Brackenhurst

Statement of Significance

Brackenhurst at 68 Brunswick Road has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
The place is associated with John McKail, well-known early settler and merchant in Albany who had Brackenhurst built.
The place is associated with the Moate family, well-known residents of Albany who opened up their home Brackenhurst to social, religious and cultural events for the local community and causes. Brackenhurst was where Eliza Moate died in 1919.
The place was well-known as Nurse Catherine Gomm’s nursing home where many babies from the local community and surrounding regional areas were born, and who was married to Harry Gomm who later built Gomm Cotttage in Kalgan.
The place is a fine example of Victorian Regency architecture and of the work and skill of local builder Charles Donat Keyser who also built the Union Bank and National Bank in Albany.
The place reflects the typical dwelling of a rising middle class that emerged from the commercial and service industries that developed around the port of Albany in the latter part of the 19th century particularly when Albany was the main port for Western Australia.
The place is one of a group of significant residences built during the Late Victorian/Federation period along this eastern end of Stirling Terrace, just outside of the Stirling Terrace Heritage Precinct.

Physical Description

Some of the notable features of this place include:
• Elevated position on corner block
• Circled by mature, shady trees
• Majestic, large scale building
• High level of integrity
• Prominent wing with projecting bay
• Pyramidal roof on projecting wing
• Hipped roof on remainder of building
• Exposed stone masonry
• Rendered, painted quoining on corners
• Verandah partially across front elevation, apart from projecting wing
• Timber verandah posts and wrought iron balustrading
• Distinctive timber ‘slab’ fence
Some obvious modifications include:
• Extensions to the rear
• Installation of solar panels

History

Charles Donat Keyser built this stone house on the corner of Cuddihy Ave and Brunswick Road for owner John Frederick McKail, who was an Albany merchant. A report in the Perth ‘Inquirer’ on 23 Feb 1881 described the house as a “fine commodious residence on a hill opposite the P & O Jetty, giving a full view of Princess Royal Harbour”. The title deed for the land recorded a mortgage of £1,000. It is said that the house was named after a college in the north of England. John Frederick McKail was the son of John McKail Snr who died in 1871 and left much of his estate – which included the London Hotel and White Star Hotel - to his sons, the other son being Nathanial William McKail.
Charles Keyser was a well-known local builder who also was the contractor for the Union Bank (Albany House, Stirling Tce/York St), the National Bank (Vancouver House 86 Stirling Tce) and the original goods shed at the Town Jetty.
Since its construction, Brackenhurst has had a variety of owners, tenant and uses. In 1900 William Commins-Reilly, a Justice of the Peace, and his wife Ellen (nee Millar) and family moved from Mt Barker to Albany and bought Brackenhurst as their family home. They later moved to Melbourne.
By 1902, Catherine (Katie) Gomm (nee Rogers) who was a medical surgical and ladies nurse was running Brackenhurst as a nursing home and it was advertised as a good home with splendid grounds. Many babies from Albany and the surrounding regions were born at her Brackenhurst nursing home. In 1905, Catherine was also advertising rooms to let at Brackenhurst. She had married Harry Falby Gomm in 1898, who before moving to Albany was a prospector in the goldfields then joined the regular army and was stationed at the Forts. The Gomms moved to Kalgan where they bought land in 1904 and built Gomm Cottage. They eventually moved back to Kalgoorlie in the early 1930s.
In 1907 the White Star Tea Gardens were operating at Brackenhurst, possibly for just this one year although one advertisement appeared in the Albany Advertiser for 1 January 1908.
In 1908 tenders called for painting and renovations to the nursing home at Brackenhurst.
By 1910, Brackenhurst was owned by John Thomas Moate and his wife Eliza Ann. They had 3 sons and 6 daughters. The Moates also had the property called Tandara at Two Peoples Bay. The Moates were very involved in the local Baptist church and religious meetings and presentations of various related societies, such as the London Prophetical Society, were often held at Brackenhurst. The house and grounds were also the venue for social functions in particular fundraising events. The corner of Brunswick Rd and what was then Marine Dve was often called Moates Corner and a well-known danger spot for car accidents.

In 1913, offices for the British, Australian Land Settlement Co Ltd were located at Brackenhurst. Moate later joined the oil exploration business and by the 1920s Brackenhurst was the location for the WA branch of the Adelaide Oil Exploration Company Ltd. Eliza died at Brackenhurst in 1919 and Moate eventually moved to Adelaide after her death. In 1925, Brackenhurst was advertised to let suggesting this as the time Moate left Albany. However, he still owned Brackenhurst and it was leased to Mr A T Thomas.
Moate died in Adelaide in 1934 and after this time, Mr and Mrs J Anderson owned Brackenhurst.
Other residents/owners included Mrs Louisa King, the wife of Vernon King, who was a well-known proprietress of restaurants in York Street and Stirling Tce. She moved to Brackenhurst when she retired as a widow in the 1960s.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High

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.