard cottages. The area was dotted with houses and there were a few roads. The Hope Valley Road ran eastwards from Hope Valley to Mandogalup, crossed the railway line at Seven Mile, and after about a mile, turned north and continued on to Jandakot as the Anketell Road. The Mandogalup Road ran north along the western side of the railway line from the Seven Mile to the Six Mile, past the McLaughlan and Harrises, as far as Norkett Road. On the southern side of the Hope Valley Road, Mandogalup Road continued as Johnson Road, and went as far as the Spectacles. Northwest of the Mandogalup Road there were only bush tracks, to the farms of the Sayers, Barns, Freckletons and the Wilcots, all soldier settlers. Deep in the bush to the west were the Clementis and the Vallis. Nearer the tiny township were the Brittons, Miles and Bolases, and four miles away were the Hills.

The townsite consisted of a number of shops, including; the house and shop (including Post Office) built by Percy Britton; a ramp, where the milk and cream cans were loaded onto the train; a butcher’s shop; and a boarding house. The school was built in 1922, about a mile up Anketell Road, while the Hall was constructed in 1923.
In 2021, the place comprises the Post Office ruins, Hall Reserve, the fire station and community hall, and the houses along Mandogalup Road, including the three Soldier Settler homes.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Low
Authenticity: Moderate

Condition

Good

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.