Ballymena

Statement of Significance

Ballymena, a timber framed residence clad with weather boards and corrugated zincalume in the Federation Queen Anne style and associated outbuildings and gardens, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
The house and its elements, together with the well-established gardens and its proximity to the King River make up a significant and aesthetically pleasing cultural landscape.
The place is a distinctive residence on the King River and is well known landmark to both locals and others who know it as a tearoom or as a the place is a fine example of a vernacular Federation Queen Anne style residence built in the south west of Western Australia at the beginning of the twentieth century. The blackened block pattern weather boarding of Ballymena is unique to the Albany region and the house also displays some fine internal detailing.
The place is representative of the many farms established in the Albany region in the late 19th and early 20th century that took advantage of the demand for fresh produce in the burgeoning Goldfields region with Albany connected to the State’s railway network as well as exporting high quality produce to the overseas market including England and Europe when Albany was still a major port.

Physical Description

Some of the notable features of this place include:
• Set close to the river
• Large landscaped gardens with some very old trees
• Bungalow style with projecting gabled wing
• Gable has heavily adorned timber barge board with a finial
• Walls ashlar block timber
• Roof hipped corrugated iron
• Verandah around two sides of the house with brick paved flooring and bull nosed roof
• Verandah finished with ‘lace’ trim and adorned timber posts
• Wooden framed double hung sash windows
• Some French doors open out onto verandah
• Two chimneys with moulded tops typical of Federation Queen Anne design style.

Some obvious modifications include:
• Additions to the rear
• Part of verandah sympathetically enclosed to form another room

History

It is thought that the property was taken up in 1906 by Mr Harden who advertised in the Albany Advertiser of July 1899 as a bookseller. The property was called ‘Arden’s Gardens’ (Hardens Gardens?). In 1909 the property was purchased and further developed by Abraham Henry Shannon (Patsy Shannon) who originally came from Ballymena in Ireland. He renamed the property ‘Ballymena’. He and his wife developed a flourishing poultry farm and orchard, and also cultivated a wide variety of flowers. The riverside property was looked upon as one of the beauty spots of the district.

In 1920 the property was sold to George Meadly, and it changed hands again in 1925 when William Ernest Sommers became the owner. After serious flooding in 1927 the property was leased to Mr and Mrs Humphreys who operated the property as a guest house and tea gardens, renaming it ‘Strathmore’. It was once featured in a film, called ‘Albany: Jewel of the South’ c1927.

In 1935 Mr Lancelot Shaw, retired station owner, purchased the property for a private residence. In 1945, after the property was turned over to Arthur Hamer Burrows of Upper King, who again opened it as a guest house. It was once more known as ‘Ballymena’. A succession of owners followed, and in 1957 it was bought by the Wilkinson family, who owned the adjoining property, Dymesbury Park, to which Ballymena was added and run as a dairy farm.

The property stayed in the Wilkinson family until 1976 when the new owners, Ian and Robin Lukis, took over. ‘Ballymena’ was the venue for a number of weddings during their ownership, as Robin was a marriage celebrant.

The present owners of ‘Ballymena’, Mr and Mrs J Rayfield took over the property in 1988. In 1990 a new two-storey home was built on the block for the Rayfield’s daughter and son-in-law.

There is a link between ‘Ballymena’ and the notorious criminal Archie Butterly who was shot dead in Victoria in 1994. Around 1987 Butterly leased ‘Ballymena’ and there was an episode when Butterly is said to have threatened a real estate agent and prospective buyer with a sword, sparking off a police raid on the property.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High/Moderate
Authenticity: High/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.