Nicholson Homestead - site

Author

City of Canning

Place Number

11931

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Location

11 Hedgeley Wy Canning Vale

Location Details

includes 33 & 35 Kingia Wy, 9, 11 & 13 Hedgeley Wy

Other Name(s)

Nicholson Homestead

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1890

Demolition Year

1994

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type	Status	Date	Documents	More information
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type	Status	Date	Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type	Status	Date	Grading/Management		More information
Type	Status	Date	Category	Description	More information
Municipal Inventory	Adopted	08 Aug 1995	5	5 Historic Site - recognise Historic Site without built features; recognise, for example with a plaque, place name, or reflection in urban or architectural design.

Statement of Significance

The Nicholson homestead site is significant as the site of the home of William
Nicholson, one of the first settlers in the area and owner of a substantial amount of land in the Jandakot agricultural area. Nicholson's property, Canning Vale, subsequently gave its name to the area. The homestead was . a fine example of a turn of the century timber building and the ceiling decorated with painted angels was a significant example of Victorian decorative art.

Physical Description

The Nicholson Homestead was a timber framed building with jarrah
weatherboarding and a corrugated iron roof. Internal walls and ceilings were of
lathe and plaster with one ceiling elaborately painted with angels and birds. A two roomed section of the building was added later, being relocated from another
section of the property. {Canning Melville Times] 7/5/1991)

In 1994 the building suffered extensive damage as a result of vandalism and an
application for demolition was made.

History

The Nicholson Homestead built in the late 1890s was the home of William
Nicholson and focal point of his 1,000 acre (404 ha) property Canning Vale.
William Nicholson came to the colony as a child in 1851 and grew up in Fremantle.
He married and had two children and established himself in business prior to setting up his farming interests. The Canning Vale area was not conducive to farming, however Nicholson persevered and by 1912 had sunk a bore to irrigate his orchard and in 1914 recorded an outstanding potato crop. Getting produce to market was also difficult as Nicholson Road was considered one of the worst in the state.

Nicholson was involved in the local community and a benefactor to the local
Canning Vale school. He constructed a tennis court and cricket pitch on the farm
grounds which were used by the school children. He also built a community hall at the Ranford Road end of the farm. In 1927 the hall was purchased by the Gosnells Road Board and relocated to the corner of Nicholson Road and Garden Streets.

Condition

Site only

References

Ref ID No	Ref Name	Ref Source	Ref Date
	G MacDonald & W Cooper; "The Gosnells Story".	The City of Gosnells	1988

Other Keywords

The Nicholson homestead was severely vandalised in 1994 and the building left in a ruined and unsafe condition. Prior to demolition the building was surveyed and recorded by the City of Canning and a section of the 'angel' ceiling removed for conservation. The City of Canning proposes to retain one of the brick chimneys when the building is demolished and to preserve this with appropriate interpretive material on public open space when the land is subdivided.

State Heritage Office library entries

Library Id	Title	Medium	Year Of Publication
11657	Nicholson Homestead, Canning Vale : Building record	Heritage Study {Other}	1995

Place Type

Historic Site

Uses

Epoch	General	Specific
Present Use	FARMING\PASTORAL	Homestead
Original Use	FARMING\PASTORAL	Homestead

Historic Themes

General	Specific
OCCUPATIONS	Rural industry & market gardening

Creation Date

01 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.