Aubrey Gibbs House

Statement of Significance

Aesthetic significance as a good example of a modest rural homestead dating from the 1920s. Historical significance for its association with the Gibbs family and market gardening in the area surrounding Pipindinny Swan. Social significance for its contribution to the community's sense of place. Management Category

Physical Description

Aubrey and Emma Gibbs's single story home is located at Lot 4, 73 Pipidinny Rd, Eglinton on a rural property on the south side of Pipidinny Road within the City of Wanneroo's Coastal Ward. The house is set back approximately 25 metres from the road on a limestone ridge, facing east and overlooking Beonaddy Swamp. The kitchen and dining areas are part of the first dwelling, built c1919 by Aubrey's older brother William Lacey and is made from limestone rubble. Unfortunately before the roof could be added most of the walls were completely washed away. The front.three rooms, hall and verandahs were rebuilt by a stone mason, Butcher Lee out of sandstone, quarried locally from the west side of Beonaddy Road. The steeply pitched corrugated iron hipped roof extends over the verandahs that encompass the north, east and south sides. Some of the heavier roof timbers were salvaged from the shipwreck of the "Alex T Brown", as were the original doors. The kitchen, bathroom, laundry and back verandah are under a skillion roof. There is a central double flued chimney servicing both the kitchen and the lounge. The house has the original concrete floors throughout. The inside walls are lime rendered smooth and either papered or painted while the outside is painted. There are still remnant Fig trees (three different varieties) down two sides of the house, planted when the family first moved in and a huge Loquat tree in front of the house planted in the mid 1940's. Mature Tuart trees (Eucalyptus gomphocephala) are extent on the property, one with approximately an 8 metre girth. The remnants of the dairy cool room, separating room and cow shed, built c1946 out of cement bricks is 60 metres to the west of the house. This was also used as a shearing shed in the Iate1950's and a piggery in the early 1960's. (Information provided by Leonie Snape).

History

The suburb of Eglinton was approved in 1973. It is named after the Barque "Eglinton" which was wrecked on rocks, which now bear its name in 1852. Eglinton Rocks are located off the coast adjacent to the suburb William John Gibbs, his wife Harriet (nee Lacey) and daughter Harriet Sarah arrived in Western Australia in 1834. They settled first at Claisebrook then moved to the Cannington area. They also spent some time in Wanneroo as Harriet died here in 1862. William Lacey Gibbs, William and Harriet's fourth child leased Swan Loc. 2751 in 1884 in his son Jabez name. The 100 acres, along with other leased lands in the Wanneroo area were used to spell his herd of dairy cattle, so as to rest "Brooklands" his Cannington farm. After his death the land was titled to Jabez and he and his family move onto the northern section of the property in 1919. Around the same time Aubrey built a bag house for himself on the southern portion of the property and started the construction of the limestone house. In 1921 Aubrey and Emma Gibbs and their three children Ruby, Henry and Charles moved to north Wanneroo. The family grew to six children, although one died in infancy. Aubrey ran cattle, had a dairy and twice reclaimed a section of the Beonaddy swamp land. Here, with the help of his sons he grew tomatoes, cabbage and cauliflowers for market. In later years the family also ran sheep on adjacent leased land and had a piggery. Aubrey was also the caretaker for Yanchep Park in the late 1920's. During World War 2 the family well was used by the army, stationed on the coast for their water supply. The house is still being lived in by Aubrey and Emma's son Ken and his wife Lola. (Information provided by Leonie Snape).

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Historic Themes

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