Old Blythewood

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Old Blythewood demonstrates the principal characteristics of the Old Colonial Georgian style of architecture in Western Australia, in particular through the surviving Flemish bond brick and shingle house. Old Blythewood was one of the staging inns on the road to Vasse, so contributing to the development of transport links in the south west of the State. Old Blythewood contributes to the community's sense of place by providing a physical and social link with the past economic development and political importance of the Murray District. Old Blythewood has a close association with the McLarty family, a prominent family in the Murray District, and early participants in the pastoral industry in the Kimberley. Members of the family contributed to the development of political life of the State, at a high level, from 1894 to 1962.

Physical Description

Old Blythewood comprises a Flemish bond brick and shingle house, a Flemish bond brick and iron kitchen block, 19th century farm outbuildings, 1920s outbuildings, mature trees, and associated garden. The place is set in rural surrounds overlooking the Murray River. The galvanised roof of the main house was replaced with shingle in 1975 and again in the 1990s. Following failure of the shingles in 2007, the roof was replaced with galvanised iron.

History

Captain R. G. Meares acquired 6,109 acres in 1837, including the future site of Old Blythewood. His brother and son ran the property, though they encountered conflict with the local Aborigines, especially when the farm was left unattended. Consequently, Meares decided to sell the property to concentrate his efforts in the Avon district. Murray Location 3 was sold for £1,000 in April 1856 to John McLarty. McLarty paid half the amount in cash, and the property was soon after called ‘Blythewood’. It is likely that McLarty moved to the new homestead in 1859 or 1860, having selected a site to the south of a cottage occupied by the Meares. The homestead was commenced in approximately 1856, and completed approximately 1861 with the building at the rear of the main house having been constructed first (possibly by Meares) and was later converted to kitchen and storeroom use. Blythewood was built in the general colonial style: a long dwelling with verandahs front and back connected by a passageway across the centre of the house and with the bedrooms leading off the verandah. The kitchen was set apart from the main structure as was also the custom at the time. Mary Anne McLarty was the Pinjarra Postmistress from 1847, and when the family moved to the property, the town’s Post Office was also relocated to Blythewood. Mrs McLarty performed the duties of postmistress until 1868, where a new building was constructed on George Street, Pinjarra. McLarty obtained a publican’s licence in 1860 and opened the Pinjarra Arms. The hotel was discontinued in the 1890s due to the arrival of the railway line to Pinjarra. One of the McLarty sons then built the Premier Hotel in Pinjarra and transferred the publican’s licence. McLarty employed Ticket-of-Leave men during the 1850s and 1860s as labour was hard to find, and the family was unable to make the necessary improvements to their land without it. The wide-ranging McLarty cattle business was developed by the three sons, Edward, Hector and William. This included extensive grazing rights in the Kimberley at Liveringa Station. John and Mary Anne remained at Blythewood, able to observe the growing prosperity of their family. Old Blythewood was accepted by the Commonwealth Government as part of the Australian National Heritage, enabling federal funds to be used by the National Trust for its restoration. The layout is of a traditional colonial design where all rooms would have been accessed off the verandah. Alterations also took place as rooms were converted for family use after ceasing to function as an inn. In 1996, approval was given for use of the place as a tea room and historical display. In 2010, Old Blythewood continues to be operated by the National Trust as one of its historic homes which can be visited.

Condition

Good

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Cooper's Mill (fmr)

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Although heavily restored, Cooper’s Mill is still readable as a mill from the early colonial era. Cooper’s Mill is thought to be the first wind powered flour mill constructed in the district and the only one to remain in existence. The location of Cooper’s Mill on a small island, with access only by boat, reflects the importance of water transport in the early settlement of Western Australia.

Physical Description

Cooper’s Mill was a rotating wind driven mill constructed in a round plan form, subsequently adapted to accommodate a steam engine. Located on a relatively flat island, the Mill was constructed near the water’s edge in two stages. The first stage was an 8m diameter two-storey cylindrical tower constructed from rough limestone blocks, now rendered externally. A door is located on the west at ground level and windows on the north and south side of the upper level. The tower was originally capped with a rotating roof turned by means of a beam at ground level. Changing from wind to steam power resulted in an extension to the building for the steam engine. The second stage is 3m square Flemish bond clay brick, with a door on the north side and a verandah to the north, east and south. The original mill stone is located within the mill tower.

History

Joseph Cooper commenced construction of Cooper’s Mill in 1843 and it was completed by his sons, James and Thomas, after Joseph’s death. Joseph and Elizabeth Cooper arrived aboard the Warrior in 1830 with four of their eight children, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Joseph and Mary Anne. A house was built facing the main channel of the river, not far from the mill. Cooper did most of the work himself and left the running of the family farm to his eldest son. Cooper died following a cart accident in 1847 and his son, Joseph Jr, was left the family property in Pinjarra. The mill at Yunderup was left to his younger brothers, Thomas and James. James and Thomas completed the mill with the help of Dan Myerick, a carpenter, and Josiah Stinton, and it was in use by 1850. In the early 1860s, the mill was converted to steam power by the addition of a room built on the south side of the mill. In the floods of 1862, the newly installed steam plant was flooded, and the mill suffered the loss of flour and grain. The bulk of grain producing country was centred further inland and by 1865, Cooper’s Mill closed, and the machinery sold to Captain Fawcett for his small mill at Pinjarra. The mill building was unused for years and later used as a smoke house for the curing of fish. The family leased the whole island as a stock run prior to the 1880s, eventually abandoning the lease. The abandoned house and mill were pillaged for their materials. Around the beginning of the 20th century the mill housed a recluse. Carelessly lit fires resulted in the destruction of the stairs and lower floor timbers. In 1930 the Murray Roads Board assumed responsibility for the care of the mill following the wishes of the Cooper family to have the building conserved. In the ensuing years, little was done to conserve the mill, which became the cause of some animated correspondence between the Cooper family and the Roads Board. In 1949 the land was gazetted as a Reserve for ‘Camping and Recreation’ and vested with the Shire of Murray. Some remedial works were undertaken in the 1950s, but it was not until 1984 a large program of work was undertaken under a CEP project. The project saw the reconstruction of the engine house, and re-roofing of the mill. In 1984, a Toilet Block was constructed followed by a Caretaker’s Residence in 1986. Between 2002 and 2005, significant works were undertaken on the mill and reserve; removing asbestos slates on both the mill building and engine room, reconfiguration of the roof to its original pitch and re-roofing in shingles. Re-pitching also meant increasing the height of the engine room walls. The verandah was reconfigured in pitch, re-roofed in shingles and support poles replaced in timber to reflect the original fabric. The mill building interior walls were also repointed. Mooring facilities have been upgraded on the south side of the island, upgrading of picnic area with new shelters, seating, BBQs, play equipment, lawn and landscaping. The building is under threat due to regular seasonal flooding of the delta area, which has been particularly exacerbated by the increased tidal ranged caused by the opening of the Dawesville Cut, and from sea level rise.

Integrity/Authenticity

Good

Condition

Good

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Fairbridge Farm School (fmr)

Child Places

• 03953 Saumerez Cottage, Fairbridge

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Child Places

• 03953 Saumerez Cottage, Fairbridge

Statement of Significance

The Church of the Holy Innocents, Fairbridge House and the Old Fairbridgians Clubhouse have high cultural heritage significance in their own right. Fairbridge Village is an excellent example of the use of the Inter-War Old English architectural style. Fairbridge Village was the first of a number of similar institutions established by the Child Emigration Society and is the only remaining site where tangible evidence remains to illustrate how the institution was organised. Fairbridge Village is important for its associations with Kingsley and Ruby Fairbridge, Sir Herbert Baker, who designed the Church of the Holy Innocents, and for its associations with the architectural firm Powell, Cameron and Chisholm. Fairbridge Village has a high level of significance to members of the Old Fairbridgians' Association who continue an active involvement with the place.

Physical Description

The majority of buildings at Fairbridge Village are of timber frame construction with weatherboard cladding to the external walls. They were constructed with either sheoak shingles or corrugated iron roofs. Chimneys and fireplaces were generally face red brick. Internal wall linings were of vertical timber panelling to dado height with battened plasterboard above and to ceilings. Timber framed windows were mainly pairs of small paned casements. The principal residences, Heath and Fairbridge House, were of masonry and pise construction to first floor level respectively with half timbering used for the upper storey. Generally the buildings can be described as being in the Inter-War Old English style. This style is distinguished by the use of the visual attributes of English rural architecture including half timbering, small-paned casement windows, shingled roofs, tall chimneys and textured brickwork. Generally the two-storey buildings at Fairbridge Village reflect this style, while the singlestorey cottages were closer to the Western Australian vernacular architecture of the period. The main exceptions are the Old Fairbridgians Clubhouse and Church of the Holy Innocents. The Clubhouse is distinguished by the prominent Dutch gable on the front elevation of the building. The church is unusual in its style and scale using an unusual combination of elements including round arched openings, together with prominent steeply pitched shingled roofs.

History

Fairbridge Village is a former children’s home developed on the cottage accommodation model. Cottage homes for orphaned children were well known in Australia, and the concept had been utilised by the Salvation Army in Collie and by the Anglican Sisterhood at the Parkerville Home. However, Fairbridge Village brought the planning and building of cottage homes to a new level, one of self-supporting village, a model copied in other States. The following chronology summarises the key events in the construction of Fairbridge Village: - 1909 Kingsley Fairbridge founds Child Emigration Society in Oxford - 1912 Kingsley and Ruby Fairbridge open Fairbridge House, Blythewood - 1918 Establishment Children's Farm School Immigration Society of WA 1920 3,000 acres of Creaton Estate purchased for new farm school site - 1921 Five cottages, kitchen and store completed - 1922 Fairbridge House completed - 1922 Four classrooms constructed. - 1923 Eight more cottages completed - 1924 Kingsley Fairbridge dies - 1927 Seven more cottages; visit of Duke and Duchess of York - 1928 Principal’s Residence constructed - 1932 Church of the Holy Innocents completed; golf course begun - 1933 Old Fairbridgians Clubhouse completed - 1934 Concrete weir constructed across river to provide a swimming hole - 1935 Arthur Scratton Memorial residential building completed; Domestic Science building constructed - 1938 Staff dining room, kitchen and quarters constructed. - 1948 Renovations on site begin - 1949 First British migrant children arrive after WWII - 1950 School buildings renovated - 1954 Renovations to eighteen cottages completed - 1961 Big Brother Movement began to utilise Fairbridge; plans for new swimming pool, oval and sports pavilion completed - 1964 Visit of Queen Mother - 1965 Barnardo children stop arriving in Australia - 1973 Government restricts immigration - 1981 Fairbridge Farm School closed - 1983 Alcoa purchase site and erect memorial over Fairbridge's grave - 1989 Fairbridge WA lease the site for 44 years on a peppercorn rent - 2019 Major conservation works to Fairbridge Chapel including removal of shingles and replacement with welsh slate; demolition of Lister Cottage

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Condition

Good

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Marrinup Prisoner of War Camp

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Marrinup POW Camp is the only example of a permanent specialised WWII camp constructed in Western Australia. There has been minimal development of the site for the archaeological record is still intact. Marrinup POW Camp is significant as evidence of the impact of WWII on Western Australia, Marrinup POW Camp is associated with the hundreds of men, from both the German and Italian communities, who were prisoners there.

Physical Description

Concrete, retained earth, large tree stumps. Foundations only - no structures. Remains of camp include: masonry foundations; concrete and retained earth foundations; latrines; garden terraces; ornamental gardens, edging, paths; fence lines and drains; tree stump which was used as base for guard towers; refuse features; bridges and stumps.

History

Officially called No. 16 POW Camp, Marrinup, the place was commenced in August 1943 as part of the ‘Rural Employment Without Guards Scheme’ to alleviate labour shortages. This camp was the headquarters of the Scheme in Western Australia, and was responsible for the allocation/relocation of internees to other parts of the South-West for farm placement. As per the Geneva Convention, prisoners were employed in non-war related work, such as chopping wood for hospitals, etc. Many of those interned were male residents from Harvey and Waroona, which had large Italian populations. Some immigrants had previously applied for Australian Citizenship, thus avoiding being interned. The prisoners were popular with the local people, and it has been said that some of the ‘enemy’ could be found drinking with at the Dwellingup Hotel. The Camp was enlarged in July 1944 to include an additional two guard towers. The place was closed in August 1946 and dismantled in September 1946. In the early 21st century, interpretive signage was installed by the Department of Environment and Conservation.

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Condition

Good (as site)

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Edenvale

Parent Place or Precinct

01798 Edenvale Group

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Edenvale is an unusual rural example of the Victorian Regency style of architecture. The use of the verandas of the building as breezeways is uncommon in a house of this period and contributes to Edenvale's aesthetic appeal. The symmetry and the use of architectural elements: two bay windows with an ogee verandah, stucco window detailing and French doors, create a lively and interesting facade to the place. Edenvale is a landmark in extensive landscaped grounds and forms an entry statement to Pinjarra. Edenvale is associated with the McLarty family - a prominent pioneering family in the Murray District and a prominent family in Western Australian politics for nearly 70 years. Edward McLarty held a seat in the Legislative Council for 22 years and his son, Sir Ross McLarty, born in Edenvale, held a seat in the Legislative Assembly and became Premier of the State. Edenvale is valued by the Pinjarra community because it depicts the past development of Pinjarra and has a close association with the political activities of the State through the McLarty family. The social importance of Edenvale is demonstrated by the efforts made by the Pinjarra community to retain it in the late 1970s and early 1980s when the place was threatened with demolition. Edenvale contributes to the community's sense of place by providing an historical link to the settlement of the Murray District, and the subsequent development of the town. Edenvale provides a physical and social link with the past economic development and political importance of Pinjarra. Appropriately interpreted, Edenvale can provide a resource residents and visitors to understand the history of the surrounding area. Edenvale has high social significance as the key tourist attraction in Pinjarra.

Physical Description

Edenvale is an 1888 homestead comprising a single-storey symmetrical plan form with a central main doorway and entrance hall passing through the house to wide back verandah. Two projecting end bays at the front are accessible off the front verandah which spans the full width of the house and follows the line of the projecting bay and overlooks a large front garden sloping down to George Street. One of the bays formed a guest bedroom, the other a large parlour or drawing room. The two main front rooms off the Hall were used as a Dining Room and a Main Bedroom, which had French doors opening out onto the front verandah. A Dressing Room was provided off the Main Bedroom at the northern side of the residence. Three small Bedrooms range along the back verandah. Two farm offices complete the north-western wing of the house, with external access only. A Breakfast Room and Pantry are provided along the southwest wing, leading off the Dining Room, with the Kitchen beyond and forming the southern end of the back verandah. A cellar was constructed under a section of the back verandah. Fireplaces were provided to all rooms except the Guest Bedroom and the small office. A timber-framed addition along the south side of the southwest wing served as Laundry and work areas.

History

Edenvale was constucted in 1888 by Edward McLarty, son of pioneer farmers John and Mary McLarty, who arrived in WA in 1839 from Scotland. By 1888, Edward McLarty had six children, William Ernest, Amy, Edward Aubrey, Donald, Neil and Douglas, and the pressure of a large family required the building of a larger house than Liveringa, their then residence. The new house, a few metres south-east of Liveringa, was called Edenvale, and incorporated one of Liveringa's sheds into its west wing. Subsequently, Liveringa was used for storage and additional accommodation as required. The building of the more substantial Edenvale reflected not only a growing family, but the increasing wealth and influence of the McLarty family. The McLartys operated Pinjarra's first butcher shop from a small building situated between Edenvale and Liveringa. Edward was already runnng a store on the site well before 1873, since Constable Eli Wansbrough observed in his diary: [There] being no Govt. quarters here for us, we arrange with Mr E. McLarty to occupy a small cottage adjoining his store, it contains four small rooms with verandah and as much garden ground as I like to cultivate... rent to be £15 per year... [The cottage is] pleasantly situated in the middle of garden with a view of the church [and] the Murray bridge in front... In fact, the garden must have been well-developed by late 1873, since Wansbrough noted that his landlord let him have ‘as much fruit from the garden round our cottage as we can use’. The cottage which Wansbrough rented was probably located to the east of the store, and was most likely demolished in 1888 to make way for Edenvale. Retailing took place from a room at the west end of the store, which had a large cellar where items could be stored in cool, dry conditions. When Edenvale was constructed, it was located to the east of the store and, at some time, the intervening gap was bricked in to form another room. This new room became a staff dining room and connected with the kitchen of the main house by means of a doorway. The other rooms were converted for use as a Bake House and servants’ quarters. The 1888 homestead comprises a single-storey symmetrical plan form with a central main doorway and entrance hall passing through the house to wide back verandah. Two projecting end bays at the front are accessible off the front verandah which spans the full width of the house and follows the line of the projecting bay and overlooks a large front garden sloping down to George Street. One of the bays formed a guest bedroom, the other a large parlour or drawing room. The two main front rooms off the Hall were used as a Dining Room and a Main Bedroom, which had French doors opening out onto the front verandah. A Dressing Room was provided off the Main Bedroom at the northern side of the residence. Three small Bedrooms range along the back verandah. Two farm offices complete the north-western wing of the house, with external access only. A Breakfast Room and Pantry are provided along the southwest wing, leading off the Dining Room, with the Kitchen beyond and forming the southern end of the back verandah. A cellar was constructed under a section of the back verandah. Fireplaces were provided to all rooms except the Guest Bedroom and the small office. A timber-framed addition along the southwest side of the northwest wing served as Laundry and work areas. As part of his business ventures, Edward McLarty ran a coach service from Perth to Busselton twice a week, during the years, 1886-93. Though there is no evidence, it has been suggested that the coaches and horses were stabled at the Edenvale property. The opening of the Perth-Pinjarra railway line, in 1893, saw the demise of the coach services and the sale of the coaches to the Goldfields. The McLartys operated Pinjarra's first butcher shop from a small building situated between Edenvale and Liveringa. Gardens were either continued on the site from earlier occupation of Liveringa, or new gardens quickly established. It was noted in 1893: In the gardens of Mr. E. McLarty, Mrs. Alderson, and others, there are ‘all sorts and conditions’ of fruit trees and vines growing and bearing heavily. Active in local and, then, State politics, Edward McLarty became a member of the Murray Roads Board, in 1877, and held this position for nearly 40 years, including four as Chairman. During this period he served on various other boards: the Murray District Board of Education, the Murray Farmers Association (of which he became President) and the Pinjarra Common Lands Board. In 1894, Edward was elected to the Legislative Council, as the member for South-West Province, a seat he held for 22 years. Edenvale appears to have been one of the main social centres in Pinjarra in the 1890s, and along with many visitors, the large extended family would often have made the place busy. In 1894, Edward constructed the Premier Hotel. Soon after moving into Edenvale, the last of Edward and Jane McLarty’s children, Duncan Ross (known as Ross), was born. Ross followed Edward into politics, holding the seat of Murray-Wellington (1930-62). During a distinguished political career he was leader of the WA Liberal Party (1946-57), State Premier and Treasurer (1947-53), and Leader of the Opposition (1953-57). He was knighted in 1953 for his services to the State. Sir Ross was also very active in community affairs and was, at different times, both Secretary and President of the RSL and Chairman of the Hospital Board. He was elected the inaugural President of the National Trust (WA) in 1959. Sir Ross continued to raise his family at Edenvale and the house has an unbroken association with State political history from 1894 until 1962. Many Aborigines were employed at Edenvale, including a gardener who had been imprisoned at Rottnest Island. One significant member of staff was Kitty Rose, an Aboriginal girl who was taken on as a domestic helper when Sir Ross was a small boy. Kitty lived at Edenvale for the rest of her life and had her own sitting room off the back verandah. Kitty is said to have entertained her friends in this room with her gramophone and, later, a wireless. At an unknown date, the verandah enclosures were removed. At unknown dates, a doorway has been inserted in the western wall of the west wing, the timber shingle roof has been replaced and service rooms were added to the south-western verandah. In 1981-82, there was general restoration and reconstruction of parts of the fabric. Repairs were extensive and applied to all elements of Edenvale. In the 1980s, rooms in the rear wing were converted for use as public toilets. This also entailed the demolition of a bathroom addition to the northeast corner of Edenvale. One room in the rear wing was refurbished in the 1990s to create a display room for Sir Ross McLarty memorabilia. In 1987, the bread oven was demolished and there were alterations to the Kitchen to service the Heritage Tearooms. There was further restoration and refurbishment of the principle rooms from 1988. In August 2009, the rear wing of Edenvale was badly damaged by fire. Reconstructive conservation works were completed at the end of 2011. The reconstructed wing is now used for community meeting purposes. In 2013 the Edenvale Fire Restoration Project was recognised for excellence and awarded a State Heritage Award.

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Condition

Very Good

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Pinjarra Post Office

Parent Place or Precinct

08785 Pinjarra Heritage Precinct

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Pinjarra Post Office is a fine example of a Federation Arts and Crafts public building. Pinjarra Post Office is aesthetically linked with other prominent public buildings within the town’s heritage precinct. Pinjarra Post Office is a fine example of the public architecture of George Temple-Poole, one of the State’s most prominent architects.

Physical Description

Pinjarra Post Office is a two-storey building designed by George Temple-Poole in Federation Arts and Crafts style with a single-storey addition by W. B. Hardwick.

History

Pinjarra Post Office was built in 1896, by H. Parker for £968.11.02, and designed by Colonial Architect, George Temple-Poole. The building was described as ‘a two-storey brick building, affording accommodation for the postal department on the ground floor, and quarters on the upper floor. There are also necessary outbuildings.’ The original building was built of terracotta coloured clay bricks with a shingled roof in the Federation Arts and Crafts style. In 1923, the building underwent additions and alterations under the supervision of the Principal Architect of the Public Works Department, W. Hardwick. The alterations included the conversion of postal offices to the postmaster’s residence on the lower level with two bedrooms and a lounge within the earlier building space. A singlestorey addition to the northern side created space dedicated to postal activity. Minor modifications were made to the building exterior and interior between 1923 and 1944, including the change in the building function from residential to postal activity. In 1968 the Meckering Earthquake caused structural damage to the second storey of Pinjarra Post Office, As a result, the entire second storey elevation was rebuilt after 1972. The building ceased operating as a Post Office in July 2008. Post Office services reopened in the newly-constructed ‘Pinjarra Junction’ shopping centre. In 2009-10 internal repairs and maintenance work were carried out. In 2010 planning consent was issued for a beautician and a video shop to occupy the building. Some internal works will be required, such as the installation of a stud wall and the construction of a bathroom.

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Condition

Good

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Pinjarra Court House (fmr)

Parent Place or Precinct

08785 Pinjarra Heritage Precinct

Condition

Pinjarra Court House (fmr) is in a fair to good condition. The building shows evidence of a recent lack of maintenance. Externally, the building shows evidence of deterioration to the paintwork. Internally, there are a number of cracks to the walls in the court room and the front rooms. There is evidence of water damage to the ceiling in the Clerk of Court’s room. There is evidence of extensive termite damage to the door and architrave between the Clerk of Court’s room and the court room.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Pinjarra Court House is an intact example of a court house constructed in the Inter-War Georgian Revival style with Art Deco stylistic detailing. Pinjarra Court House is associated with the administration of justice and the maintenance of law and order in the area, with the site having been used for court purposes until 2003. Pinjarra Court House makes a significant contribution to the historic streetscape of Pinjarra.

Physical Description

Pinjarra Court House is a modest courthouse constructed in the Inter-War Georgian Revival style with Art Deco stylistic detailing. The overall form is restrained and well proportioned and combines functionality with a flourish of detailing. The projecting front portico is classically inspired and the internal plasterwork detailing is in stylised low relief. The built-in timber furniture has been well designed and crafted.

History

In 1934, designs for Pinjarra Court House were prepared by the Public Works Department under the direction of A.E (Paddy) Clare. Pinjarra Court House was constructed between the Post Office and the Police Station, on the site once occupied by an earlier court house. In January 1935, the building contract was awarded to E. Ward for £1327, and work commenced immediately. Pinjarra Court House was a rendered brick and tile building, with a formal portico, surmounted by a flag pole (since removed), opening to a passage way, with a Magistrate’s Room on one side and a room for witnesses on the other. In the back three fifths of the building was the Court Room, with the Bench on the south west of the room, the police entrance on the south, and the public entrance on the north-east wall of the room, opening into a waiting room. Separate male and female toilets were constructed at the rear of Pinjarra Court House. As was its usual practice, the PWD also designed the built-in furniture for the Court Room, which was constructed largely in jarrah. On 7 June 1935, the official opening of Pinjarra Court House was reported in the local paper: After years of waiting and agitation the town of Pinjarra is at last [in] possession of a magnificent building that is at once not only an adornment to the town, but one well fitted to take pride of place in any town of much bigger size than Pinjarra. The beautiful building is a distinct credit to the Principal Architect and officers of the Public Works Department, to the Supervisor (Mr C Angel) and the contractor and builder (Mr E Ward). In 1948 minor repairs and renovations were carried out on Pinjarra Court House. In 1955 septic tanks were installed to service the Police Station and Pinjarra Court House, resulting in the old brick earth closet at the very rear of the block being demolished and an additional new brick water closet and urinal built behind the Court House. In 1959 a storeroom was built at the southern corner of the Court House. In 1972 the storeroom was removed and additions built onto the rear of the Court House. The additions consisted of a new Magistrate’s Room and a new storeroom. Both of these rooms could be accessed from a new verandah on their south-west. There were also internal modifications. In 1977 a toilet block was built on to the rear of the storeroom at the south of Pinjarra Court House. In 1998 it was announced that Pinjarra Court House would close, with Mandurah Court House taking over all functions. This announcement was unpopular with the local community. Concerns were also raised were that the Court House serviced Dwellingup, and that community would be disadvantaged if services were moved to Mandurah. After several public meetings it was agreed to keep Pinjarra Court House open for at least another year. However, in 2002, the Court House was again reviewed by the Ministry for Justice, and it was again announced that it would close. Despite efforts by the Shire and the local community, in January 2003, Pinjarra Court House ceased to operate as a Magistrate’s Court and its functions were transferred to Mandurah. In 2005 the State Government contributed $200,000 towards refurbishment of the Court House. In 2006, ownership of the place was transferred to the National Trust. In 2009, the Shire of Murray entered into a leasing arrangement over five years, with the option of a further five years. In 2010 Ranger Services and the Community Emergency Services Coordinator were based in the building.

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Condition

Good

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Edenvale Group

Parent Place or Precinct

08785 Pinjarra Heritage Precinct

Child Places

• 01753 Edenvale

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Pinjarra Massacre Site

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Battle of Pinjarra Memorial Area is part of the site where Bindjareb people were killed by European colonists on 28 October 1834, and is of exceptional significance, to both the Nyungar community and the wider community, as an important part of contact history. Battle of Pinjarra Memorial Area has associations with important Nyungar leaders, such as Gcalyut, a prominent resistance leader of the Bilyidar Bindjareb Nyungars, and Nunar, a senior man of the Bindjareb Nyungars, and others. Battle of Pinjarra Memorial Area has associations with Governor James Stirling, J. S. Roe, Thomas Peel, and Captain Ellis.

Physical Description

Battle of Pinjarra Memorial Area is a memorial site comprising an area of vacant land with a number of large trees and natural bush on the west bank of the Murray River, including Polly Island, and a monument commemorating the massacre.

History

In April 1834, a group of Bindjareb Nyungars, led by Gcalyut, raided Shenton’s Mill in South Perth. Captain Ellis and a party of the 21st Regiment eventually caught Gcalyut and a few others. They were taken to Perth and publicly flogged, Gcalyut receiving 60 lashes. In July 1834, Edward Barron, a retired army Sergeant Major, journeyed to Mandurah to buy a mare from Thomas Peel’s, only to discover the horse had escaped into the bush. The next morning when Monang and Unia, Gcalyut’s sons, came into Peel’s settlement, Barron asked about the horse. The Nyungars indicated that they knew where the horse might be and Barron asked if the pair would accompany him in a search. A white servant, 19-year-old Hugh Nesbit, also offered his services. After travelling about a mile towards Lake Goegrup, a number of Nyungars, including Gcalyut, joined the small search party. By the time they had made it to the lake, there were over twenty Nyungars in attendance. Later Barron reported that he noticed the sound of spears being placed into throwing sticks and three spears hit Nesbit and struck him to the ground. Barron also took a spear in his kidneys but was able to retreat back to Peel’s settlement. The killing of Nesbit prompted fear and anger throughout the colony. Captain Ellis and a party of men were sent to the Murray area to hunt for Nesbit’s murderers. Joined by soldiers from the barracks at Mandurah, the group searched for a month. With the exception of two old women, no Bindjareb Nyungars were found. After Stirling’s return to the colony from England in August, Peel lobbied for increased military protection in the Pinjarra District. On 25 October, the Perth Gazette published a short paragraph stating that Stirling’s ‘Exploring Party’ had departed on a ten day expedition. On 25 October, James Stirling and John Septimus Roe rode out of Perth, meeting up with various persons on their way to the Pinjarra District. By 27 October, their party numbered 25 people. The party headed east from Peel’s settlement on 27 October, along the north bank of the Peel Estuary and within the hour across the Serpentine and Murray Rivers towards Pinjarra. Their camp at ‘Jim-Jam’ was on the southern bank of the Murray River, just upstream from where Ravenswood Bridge now stands. They had been informed that a sizeable band of Nyungars were camped on the river near the present site of Pinjarra, and they made camp in striking distance of this location. On 28 October, Stirling sent Ellis, Norcott and three of his troopers across the river, around to the west of the camp, for the purpose of ascertaining whether they were the tribe who speared Nesbit and Barron. Ellis recognized several of them to have been present at Nesbit’s murder. In the meantime, Stirling positioned the rest of the party out of sight around the camp. Roe was sent to guard the ford, while Stirling and the remainder of the party took up strategic positions on the eastern bank of the river. An eyewitness account states that Ellis’ party initiated the attack against the retreating Nyungars, and that the Aborigines were unprepared for battle. However, Stirling’s account suggests that he acted in self-defence. As the Nyungars attempted to slide down into the river, the parties on the eastern bank opened fire. Survivors scattered into the bush and were chased by Stirling’s horseman: the firing continuing for upwards of an hour. The Europeans sustained two injuries. Corporal Heffron was wounded in the arm by a spear, and Ellis received concussion from either a spear blow or a fall from his horse. Ellis stayed in a coma for two weeks and died of his injuries on 14 November. The number of Nyungars killed has been much contested. Stirling’s official report to Britain stated that fifteen Nyungar men were killed in the exchange. Roe estimated that between fifteen and twenty had died, while an eyewitness put the figure at more than thirty. In June 1985, through research conducted by the Western Australian Museum, the site of the ‘Battle of Pinjarra’ was registered with the Western Australian Aboriginal Sites Department. In 1991, on Back to Pinjarra Day, the first remembrance ceremony for the Pinjarra Massacre was held at the Memorial Area, initiated by Theo Kearing and his wife, Gloria.

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Masonic Hall, Pinjarra

Parent Place or Precinct

08785 Pinjarra Heritage Precinct

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Masonic Hall is a fine Federation Gothic building with a particularly well resolved entrance portico. Masonic Hall is a landmark on the western approach to Pinjarra. Masonic Hall is associated with the McLarty family, who were prominent in the history of Pinjarra, the Shire of Murray and the State.

Physical Description

Masonic Hall is a single-storey brick and corrugated iron building in the Federation Gothic style, with later utilitarian additions constructed in timber frame, clad in asbestos cement.

History

Soon after the Grand Lodge of Western Australia was officially declared, a group of men in the Murray region – led by John Pollard McLarty, John McNab, Alfred Thomas and William Warwick – began planning the formation of their own Masonic Hall in Pinjarra. In the meantime, they met in the Mechanics’ Institute. In July 1903, contractors Crothers and Hodd entered into a contract for the erection of Masonic Hall, Pinjarra, which was proposed to be ‘a fine brick building, up to-date in every way’. In August 1903, Pinjarra Town Lot 42 was purchased by McLarty, McNab, Thomas and Warwick, from the Church of England for £55. On 8 November 1903, the foundation stone of Masonic Hall was laid by Hon. Bro. Edward McLarty. The Hall was constituted and consecrated on 15 April 1904 by the Grand Master, the Hon. J W. Hackett, with the assistance of Bro. Rev. Edward Clairs, and henceforth identified as Murray Lodge 69. After the official ceremony, a banquet was held at the nearby Exchange Hotel. In 1920, Kingsley Fairbridge, the founder of the Fairbridge Farm School, was initiated into Murray Lodge 69. In the 1980s, an asbestos sheeting addition was erected at the rear of the hall to provide additional kitchen and dining facilities. In the mid 1990s, all external walls of the original red brick hall were painted cream. Owing to lowering membership numbers, Murray Lodge 69 integrated with Mandurah Lodge 262 and a new combined lodge building at Furnissdale commenced construction in 1998. The Masonic Hall has been unoccupied for some time; however the building has been undergoing lengthy and extensive conservation work. In 2012 approval was granted to demolish the 1980s supper room to the south.

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Condition

Fair

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Pinjarra Railway Yards

Parent Place or Precinct

08785 Pinjarra Heritage Precinct

Condition

Old Station buildings burned down and removed

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Since 1893 Pinjarra Railway Station Precinct has been a focus of the town, contributing to the community's sense of place. The engine shed is believed to be the oldest remaining engine shed in Western Australia, and the carriage shed is believed to be the only surviving carriage shed in Western Australia. The goods shed, engine shed, carriage shed and barracks provide tangible evidence of an historic continuum, retaining functions close to their original uses. Through interpretation, the site has a capacity to demonstrate the particular operations at Pinjarra Junction. Pinjarra Railway Station Precinct is valued by those with affection for rail and rail history. Pinjarra Railway Station Precinct is associated with Sir John Forrest, George Temple Poole, C. Y. O'Connor, and Neil McNeil.

Physical Description

A group of buildings, tracks and spaces related to the former railway operations at Pinjarra, including goods shed, engine shed, carriage shed and barracks. Station building burned down. Loco Shed and Goods Shed (1902) still in use. Also still standing and in good order: hand crane, turntable, barracks. A replica of the Station Building was constructed in the early 21st century and currently operates as the Visitor Centre for Pinjarra.

History

The extension of the railway to Pinjarra was a catalyst for the development of the town, the surrounding hills and Coolup region. The expansion of the rail network in the 1890s was an ambitious program which brought economic benefit to the region and to the State, improving communications and transport for mail, imports and exports. The program was particularly ambitious in the light of the limited resources of the colony and required considerable borrowings to effect their construction. The development and construction of the yards, in the initial phases at least, had close associations with the politicians Sir John Forrest and William Paterson, who played an important role in securing the extension of the network to Pinjarra and beyond. Civil servants who also played an important role included Alpin Fowler Thomson, Under Secretary of Railways; George Temple Poole, Colonial Architect and Assistant Engineer in Chief at the Public Works Department, who developed the design for many of the standard railway yards and station structures; C. Y. O'Connor, Engineer in Chief who made the East Perth to Picton Junction line the first of the many projects he completed. Pinjarra Railway Station Precinct is also associated with contractors Neil McNeil & Co. who built the Pinjarra to Picton Junction section of the South-West Railway and later the section from Jarrahdale Junction to Pinjarra. Finally, there is the association of all those who managed and worked in the yards and their families, all of whom had a role to play in the construction and subsequent functioning of the yards. The first train from Bunbury to Pinjarra, before the official opening of the line, was notable because of the trial of Collie Coal in the locomotive. The cost of importing coal from New South Wales was very high and the ability of WAGR engines to use Collie Coal was a design consideration for engine construction. The continued use of Pinjarra Railway Station Precinct as an operating tourist railway, following the decline of rail use in the post-World War II period, is indicative of a shift in the historical importance of railways and the sustained interest in them.

Integrity/Authenticity

Fair

Condition

Good

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Saumerez Cottage, Fairbridge

Parent Place or Precinct

01762 Fairbridge Farm School (fmr)

Uses

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Creaton Ruins

Uses

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Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Creaton Estate is an important historical and archaeological site. Creaton Estate is significant as a demonstration of an 1850s rural community and is associated with the establishment of Pinjarra townsite.

Physical Description

At Paterson Road, just north of the township of Pinjarra, are the remnants of a formal gateway denoting the former entrance to the property containing the ruins of Creaton. The land is fairly flat from the road, falling away at the rear of the site of the ruin down a levee to a watercourse, perhaps an oxbow lake, leading to the main river further away. A number of old fruit trees were apparent around the ruins, some deciduous, with several surviving citrus along the levee. A group of water tanks mounted high on stands remain arrayed along the top of the levee. The surviving ruins of Creaton still standing above ground are in a T-plan with the top of the T facing Paterson Road (running mainly north-south at this point) and the leg of the T comprising some farm sheds. The northern building (right side facing) appears to be either the smokehouse or a kitchen evidenced by the remnants of several brick vaulted ducts at floor level leading from outside through a diaphragm wall into the main room which is somewhat higher than usual. The accommodation wing extends southwards from an adjoining covered way. Construction is of handmade bricks in lime mortar with mud plaster and limewash. The roof was originally shingle later covered with galvanised corrugated iron. The ceilings varied from lathe and plaster to timber boarding, with some pressed metal sections and fittings. The wall plaster is falling away revealing the mud float and lime plastered finish coat with stone coursing raked into the surface. Lintels are sawn timber. The verandah floor appears to be compacted clay. There is a parapet wall along the main verandah. Some lathe and plaster, pressed metal and matchboard ceiling fabrications were evident in the remnant fabric. The design style is a simple form of the Victorian Regency style.

History

The original grant on which Creaton Ruins was built was located at the south eastern extremity of Peel's holding, Cockburn Sound Location 16. In 1839, Francis Corbet Singleton arrived onboard the Hindoo. Aged 27, Singleton brought a number of settlers and servants with him. He purchased 10,000 acres from Peel at 2/6d per acre, and set out to breed horses for sale in India. This project, however, soon failed. Singleton intended to settle his servants on small holdings with frontages to the rivers Dandalup and Murray, a system of tenant farming similar to his home county, in Ireland. By June 1839, Singleton had been appointed Justice of the Peace in Pinjarra and by 1841, he was Resident Magistrate in Pinjarra. In 1844, Singleton was appointed to the Legislative Council. Singleton's farm had become the social, economic and administrative centre in the district. Three hundred acres of the property had been cleared and fenced, barns, sheds, a horse mill (for grinding wheat produced on his 70 acres of crop land) and stockyards were built. A residence which stood close to the river was destroyed by fire in 1844, during Singleton's absence, along with all his possessions. After the fire, Singleton tried to lease the farm, and in 1848 he left the Colony for South Australia. In 1847, Anthony Cornish and Nicol Paterson formed a partnership, starting with boat hire in Fremantle, adding other businesses, flour milling, sandalwood trading, hotels and then farming. In 1853 the pair leased Singleton's farm which they later purchased in 1856 for £3,000. Cornish moved from Fremantle and commenced building another house and more barns. When completed, the house contained twelve rooms with a line of barns and outbuildings stretching out behind the house. The complex included a smoke house as well as a number of houses for tenants and labourers. At its peak, the property contained fourteen homes. Around this time, Dr Bedingfeld was appointed to the area. He lived with his family on Creaton Estate in a two-storey house called Parkfield (burned down in 1961). Ronald Richards gives the following description of Creaton Estate: [South] of the doctor's residence and immediately in front of John McLarty's old house was the Queen's Hotel; to the north was a small cottage past Cooroolyup, (then called Parkfield) and then the Creaton Homestead itself. This was quite substantial for the times, consisting of four rooms with verandahs front and back, connected by a central passageway. To this fairly common plan was added a large kitchen and sitting room which were linked by a covered way to another spacious room with a lean-to at the rear. This latter room was used as a retail store by Anthony Cornish. He also had a gallon liquor licence here and no doubt did a brisk trade. Other out-buildings were located at the rear of the house, including a smokehouse. Behind the main building was a long complex of barns, servant's quarters, blacksmith shop, etc., ... Paterson and Cornish both died around 1872, and Jane Paterson continued on at Creaton Estate, her sons William and George running the property. She died in 1896 and Creaton Estate was left to the sons. William moved to the Whitby Falls area, and George passed the property to his sons, Douglas and Frank. Douglas lived there until 1940 with the northern section of the estate coming into the possession of the Gibbs family until 1968, then the Emanuels. Presently (2018), the site is ruins only, and attempts to secure funding to conserve the place have been unsuccessful.

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Condition

Poor (Ruins Only)

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