Eliza's Cottage

Parent Place or Precinct

02864 Blandstown Heritage Precinct

Statement of Significance

The cottage has heritage significance for the following reasons:  The place is a rare, authentic and representative example of the Victorian Georgian style of dwelling constructed by settlers when they first moved onto their land.  The place is closely associated with the historical development of the town of York and the Avon Valley and is an integral part of the Blandstown Heritage Precinct.  The place has the potential to reveal information on early construction practises within the colony of Western Australia.  The place has some associations with R H Bland and S S Parker, both early settlers of the York district who established the area known as Blandstown.

Physical Description

A simple styled building with a central two room ‘core’ constructed from rammed earth, later extensions constructed from soft fired bricks which surround the original two rooms and more recent extensions at the rear of the building constructed from hard fired bricks. The exterior of the cottage has been rendered. The single story structure has a broken pitched, hipped roof covered with corrugated galvanised iron. Three simple brick chimneystacks protrude through the roof on the northern side of the cottage. Native trees and some exotic tree species surround it. The land slopes gently to the east to the eastern property line, which is defined by as Blands Brook.

History

Bland was one of the first to arrive in the district and was requested by Stirling to establish a Government Stock Station. For his services to the Government, Bland was granted 1,000 acres and later acquired an additional 4,000 acres on the left bank of the Avon River. Bland was appointed Resident Magistrate for York in November 1834. As Bland held this type of position, York’s early development was centred around Bland’s farm at the southern end of present day York. It is possible that the dwelling was built by Bland for his labourers or possibly a overseer. Eliza’s Cottage was identified as part of the Blandstown Heritage Precinct in 1977 in a historical study undertaken by M Feilman and Partners on the town of York.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: High

Condition

Fair to Moderate

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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