Local Government
Northampton
Region
Midwest
Ajana-Kalbarri Rd Northampton
adjacent to Murchison River
Murchison Homestead
Northampton
Midwest
Constructed from 1856
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage List | Adopted | 15 May 2020 |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHP - To be assessed | Current | 31 Oct 2003 |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 19 Apr 1996 | Category 1A | |
Has important social and historic significance in the development of the region, prominent people and events (air mail crash) associated with one of the early pastoral homesteads. A conservation plan would guide any proposed alterations to the fabric, to make recommendations for removing unsympathetic accretions and to consider whether any suitable adaptations may be possible for the future use of the places.
Situated low on the edge of the Murchison River, Murchison House has whitewashed stone walls set in mud mortar ('Pug') with corrugated iron roofs. The original homestead, built c 1860, is now incorporated into the later homestead and outbuildings, built c 1890. Traditional plan form (similar to The Bowes and other homesteads with a row of rooms opening onto the verandahs and breezeways as external access ways. Complex includes a 'pug' shearers' quarters, c 1890, and a large corrugated iron shearing shed. There are also many recent transportable and metal clad sheds which are unsympathetic in their appearance and placement which clutters the site, detracting from the original core buildings. The former stone stables no longer exist however the original blacksmith's building survives. The site also includes a graveyard with five marked and several unmarked graves as described in the history section below. There are the remnants of an old timber post and wire foot/stock bridge crossing the river, built c1920. Adjacent is a new steel framed timber vehicle bridge as well as a causeway further up river.
Murchison House Station was originally taken up by Charles Von Bibra, who bred Arab horses on the lease. In order to travel to Tasmania in 1869, Von Bibra let the property to Charles Gill. Andrew James Ogilvie later bought the property. After his death in 1906, Murchison House Station was offered for auction on 31 January 1907. The property consisted of 99387ha of leasehold land, 36ha of freehold land and the buildings consisted of a 14 room homestead, mens quarters, blacksmith shop, stables, hay shed, chaffhouse and storeroom. Murchison House Station was purchased by Thomas Amos Drage and his brother, William John Drage. The property was managed by James Haselby from 1907 to 1924, then by Ken Maley, Fred Blood senior until 1950 and Fred Blood junior until 1965. The property was later owned by a company of Prince Jah, the hereditary Nizam of Hyderabad. In 1996, the property was purchased by S. and A. Roscich. The current owners operate guided tours of the property and have converted the shearer's quarters into accommodation for tourists. The graveyard at the Murchison House property contains five marked graves. One marks the resting place of a servant called Nathaniel Horsefeld who died in October 1859. The grave stone was erected by his master and fellow servants. Another commemorates a Perth born Aboriginal man named Mike who died in 1862. Mike was a servant of Von Bibra. The grave of Mr Ogilvie, a former owner of the Murchison House property who died in 1906, is located alongside those of the pilot (R. N. Fawcett) and mechanic (Edward Broad) involved in the inaugural airmail flight from Geraldton to Derby. The plane crashed on 5 December 1921 while attempting to land on the property. The place also contains at least one unmarked grave, being the gravesite of Jilba, who died in 1937. Jilba was born at Murchison House Station, with her parents being from the Nanda tribe. Jilba worked and lived for many years at the Murchison House Station. Chronology Entries 1839 The Murchison River was named by Lt George Grey in honour of Sir Roderick Murchison, President of the Royal Geographical Society. 05/12/1921 The inaugural flight of Major Norman Brearley's West Australian Airways service between Geraldton and Derby ended in a crash near Murchison House killing the pilot and engineer.
Integrity: High Modifications: Concrete verandahs and transportable outbuildings. Orig'l Fabric: Mostly Intact
Fair
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feilman & Associates, "A Survey of Places of Historic and Landscape Significance in Northampton, Dongara, Geraldton, WA", | Feilman & Associates, | 1977, (102). | |
| GHS2869 | Photograph; "Grave of A. J. Ogilvie" | undated | |
| GHS2868 | Photograph; "Grave of Mike" | undated | |
| GHS5980 | Photograph; Airmen's graves". | 1943 | |
| GHS2872 | Photograph; "Grave of E. W. Broad" | undated | |
| GHS2867 | Photograph; "Grave of W. Horsfield" | undated | |
| GHS5979 | Photograph; "Fred Blood snr & family" | 1943 | |
| "Mr F. Blood (former Murchison House manager), and interviews with his wife Mrs E. Blood"- Oral History | Battye Library | ||
| GHS2866 | Photograph; "Grave of R. N. Fawcett" | undated | |
| Mercy, Felicia; " Little Girl, 'Big Crash'". | Northampton News | December 1992 | |
| Porter, B., "Pure Galena - A story of settlement in the Australian outback p.61." | Publicit, WA, | 2001 | |
| "Air Disaster at Murchison" | Geraldton Express | 7/12/1921. | |
| GHS5977 | Photograph; Horse riders in front of homestead, | 1943 | |
| Bain, M.A., "Ancient Landmarks", | UWA Press, | 1975 | |
| Mitchell, S.," Looking Backwards: Reminiscences of 42 Years" | Geraldton Newspapers, | 1911 |
| Library Id | Title | Medium | Year Of Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9998 | Shark Bay Terrestrial Reserves and proposed reserve additions. Management plan number 75 of 2012. | Electronic | 2012 |
Individual Building or Group
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | FARMING\PASTORAL | Homestead |
| Original Use | FARMING\PASTORAL | Servants or Shearers Quarters |
| Other Use | FARMING\PASTORAL | Shed or Barn |
| Original Use | FARMING\PASTORAL | Homestead |
| Other Use | Transport\Communications | Comms: Other |
| Style |
|---|
| Victorian Georgian |
| Type | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Roof | METAL | Corrugated Iron |
| Wall | STONE | Donnybrook Sandstone |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS | Mail services |
| OCCUPATIONS | Grazing, pastoralism & dairying |
| DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY | Land allocation & subdivision |
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.