Castledare Boys Home (fmr)

Author

City of Canning

Place Number

04579

Location

108 Fern Rd Wilson

Location Details

Lot 101, Plan P60726

Other Name(s)

Niana
St Vincent's Preparatory School for Boys

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1957, Constructed from 1895

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage Agreement YES 15 Oct 1997 HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument
Heritage List Adopted 18 Sep 2018
State Register Registered 07 Apr 1998 HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument, HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Classified by the National Trust Classified 13 Dec 1999
Art Deco Significant Bldg Survey Completed 30 Jun 1994
Aboriginal Heritage Sites Register Interim
Municipal Inventory Adopted 17 Oct 2017 1

Statement of Significance

Castledare Boys' Home (fmr), a purpose built institution designed around a brick and corrugated galvanised iron Federation Queen Anne style house featuring attic space and an octagonal belvedere, and also consisting of a brick dining room added to the rear of the house, two brick cottages with dormitory wings, a brick classroom, a brick hall, a Women's Auxiliary building, a Marian Shrine and a laundry amongst a complex of other buildings and a landscape of mature trees, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: - it is the only known purpose designed residential school developed according to the new ideals for treatment of the intellectually handicapped in the late 1920s in Western Australia at a time of great debate about appropriate treatment of the intellectually handicapped and mentally ill; - the place has importance as being technically innovative; - the place is an important marker in the development of Catholic education in Western Australia; - it is important for the social history of the work and recreation of the Christian Brothers and the boys and lay people who generously contributed to the school since its initiation; - the site is one of the earlier settlements in the Canning district and the homestead 'Niana' is representative of the growing wealth of the district at the turn of the century; - the style of the original house is uncommon in the City of Canning and is valued by the community for its aesthetic characteristics; and, - it is important for its close association with local identities such as the Flemings and Meares.

Physical Description

Castledare is located on high ground and river flats adjacent to the Canning River. It was originally developed as a pastoral property and then a school in 1929. All buildings bar the “Niana” homestead were demolished and replaced at the turn of the Twenty-first Century with brick and tile aged-care accommodation. The “Niana” homestead is representative of the Federation Queen Anne style of architecture and is prominently located on the highest point of the land. It has tuck-pointed red brick walls surrounded by a generous bull nose vernadah, which is supported by turned timber posts. The hipped corrugated iron roof has projecting gables with timber and rough render infill. There is also a convex steel belvedere stop of the roof. A large blond brick and tile Church built in 1957 remains on site. The main façade of the Church has a recessed gable lined with small mosaic tiles set above steel framed doors and windows.

History

Castledare was opened by the Christian Brothers as a centre for intellectually handicapped Catholic boys in 1929. The site of the home consisted of 83 acres of land on the banks of the Canning River and contained a brick Federation style residence of seventeen rooms. The property had been occupied since 1895 by three successive families, the Flemings, the Meares and the McLeods. The Conservation Plan for Castledare suggests the Federation style residence was built by the Flemings between 1906 and 1908. The property was originally known as “Balmoral” and was not referred to as “Niana” (the name of the Federation style residence) until the Meares were in residence. In 1927 the property was purchased by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Perth who sought to open a home for “sub-normal” children. Castledare opened in March 1929 with ten boys and under the directorship of Brother G. Hyland. The home consisted of the renovated and extended Federation style house and two cottages and a classroom block which were built for the opening. An existing farm building was renovated to provide a handicraft workshop. One of the unique features of Castledare was the purpose built “Cottage Homes” as they symbolised a more humane approach to childcare. An approach considered more superior to congregate living in large institutions. There was never more than thirty intellectually handicapped boys at any one time at Castledare during the first four years. By 1933, Castledare had stopped catering specifically for intellectually handicapped and had become a home for all types of under privileged boys. In the late 1930s and after World War II child migrants mainly from England and Malta were integrated into home. During the 1950s a rebuilding program was undertaken including classrooms and the Chapel to the Mother of Perpetual Succour, constructed in 1957 and blessed and opened by Archbishop Prendiville. In 1977 the chapel became the Parish Church of Wilson. The school closed in 1984, and is no longer used as a children's home. In 1998 the site was redeveloped as an aged care facility and retirement village called Castledare Retirement Village and operated by Catholic Homes Incorporated. “Niana” the Federation style residence was retained as part of the redevelopment with the balance of the classroom and school facilities demolished. The Castledare Miniature Railway came into being through the action of a model engineer, Mr. Keith Watson. Having completed a 71⁄4" gauge 0‐4‐2 tank steam engine named “Nellie” in early 1963, he required a track somewhere to run and operate it to give pleasure to others. After searching around, Castledare Boys Home, on the banks of the Canning River was located and appeared to be an ideal location to build a railway. An agreement was made with the Brothers of Castledare Boys Home orphanage, whereby a proportion of monies raised by the railway would be paid to the boys home. The boys of the home would be encouraged to help build the railway. The first public run on this track coincided with the boy’s home Annual Field Day in October 1963.

Integrity/Authenticity

House (Federation style villa)-1895 Moderate Alterations: Requires further investigation Intactness of fabric: Requires further investigation Condition: Requires further investigation School buildings 1929-1950's Alterations: Requires further investigation Intactness of fabric: Requires further investigation Condition: Requires further investigation Chapel-1957 Intactness of fabric: Good Condition: Good

Condition

Good: well maintained

References

Ref ID No Ref Name Ref Source Ref Date
BM Coldrey; "The Scheme: The Christian Brothers and Children in Western". Chap 3 & 7 Argyle-Pacific Publishing W.A. 1993

State Heritage Office library entries

Library Id Title Medium Year Of Publication
1368 Former Castledare Boys Home, Wilson: conservation plan. Heritage Study {Cons'n Plan} 1996
6946 Niana Homestead, Castledare Retirement Village, Wilson, WA formerly Castledare Boys Home : stage 2 refurbishment internal works for Catholic Homes Inc. (Final report). Conservation works report 2004
5409 Castledare Marian Shrine : archival photographic record. Heritage Study {Other} 1998

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use EDUCATIONAL Special School
Present Use EDUCATIONAL Special School
Other Use RELIGIOUS Church, Cathedral or Chapel

Architectural Styles

Style
Federation Queen Anne

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Wall BRICK Common Brick
Roof METAL Corrugated Iron

Historic Themes

General Specific
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES Religion
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES Education & science

Creation Date

14 Feb 1996

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

25 Sep 2019

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.