Mason's Landing

Statement of Significance

Masons Landing has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: - The place is associated with the development of the Cannington area in the mid nineteenth century. Developed as a small port town to service the timber industry, the place was important in providing goods and services to the district until circa 1893 when the railway arrived, which resulted in a shift in focus away from the river. - The place is associated with the development of the timber industry in the mid nineteenth century. Timber was delivered to the landing by bullock teams and then it was loaded onto barges and taken down the river to Fremantle, where it was used to construct many important pieces of infrastructure including North Fremantle and Causeway bridges and the Lunatic Asylum at Fremantle.

Physical Description

DESCRIPTION Mason’s Landing at the end of Liege Street is a small, shady, grassed park in natural surrounds. Mason’s Landing is a popular destination for family outings on weekends and during school holidays. There park has a designated canoe launching facility, a unisex accessible toilet, access paths, barbecue, drinking fountain, play equipment and gazebo/shelter.

History

In the early days of Canning, most of the district’s industries centred around Mason and Bird’s Timber mill at the spot known as Mason’s Landing. Other smaller allied industries such as blacksmithing, wheel wrighting and building were also setup around this landing. In the 1860s, Mason obtained a timber concession to cut timber on a 640 acre lease in Carmel, referred to as the ‘upper station’. Mason established a steam powered saw mill on the river bank at Mason’s Landing, referred to as the ‘lower station’. In 1871, Mason was joined by Francis Bird and together they formed the company Mason Bird and Co for the purpose of exporting timber. Mason built a house near his landing, which has not survived. None of the buildings associated with the Mason and Bird mill remain. However, Francis Bird’s homestead, Woodloes Homestead, built in 1874, remains today. At the lower station, there were offices, stores, stables for 20 horses, a forage room, stockyards, and a large warehouse for stacking sawn timber; moored close by were several barges for transporting the timber along the Canning River. Timber was initially hauled from the Carmel site to the landing by bullock teams and then either taken by a horse drawn team to Perth City or it was loaded onto barges and taken down the river to Fremantle. From 1872, the upper station was connected to the lower station by a tramway. This tramway is said to have been one of the State’s first rail networks, the first being the Government railway line from Geraldton to Northampton, which opened in 1872. In 1877, Bird left the company and returned to his profession as an architect. When the Fremantle to Perth railway line extended to Midland, most of the teams carted to that centre, thereby diverting a thriving business from Canning. Mason’s Timber Yard declined in importance and was set to be sold by auction in 1882, though there were no bidders, and the business was later broken up and sold privately for other purposes. Mason died in 1893. The scale of Mason’s enterprise is not generally appreciated today, but the timber for many of the State’s older buildings and jetties would have begun its journey from both Carmel and the associated Mason’s Landing. The company supplied timber for the North Fremantle and Causeway bridges in 1865, the Lunatic Asylum at Fremantle, the first Government railway from Geraldton to Northampton and Fremantle’s Long Jetty. Today there are no remains of Mason’s Landing or the tramway in the study area. However, Bickley Road aligns with the original route of the tramway, on route to Carmel.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Low Authenticity: Low

Condition

Good - well maintained

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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