Forrest Avon Survey Cairns

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

26086

Location

Location Details

Avon Valley to Perth

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
RHP - To be assessed Current 29 Mar 2019

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
(no listings)

Statement of Significance

The place is an excellent representative group of trigonometric survey cairns, which collectively demonstrate the method and purpose of the Colonial Survey Office’s approach to integrating the location-based surveys of the wheatbelt with the more comprehensively surveyed metropolitan area. The place is associated with statesman John Forrest, at a period of his life when his career as a government official was beginning.

Physical Description

Forrest Survey Cairns, Avon consists of a potential 43 survey cairns, although it is currently unknown how many of these 43 are intact. The layout of these cairns in the Beverley, York and Northam areas are spaced widely apart, while the cairns in the Toodyay are more closely spaced. Moving east into the Avon Valley, the cairns are closely spaced on opposing sides of the Avon River. In the metropolitan area there are only 4 cairns, placed in Ellenbrook, Greenmount, Fremantle and Joondalup, which serve the purpose of “tying” the Avon cairns to the more accurately surveyed metropolitan area. Few images of Forrest Survey Cairns, Avon are available. However, based upon known trigonometric survey cairns, it has been assumed that the structures consist of a small mound of local stones, generally 50-70 cm high and approximately 1 m across the base, which may still have a marked timber post planted through the middle of the mound. These cairns are generally placed on high points within the landscape, particularly where they can be seen from one another.

History

Shortly after the establishment of the Swan River Colony in 1829, settlers were quick to discover that the settlement was not as lush, fertile or productive as expected, and by 1830 explorations in to the Colony’s interior were underway in search of better land. In late 1830, explorers were successful in their search and found productive agricultural land beyond the area of initial settlement in the region now known as the Avon Valley. In November 1830, the Lands and Surveys Department set aside land in this area for the townsites of Northam, York and Beverley. While initial survey of land grants in the Swan River Colony relied on the marking of identifiable objects including trees or posts by professional surveyors such as John Septimus Roe, it was often left to the British colonists to fence the boundaries of their grants using a compass and the river boundary to orient themselves. However, the survey of isolated land lots and the creation of routes to them fell entirely to the Colonial Survey Office, which utilised compasses, theodolites and Gunter’s chains to more accurately map the landscape. While these tools were used for transect surveys that could accurately map portions of an area, large scale landscape mapping was performed using triangulation surveys. These surveys used trigonometric calculations to accurately determine the distance between groups of three locations by taking compass bearings from each point to triangulate the features, and by basing groups of calculations off a baseline or secondary tieline that was measured with a chain. The most accurate bearings could be taken where there was nothing to obscure the view between land features, and thus hilltops and mountains in the state’s largely flat landscape were commonly used for triangulation surveys. In 1871 the Colonial Survey Office was re-organised, and a junior surveyor named John Forrest was promoted to the permanent position of Assistant Surveyor. Forrest had begun as a contract surveyor in 1865 and was a rising star in the Office. After the sudden unavailability of Baron Ferdinand Mueller to lead an expedition into the Colony's interior in search of the lost explorer Leichhardt in 1870, Forrest was given command of the enterprise. While this exploration did not find Leichhardt or any useful pastoral land, the survey performed by Forrest was of popular interest to the British in an age when the last unexplored areas of its Empire were being mapped. Forrest’s promotion saw him take charge of surveys in the Geraldton region. A professional surveyor was sorely needed in the growing area, as by this point the sporadic, location-based surveys of individual grants needed a larger survey to give an accurate overview of the entire region. Over a period of two years Forrest made a number of journeys across the area, starting at Dongara, working his way inland to Mount Scratch, then turning northward to survey points through Geraldton and finish at Port Gregory. Forrest utilised both transect survey and triangulation survey, and re-used many of the survey cairns laid by earlier surveyors and explorers. Forrest considered his survey to be a success, noting in the newspapers of the day that “very little has been done by triangulation as the country is not well suited for it, but altogether I have never done any work more accurately.” Forrest’s career continued to develop after this point, and in 1874 he was given command of another expedition, crossing from Geraldton to the north-south telegraph line in South Australia. While once again the exploration did not identify areas suitable for British settlement, the adventurousness of the exploration caught the public imagination, and Forrest’s popularity soared. Two years later the 29 year old Forrest was promoted to Deputy Surveyor General, moving back to Perth to join the Colony’s elite after marrying his long-term sweetheart Margaret Elvire. Around this time public complaints had arisen regarding the state of surveyed lands in the Avon, which after decades of short-term surveying contracts had become prone to errors. Part of the public concern in this regard may have been the arrival of the railway in the 1870s, which saw feverish speculation from small agricultural towns as to the route and access the lines would take through the region. By the end of 1876 Forrest had completed his latest trigonometric survey in the colony’s northern regions and was assigned the task of completing a similar survey across the Avon region. The task was an enjoyable one for Forrest, who with his brother Alexander had worked extensively in the area as a contract surveyor in 1868 and already had a number of personal and professional contacts in the region. While there are no surviving maps of this trigonometric survey, Forrest’s survey journal provides a number of insights into his method. On 3rd December 1877 Forrest started at the intersection of the Avon bridge to York outside of Beverley (currently the intersection of the Great Southern Highway and Top Beverley-York Road), and surveyed a baseline line south to Gnurdungging Hill, where he built a survey cairn. This was followed the next day by another cairn built at Bald Hill to the southwest. Forrest then travelled to York and placed a cairn at Needling Hill on the 8th December, with a tie line to the southeast corner of J Hardey’s Location C. Two days later Forrest constructed another cairn at Mount Bakewell overlooking York town, which he triangulated with Needling and nearby Mount Brown. Travelling north to Northam, Forrest placed a single cairn in this area at Mount Dick on 12th Dec 1877, tying this to a corner of T Carter’s Location P3. Forrest then moved west to Toodyay, where he placed seven survey cairns on local hills, finishing at Jimperding Hill by the 31st December 1877. These cairns were tied to various locations in the area, including another baseline measured along the Toodyay Road that was marked with inscribed posts buried to road level. At Jimperding Hill, Forrest also utilised a “temporary flag” as a minor survey point to help triangulate his cairns with Location 393, as the local topography was becoming hilly. After a short break over the new year Forrest returned to the western edge of Toodyay on 3rd January 1878, where he began the task of surveying the Avon Valley. Between 3rd and 11th January Forrest established nine cairns on opposite sides of the Avon River, finishing at point MH. As there were few marked Locations in this area, survey cairns were tied to scarred trees and temporary flags were also used to help triangulate points. One notable location tied to a survey cairn was Location 367, noted in Forrest’s diagrams and descriptions as “Joe’s Cage”, a reference to prior owner and notorious bushranger Moondyne Joe (P24717). Forrest appears to have taken a break at this point, leaving the area and returning to the Avon Valley on the 29th January. Forrest’s first three points, HN, ME and RG, started further southwest along the valley and worked northeast towards MH before working back downstream southwest again. This may have been due to the intense tree cover and lack of marked Locations, as by this point Forrest had largely given up on using temporary flags and was utilising scarred trees as well as simply noting recognisable landforms bordering the river’s edge. Between the 29th January and 2nd February Forrest established 11 cairns, his most intensive period of work during the project. After this Forrest took another break, returning the western end of the Avon Valley on the 11th of February. His first cairn established at this point was BP, which was tied to both a scarred tree and the “Upper Swan Church” (likely P2494 All Saints Anglican Church [RHP]). From there, Forrest again worked his way back to his last set of cairns before turning southwest to work his way out of the Avon Valley by the 13th of February 1878, with a total of seven cairns established. Forrest’s last survey point, PV, was tied to a scarred tree as well as taking sightings to P2124 St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral (RHP), P1953 Perth Town Hall (RHP) and P2003 Wesley Church (RHP) in Perth. From this point Forrest surveyed four final points, which served to tie the survey points across the Avon Valley to the established metropolitan survey points and effectively link the Avon Valley survey to Perth. Between the 14th February and 21st February 1878 Forrest took sightings from cairns at Ellenbrook, Greenmount, and Fremantle, likely from pre-existing cairns but also tying the measurements to a number of locally built landmarks. The final cairn, D, was further north in the bushland of Joondalup, for which Forrest didn’t bother to draw a diagram map, rather simply noting the measurements to link Buckland Hill in Fremantle to this final survey point. Overall, Forrest’s strategy appears to have been to create a small number of survey points in areas that were already settled and largely surveyed, but to create an intensively-surveyed bridge of survey points across the Avon Valley that would link the Perth and Avon areas. Given the dense vegetation and hilly topography of the Avon Valley, Forrest opted for a strategy of following the Avon River, which provided clear viewpoints to either side of the waterway. While it is known that Forrest used teams of assistants on earlier surveys and explorations, no mention is made in his journal of who accompanied him on this survey, nor did the newspapers of the day describe his team. It is noted that convicts were occasionally utilised as assistants to government survey teams during this period, however by 1877 the era of cheap convict labour was largely over, so it is unknown if convicts accompanied Forrest on this journey. Another item noted in Forrest’s survey journal is that the survey was scheduled for October 1877, however Forrest did not begin in earnest until December. The newspapers of the day report that Forrest spent most of October 1877 hosting Baron Mueller, who was travelling Western Australia and was treated as a visiting celebrity. Forrest’s career continued to grow after the Avon triangulation, the young surveyor performing another three trigonometric surveys and taking on temporary higher-level government administration positions, culminating in his appointment as Surveyor-General and Commissioner of Crown Lands in 1883 - the first colonial-born Western Australian to achieve this. Forrest went on to become the first Premier of Western Australia in 1890, and after representing Western Australia in the negotiations for Federation in 1899 was elected as one of the first Federal Members of Parliament in 1901. Forrest served in a number of Federal positions and was briefly acting Prime Minister in 1907. In 1918 it was announced that Forrest was to receive a Barony from the British government for his lifetime of service, again the first colonial-born Australian to do so, however he lost a long-term battle with cancer and died while on route to England the same year. Forrest is still widely recognised for his achievements as a surveyor and statesman and is memorialised at Kings Park, however his interactions with Aboriginal groups have been criticised.

Place Type

Other Built Type

Creation Date

23 Jan 2019

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jun 2022

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.

Toodyay Rd, Stone Wall Cobble Remnants

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

26200

Location

Location Details

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
(no listings)

Place Type

Other Built Type

Creation Date

08 Jul 2019

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

08 Jul 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.

Toodyay Townsite

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

26408

Location

Location Details

Area extending from Goomalling-Toodyay Road, Harper Road, Pelham Street and the Avon River, Toodyay

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Constructed from 1852

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
RHP - To be assessed Current 24 Apr 2020

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
(no listings)

Child Places

  • 02561 Freemason's Hall
  • 12165 Green's Cottage (fmr)
  • 04122 Glen Craigie
  • 02560 Toodyay Court House (fmr) and former Convict Depot Archaeological Sites
  • 12169 Newcastle Police Stables (fmr)
  • 04128 Stirling Terrace Streetscape Group
  • 12196 Knockdomony Cottage
  • 12171 Rose Cottage
  • 12164 Anglican Rectory (fmr)
  • 12193 School Master's house (fmr)
  • 12199 Viewlands
  • 12198 Thomas Whittle's Cottage (fmr)
  • 12188 Oddfellows House (fmr)
  • 02558 Newcastle Gaol, Lock-up and Stables Group, Toodyay

Values

Toodyay Townsite is an excellent example of a highly intact nineteenth century town that developed in response to the Toodyay Convict Depot and comprises a number of civic buildings and roads that were constructed with the assistance of convict labour. The presence of the Depot and the subsequent development of the town contributed to the wider development of the Avon Valley.

In its highly intact built fabric, Toodyay Townsite, illustrates a number of key periods in the State’s history, from the brick public buildings of the Convict era and the fine examples of residential and civic buildings of the Federation and Inter-War periods, which together form a cohesive precinct.

Since as early as the 1920s the place has been regarded as a popular tourist destination where people can experience an early Western Australian historic town that has retained its historical, picturesque streetscapes and charming character.

Toodyay Townsite has a high degree of potential to reveal archaeological evidence relating to the history and occupation of the area from its foundation to the early twentieth century, most notably from the convict era.

Toodyay Townsite is associated with Lieutenant Edmund Du Cane who was officer in charge of Eastern Districts Convict Depots at Toodyay, Guildford and York, and was instrumental in the planning of the depot at Toodyay and subsequent layout of the resulting town.

Physical Description

The Toodyay Townsite comprises various portions of land from Goomalling-Tooday Road in the South and Harper Road in the North. The townsite is bounded by the Avon River to the east, and Pelham Street in the west and includes various houses and municipal buildings common to most small, rural towns. The positioning of the convict hiring depot is relatively central within the town on the upper elevation of the slope that runs down towards the riverbank. Stirling Terrace, the main road through town, runs parallel to the Avon River and is lined with highly intact built fabric that illustrates multiple periods in the State’s history including the brick public buildings of the Convict Era as well as the residential and civic buildings of the Federation and Inter-War periods. Together the buildings form a cohesive precinct and collective streetscape aesthetic. Extending out from Stirling Terrace and the Convict Depot the layout of the townsite is set in a grid pattern typical of early settlement. Cottages ranging from the Convict Era to the Inter-War period are located on the majority of these lots and continue to exhibit cohesive precinct characteristics.

History

The Ballardong Noongar people of the Toodyay Valley referred to their lands as the ‘haunt of the great snake’, which referred to the Waugal’s movement through waterways such as the Toodyay Brook and Avon River from season to season.1 The range of rivers and creeks in the region created an environment where food was plentiful for the Ballardong Noongar people, who, like the great snake, followed the seasons for their food.2 The presence of the Avon River and the various creeks and tributaries in the Toodyay region were also of importance for the early European explorers and settlers in shaping the establishment of settlements and townsites. This settlement was extremely disruptive to the Noongar people’s way of life. Ensign Robert Dale led the first expedition to the Darling Ranges and first sighted the Avon River in 1830.3 Shortly after its discovery, the townsites of York, Beverley and Northam were marked along its course and the surrounding land was made available for selection.4 Surveys of surrounding land continued, and in 1836, government botanist James Drummond, who himself had applied for selection of land in the area, surveyed the prospective allotments north-west of Northam.5 In Drummond’s description of his selection, he noted that the place was called Duidgee (Toodyay) by the local Aboriginal people. This was the first reference to the locality’s name in colonial records.6 In that same year, in 1836, the townsite of Toodyay (West Toodyay) was declared.7 It was not until 1842, however, when the first municipal building at Toodyay, the Military/Police Barracks, was constructed and ready for occupation.8 A small number of stores, inns and cottages were established in the 1840s and in 1849 the townsite was eventually surveyed.9 By the 1850s, after numerous periods of unseasonal flooding it was evident that the positioning of the townsite on the low-lying bank of the Avon River was problematic.10 Further dissatisfaction arose for Avon Valley Settlers regarding the lack of convict labour being sent into the district. Employers were eager to take advantage of the same opportunities that those in the Swan district were given and up until that point few convicts had been sent into such country areas.11 In August 1851, the Pyrenees arrived at Fremantle Port with a large number of convicts on board who were due to receive their Tickets of Leave upon arrival.12 Until this point nearly all convicts in the colony were housed at the Fremantle Prison and the Hiring Depots at Mt. Eliza and Guildford, however, the large number of prisoners on the Pyrenees would exceed the capacity of these facilities. In addressing both issues Governor Fitzgerald made the decision to establish convict depots at Bunbury, York and Toodyay.13 The initial Toodyay convict depot was established at the original Toodyay townsite, now known as West Toodyay, after the first group of ticket-of-leave men arrived in the district in 1851. Land was purchased from settler, John Herbert, and an existing cottage became the accommodation for the ticket-of-leave men while a number of A-frame rush huts were built to house the Pensioner Guard.14 Much like the early settlers experienced, it soon became evident that the location within the original townsite was far from ideal due to the flood-prone nature of the land. By 1852, the decision was made to relocate the depot, which according to Governor Fitzgerald was only meant to be temporary.15 The new depot site was surveyed two miles east along the Avon River and in early 1852 the area was laid out and facilities transferred from the original location. Construction of the new depot began after the appointment of Lt. Royal Engineer Edmund Du Cane in 1852 as Commander of the Eastern District. As Commander, Du Cane was responsible for much of the layout, construction and maintenance of the Guildford, York and Toodyay convict depots.16 The layout of the Toodyay depot was similar to that of the York depot, including the Gaol, Warders’ quarters, barracks, commissariat, Superintendent’s store and quarters, bakehouse, blacksmiths, infirmary and mortuary. All structures were constructed within four years.17 Initial access to the depot site was via a direct road from Toodyay (West Toodyay), which passed over steep hills and gullies.18 In order to make the depot more accessible “New Road” (later Stirling Terrace) was constructed in 1850 by convict labour. New Road entered the depot from the east running roughly parallel to the Avon River before it crossed to continue along the north bank to the original township.19 While this new route was less direct to Toodyay (West Toodyay), it had better connections to Northam, York and Guildford. The positioning of the new depot and the new road running past it was influential in the decision to move the original Toodyay townsite, which continued to be prone to flooding. By 1861, the depot had been downgraded from a Convict Hiring Depot to a receiving depot and many of the structures were no longer in heavy use.20 These structures provided ‘a substantial nucleus for the new town’ and by July 1961 the Resident Magistrate and police had taken up the Superintendent’s quarters and Warders’ and Sappers’ cottages.21The townsite of Newcastle, which would later be re-named Toodyay, was officially gazetted in August 1861 and surveyed lots were slowly being taken up by those who had moved from the original Toodyay Townsite. New Road was influential in the layout and positioning of town lots within Newcastle and the curving, organic nature of the road was significantly different to the straight-grid system roads in other regional centres. It became the main thoroughfare through town and most civic buildings were constructed along the road forming a distinctive precinct, which is present still today. The first church in Newcastle was the Anglican Church of St Stephen, established in 1861 on New Road, followed by a Catholic Church of St John the Baptist in 1863.The Newcastle Hotel, established by publican W. P. Tregonning on New Road, was constructed and licensed by April 1861. A year later is it was sold to Thomas Mead and named Freemason’s Tavern after Joseph Taylor Monger built a hotel at the south-eastern end of the town in 1862 that was also named Newcastle Hotel.22 In that same year, as Newcastle was being established as a town, a large shipment of convicts arrived in the colony. To accommodate the numbers, the country convict hiring depots were re-opened and the central Toodyay convict buildings reclaimed for use.23 It was therefore necessary to construct a variety of municipal buildings and it was not long before the town’s main street, New Road was lined with such. With the move to Newcastle from the original Toodyay Townsite it became apparent that a sufficient gaol was required, particularly after the Convict Hiring Depot re-opened. Up until this point, the depot lock-up was used as a gaol and was strengthened with fittings from the (original) Toodyay Gaol, which was let go to ruin after the townsite shifted in 1861.24 In 1863, work began on a new gaol within Newcastle, which included a courtroom, warders’ quarters, prison kitchen, day room and a row of cells along the exercise yard. Daniel Connor, an ex-convict, then labourer, purchased land on the corner of Stirling Terrace and Clinton Street. Connor constructed a house and store on the land as well as a steam mill (Connors Mill (fmr), Toodyay Museum (RHP)), the third in the district, in 1870. Like many of the infrastructure and buildings constructed around that time, the mill was constructed with the assistance of convict labour and its presence in the town proved too much competition for the other millers forcing them to close their mills.25 Milling in Toodyay and the cultivation of wheat and other grains were the predominant industries in the district. The importance of this area as a food producer was reflected by the building of the convict depot and associated infrastructure in this location, which in turn, was influential in the continued growth and development of Toodyay. As Newcastle continued to grow there soon became a need for a public meeting hall. It was decided that a Mechanics Institute would form in the district as the Government at that time was giving grants towards the construction of Institute Halls.26 The Newcastle Mechanics Institute was founded in 1866, however, it was not until 1874 when the Institute had raised enough funds to erect a hall (Toodyay Public Library (Mechanics’ Institute (fmr), Road Board Office) (RHP)). The attractive brick building with a hammerbeam ceiling became a space where fortnightly concerts and social gatherings took place.27 The Young Men’s Reading Club Amalgamated with the Institute and a library was installed in the hall; the building continues to function as the Toodyay library today after acting as the meeting place of the Toodyay Road Board from the early 1930s to 1959.28 The Toodyay Road Board formed in 1871 after the passing of the Road Board Act and by 1876, following the passing of the new Municipalities Act, Newcastle was eligible to be a municipality.29 This meant increased public works were able to commence throughout the district and improve individual elements of its towns. Newcastle was granted municipal powers at the end of 1877 and by the early 1880s the town saw an improvement in a number of municipal features. The Convict Depot had officially closed in 1872 after the transportation of convicts was deemed no longer viable for the growing colony.30 Many of the depot buildings were converted into civic infrastructure, including the Government school, which was established in 1873, and the Courthouse and Post Office.31 However, by the early 1880s inspection of such buildings revealed they were in need of repair and no longer suitable. The Post Office and Courthouse were transferred to another depot building, while the old school was converted into a hospital and a new government school built in 1887.32 The town continued to thrive after the railway spur from Clackline to Newcastle opened in that same year, in 1887. The spur to Newcastle from the Eastern Railways increased accessibility to the town and during the 1890s Gold Rush, Newcastle became an important provisioning town for the Yilgarn Goldfield.33 In 1895, Newcastle citizens directly requested from Premier John Forrest, and were granted, a new, purpose-built Courthouse (1896) (Toodyay Courth House (fmr) and former Convict Depot Archaeological Remains (RHP)), Post and Telegraph Office (1897) (Toodyay Post Office and Residence (Newcastle Post & Telegraph Office) (RHP)), Municipal Chambers (1899) and grant for the Mechanics’ Institute.34 A number of other businesses and meeting places were also constructed or modified, including The Oddfellows Hall (1897) and the Victoria Hotel, which was modified in 1899 after initially starting as a one storey shop in 1864.35 The Municipal Chambers were extended in 1910 to include a Town Hall at the rear, which was later named the Toodyay Memorial Hall. The focus of growth within the townsite after this time shifted around the new railway at the southern end of town and New Road became less of a transport route. In 1905, after a Council vote, the name New Road, the main road through town, was changed to Stirling Terrace. A change in the name of the town itself was also considered, as the post was constantly getting confused with Newcastle in New South Wales. After Federal authorities urged the Council to change the name, it was finally changed in 1909 from Newcastle to Toodyay, and Old Toodyay was known as West Toodyay.36 By that point, the original Toodyay townsite was largely abandoned and all civic buildings had been shifted to the new townsite. Streets in the old area were enclosed and old town lots amalgamated into single fields. From the 1920s onwards residents of Toodyay continued to be primary producers of grain and citrus. The Toodyay State School became the first consolidated school in the State where children were bussed from outlying districts.37 The town, by that point, was recognised as longstanding and historic and soon was regarded for its tourism potential.38 Many of the historical buildings in the town, including Connor’s Mill and the Newcastle Gaol ceased operation, became private residences before later being converted into tourist attractions in the 1960s and 1970s. The narrow-gauge railway was upgraded to a standard gauge rail and realigned to connect directly to Perth instead of via the spur line from Clackline in the 1960s.39 The upgrade of the rail intruded on the configuration of the town, running between the central convict depot and Stirling Terrace and demolishing the Resident Magistrate’s Office, which was the Superintendent’s Quarters when the Convict Depot was open. Despite this, the development of the rail allowed quick access to the district and opened the area up to further tourism. Regular freight and passenger (both Perth and interstate) services continue to pass through Toodyay today.

Place Type

Precinct or Streetscape

Creation Date

08 May 2020

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

11 May 2022

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.

Bejoording Townsite Spring-Reserve - Site of

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

12234

Location

Bejoording

Location Details

GPS: 0454899 6527558 (Bejoording Spring) 0455805 6527028 (Jandaging Spring) 0454899 6527558 (Bejoording Spring) 0455805 6527028 (Jandaging Spring)

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Constructed from 1836

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 01 Dec 2012

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 27 Aug 1998 Category 2

Parent Place or Precinct

02585 Bejoording Homestead Complex and Central Square

Place Type

Historic Site

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use OTHER Other
Original Use OTHER Other

Historic Themes

General Specific
DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY Settlements

Creation Date

21 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

Shire of Toodyay

Construction Date

Constructed from 1836

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The site has research value as it has potential to contain subsurface archaeological remains. The place is rare as the only known example within Western Australia of a settlement planned as an agricultural worker's village designed around a central square or common following the English model. The place is closely associated with the Syred family who were the first settlers in the area and their original homestead complex, Bejoording Homestead.

Physical Description

No evidence of the former buildings or spring remain. It is now a volunteer fire station set in bushland setting.

History

Bejoording was a gazetted town site in 1836 although no one lived there until 1859. It was a working man's village designed like an English hamlet where all plots had access to the central common and water supply. The first applicant for land was J Thomson in 1856. He married Sarah Syred, but didn't live there. Sarah's brother William Syred was the first Bejoording settler followed by other members of the Syred family, including his brother, Charles, who bought two lots in 1858. In 1859 'Squire' Philips and August Lee Steere, who both already has pastoral leases at Bejoording, bought lots for water rights. In 1865 Alfred martin arrived. John Cousins arrived in 1860 and the Ralph family in 1867. Each of the Syred, Cousins and Ralph families has ten children and by 1869 there were twenty children of school age in Bejoording. A school was established at lot 36. In 1997, DOLA approved the parkland reserve to be changed to emergency services by request from the Bejoording Progress Association for a shed and fire fighting unit.

Integrity/Authenticity

None

Owner Category
Shire of Toodyay Local Gov't

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

19 Apr 2021

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.

Bejoording Homestead Complex and Central Square

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

02585

Location

34 Second Rd Bejoording

Location Details

3/4/2012 address includes Lot 1 Tenth Rd, Bejoording. VFL. Via Toodyay-Bolgart Rd. Turn left onto One man rd right onto third. Includes smithy & smith's house. GPS: 0455024 6527825

Other Name(s)

Syred's Cottage

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Constructed from 1856 to 1977

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 01 Dec 2012
State Register Registered 24 Sep 2004 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
Register of the National Estate Permanent 21 Oct 1980
Classified by the National Trust Classified 07 Jun 1977
Municipal Inventory Adopted 27 Aug 1998 Category 1

Child Places

  • 12234 Bejoording Townsite Spring-Reserve - Site of

Associations

Name Type Year From Year To
Syred, William Architect - -

State Heritage Office library entries

Library Id Title Medium Year Of Publication
5514 Syred cottage, Bejoording : conservation management plan. Heritage Study {Cons'n Plan} 2002
7264 Syred Cottage, Bejoording : conservation works (Final report). Conservation works report 2005
7915 Toodyay homesteads: past and present. Book 2006
10062 Syred Cottage Bejoording. Structural report. Heritage Study {Other} 2012

Place Type

Precinct or Streetscape

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use FARMING\PASTORAL Blacksmith's Shop
Original Use FARMING\PASTORAL Homestead
Original Use FARMING\PASTORAL Shed or Barn
Original Use PARK\RESERVE Park\Reserve
Original Use FARMING\PASTORAL Cottage
Original Use FARMING\PASTORAL Stable
Present Use SOCIAL\RECREATIONAL Other

Architectural Styles

Style
Vernacular
Victorian Georgian

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Roof METAL Corrugated Iron
Wall EARTH Adobe {Mud Brick}

Historic Themes

General Specific
OCCUPATIONS Grazing, pastoralism & dairying
DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY Land allocation & subdivision
DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY Settlements

Creation Date

30 May 1989

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

Shire of Toodyay

Construction Date

Constructed from 1859

Demolition Year

N/A

Child Places

  • 12234 Bejoording Townsite Spring-Reserve - Site of

Statement of Significance

The place has historic value for its association with the early settlement in Bejoording and the Syred family who were early settlers and continue (2010) to farm the wider landholding. The homestead complex has aesthetic value as the built elements form a visually cohesive farm group in a treed setting. The place is a good representative example of rural settlement in the Avon Valley, demonstrating the characteristic development and expansion of a family farm in a remote rural townsite settlement from the late 1850's to the 1870's. The site has research value as it has potential to contain subsurface archaeological remains. The place has social value as the site of the Bejoording school in the 1870's, and as a visible reminder of the early history on the Toodyay area. The contribution of the place to the community's sense of place was demonstrated by community efforts to restore the place in the 1970's and maintain access in 2000. The place has aesthetic value as demonstrations of early construction methods, materials and form. The authenticity of the buildings on the site is high because of the high proportion of original remaining fabric.

Physical Description

Two single storey dwellings joined by a covered breezeway. Painted and rendered brick construction with hipped iron roofs. Timber framed sash windows and panelled and timber plank doors. Simple open verandah with diamond shaped timber fringe. Tall red brick chimneys. Remains of a bush timber smokeshed, part of the roof frame remains but very little of the iron covering. Part of the mudbrick kiln remains insitu. Additional mudbrick outbuildings also on the site.

History

Bejoording was declared a town site in 1836. Settlers' stock was watered there but no land was taken up until 1856 when notice was given of town lots for sale. Most of the first purchasers of the land were related by marriage. William Syred was the first Bejoording settler in 1859. He built a substantial mud bat house and blacksmith shop. He worked at his smithy for most of the year shoeing horses, making nails and mending wagon wheels and farm machinery. A school was established at the homestead complex in the 1860's and the Syred family employed ticket of leave men as teachers and farm labourers. In 1974 the Shire of Toodyay and the local community took over the management and restoration of Syred's Cottage as a historic site. The cottage is currently (2010) leased to the Shire of Toodyay and used as a meeting place for community groups. The stables were relocated to the site in 1977 from the Water's family property in Coondle. In 2000, the reserve was amended to enable public access to the site.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: High

Condition

Fair

Owner Category
P Syred Other Private

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

19 Apr 2021

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.

Glendearg

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

12144

Location

Toodyay-Bindi Bindi Rd Bejoording

Location Details

GPS: 0452161 6529093 orig homestead 0451917 6528100

Other Name(s)

Erandyne Springs

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Constructed from 1922

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 01 Dec 2012

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 27 Aug 1998 Category 3

State Heritage Office library entries

Library Id Title Medium Year Of Publication
7915 Toodyay homesteads: past and present. Book 2006

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use FARMING\PASTORAL Homestead
Original Use FARMING\PASTORAL Homestead
Present Use FARMING\PASTORAL Silo or Grain Shed
Original Use FARMING\PASTORAL Silo or Grain Shed

Architectural Styles

Style
Federation Bungalow

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Wall RENDER Other Render
Wall STONE Other Stone
Roof METAL Corrugated Iron
Wall BRICK Common Brick

Historic Themes

General Specific
OCCUPATIONS Grazing, pastoralism & dairying

Creation Date

17 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

Shire of Toodyay

Construction Date

Constructed from 1922, Constructed from 1857

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The place has historic value for its association with Ewen Mackintosh and his descendants who developed the place throughout the 19th century. The residence has aesthetic value as it is a good example of a substantial residence built in the 1920's. The homestead complex has aesthetic value as the built elements form a visually cohesive farm group. The place has social value due to its association with the establishment of a school on the site.

Physical Description

Single storey federation style dwelling of asymmetrical plan form with low hipped iron roof with gablets and half timbering and rough-cast render to the main gable laid in an Art Deco style pattern. Red brick construction with high and lower level rendered decorative bands. Timber sash windows, stained and leaded windows. Extensive verandah with decorative timber frieze, timber posts and balustrading. Single storey brick outbuilding with hipped iron roof attached to main house by covered walkway. As part of the same estate, the original 1857 dwelling is situated on a field across from the current house, accessed via a separate driveway. Stone, brick and rendered construction with iron roof. The render has been scored to replicate dressed stone. 'L' shape plan with hipped and gabled roofs. Simple open verandah. Brick dressings to door and window openings in stone elevations. Original shingle roof still evidence under the remaining iron roof.

History

Ewen Mackintosh came to the colony in 1841 as a shepherd indentured to James Drummond Jnr. of 'Hawthornden' but soon owned a flock of his own and joined with his cousins, the Macphersons, to form a company known as a Scotch Shepherds. Ewen married Euphemia Drummond in 1849 and they lived in a cottage at 'Coondle'. In 1854 he purchased land from T.N. Yule and named it 'Glendearg'. During 1863 Mackintosh began building a large brick house, employing two ticket-of-leave men, Robert Baker and Edward Baldock. The hole they dug for making the bricks became the cellar. A small government school was conducted in the homestead from 1871 until 1874 when the number of children declined. It was reopened in 1879 and operated until 1884. In 1923 'Glendearg' was sold to G.T. Gooch who was a successful pastoralist and planned to establish a sheep stud. That same year he built a new house a little distance from the Mackintosh house and named it 'Bacton'. The property was sold to J.C. Phillips of 'Culham' who restored the name.

Integrity/Authenticity

1857 dwelling Low integrity Low authenticity 1922 dwelling High integrity Medium authenticity

Condition

Fair

Owner Category
Emanuel Exports Pty Ltd Other Private

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

19 Apr 2021

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.

Bejoording Siding - Site of

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

12235

Location

Western Rd Bejoording

Location Details

GPS: 0453725 6528251

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Constructed from 1909

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 27 Aug 1998 Category 5

Place Type

Historic Site

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use Transport\Communications Rail: Other
Original Use Transport\Communications Rail: Other

Historic Themes

General Specific
TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS Rail & light rail transport

Creation Date

21 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

Shire of Toodyay

Construction Date

Constructed from 1908, Constructed from 1909

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The site has historic value through its associated with the development of the area as demonstrated by the construction of the railway north from Toodyay to Bolgart. The site has research value as it has potential to contain subsurface archaeological remains.

Physical Description

No evidence of siding could be found.

History

The railway line from Toodyay to Bolgart through the Avon Valley was proposed and lobbied for during 1902 and 1903 but the line wasn't constructed until 1908 and opened in 1909.

Integrity/Authenticity

None

Owner Category
Westrail State Gov't

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Bindoon Defence Training Area

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

17535

Location

Bindoon

Location Details

About 20200ha, 16km east north east of Bindoon and 100km north east of Perth - comprising the whole of the Bindoon Defebce Training Area.

Local Government

Victoria Plains

Region

Wheatbelt

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Commonwealth List Adopted 25 Oct 2004

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
(no listings)

Place Type

Large Conservation Region

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Other Use OTHER Other

Creation Date

14 Jun 2006

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

The Byeen

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

12145

Location

Lot 21 Telegraph Rd Bolgart

Location Details

GPS: 0450210 6532997 (outside front gate) MI States: 900 Telegraph Rd BDD 19-12-12

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Constructed from 1872

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 27 Aug 1998 Category 2

State Heritage Office library entries

Library Id Title Medium Year Of Publication
7915 Toodyay homesteads: past and present. Book 2006

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use FARMING\PASTORAL Homestead
Original Use FARMING\PASTORAL Cottage
Present Use FARMING\PASTORAL Cottage
Present Use FARMING\PASTORAL Homestead

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Wall BRICK Common Brick
Roof METAL Corrugated Iron
Wall STONE Other Stone

Historic Themes

General Specific
OCCUPATIONS Grazing, pastoralism & dairying

Creation Date

17 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

Shire of Toodyay

Construction Date

Constructed from 1872

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The Byeen has historic value for its associations with the Yule, Macpherson and Butterly families and the development of the place since the 1870's.

Physical Description

Only a roadside inspection was possible for this property, no permission granted for access. Single storey dwelling, extended, with iron hipped and gabled roof. Rendered or painted brick construction.

History

'The Byeen' is the central part of T.N. Yule's original grant of 1836. Yule and his business partners Captain Richmond Houghton and Lt. Ninian Lowis were originally granted 15,000 acres which Yule was to manage. The grant was divided and Yule retianed this part. He settled at 'The Byeen' in the mid-1840's and built a stone homestead. By the late 1840's 'The Byeen' was a well-established farm with barns, stables and stockyards near the neat three-roomed cottage with gardens. In January 1849 a bushfire spread through the property destroying woll and sandalwood ready for market. Discouraged, Yule leased 'The Byeen' to Duncan Macpherson and went to Perth where he worked in the Civil Service. He sold further land at this time. In 1872 'The Byeen' was sold to James Butterly who was a well-established flock master and already owned land in the district. In 1875 Butterly built a large brick house at 'The Byeen'. He also dismantled Yule's stone cottage and rebuilt it near his new house as servants quarters and a guest house. The Butterly family eventually sold 'The Byeen' in 1928.

Integrity/Authenticity

Unable to determine.

Condition

Fair

Owner Category
Stevenson Other Private

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Coondle School - Site of

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

12228

Location

Coondle

Location Details

GPS: 0445357 6519103

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Constructed from 1900, Constructed from 1897

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 01 Dec 2012

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 27 Aug 1998 Category 3

Place Type

Historic Site

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use EDUCATIONAL Primary School
Original Use EDUCATIONAL Primary School

Historic Themes

General Specific
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES Education & science

Creation Date

21 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

Shire of Toodyay

Construction Date

Constructed from 1897

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The site has historic value as it demonstrates the development of the Coondle region in the 1890's through the provision of education to the settlers. The site has research value as it has potential to contain subsurface archaeological remains.

Physical Description

No remnants or indication of any building was found in the bushland.

History

The Coondle Estate was the first land in the state to be resumed for the purchase and subdivision of old grants. It had a long history of absentee ownership with the original grantee, George Leake, never living there and subsequent lessees occupying the property. It was subdivided in 1898 into 71 blocks. George Throssell, Minister for Lands, proposed that the hills be used for running cattle and the cleared river flats used for vineyards, orchards and vegetables, using the pools along the Toodyay Brook for irrigation. All the land was taken up within two years. Lack of schooling was of concern to the Anglican Reverend Taylor who, as charman of the school committees, persuaded parents in Culham and Coondle to build a mud brick school. John Britt was the Coondle Secretary who organised the school, half of which was subsidised by the government. It opened on 11 February 1897 and Miss Mercy Syred from taught the children.

Integrity/Authenticity

None

Condition

Site Only

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

19 Apr 2021

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.

Coondle Siding - Site of

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

12226

Location

Coondle

Location Details

GPS: 0446840 6517401

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 01 Dec 2012

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 27 Aug 1998 Category 3

Place Type

Historic Site

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use Transport\Communications Rail: Other
Original Use Transport\Communications Rail: Other

Historic Themes

General Specific
TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS Rail & light rail transport

Creation Date

21 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

Shire of Toodyay

Construction Date

Constructed from 1909

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The site has historic value for its associations with the development of the railway northwards from Toodyay to Bolgart and the Coondle Estate. The site has research value as it has potential to contain subsurface archaeological remains.

Physical Description

Remnants of the siding remains in the form of an earthen mound.

History

The Coondle Estate was the first land in the state to be resumed for the purchase and subdivision of old grants. It had a long history of absentee ownership with the original grantee, George Leake, never living there and subsequent lessees occupying the property. It was subdivided in 1898 into 71 blocks. George Throssell, Minister for Lands, proposed that the hills be used for running cattle and the cleared river flats used for vineyards, orchards and vegetables, using the pools along the Toodyay Brook for irrigation. All the land was taken up within two years. The railway from Toodyay to Bolgart was constructed in 1909 and this siding would have been used for goods and passengers.

Integrity/Authenticity

None

Condition

Site only

Owner Category
Westrail State Gov't

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

19 Apr 2021

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.

Cottage

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

12208

Location

Coondle

Location Details

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Constructed from 1890

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 27 Aug 1998 Category 4

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use FARMING\PASTORAL Homestead
Original Use FARMING\PASTORAL Other
Present Use FARMING\PASTORAL Homestead

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Wall METAL Corrugated Iron
Roof METAL Corrugated Iron

Historic Themes

General Specific
OCCUPATIONS Grazing, pastoralism & dairying

Creation Date

21 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

Shire of Toodyay

Construction Date

Constructed from 1890

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The site has historic value as it represents the settlement of the Coondle District. The site has research value as it has potential to contain subsurface archaeological remains.

Physical Description

Site could not be identified.

History

The Coondle Estate was the first land in the state to be resumed for the purchase and subdivision of old grants. it had a long history of absentee ownership with the original grantee, George Leake, never living there and subsequent lessees occupying the property. It was subdivided in 1989 into 71 blocks. George Throssell, the Minister for Lands, proposed that the hills be used for running cattle and the cleared river flats used for vineyards, orchards and vegetables, using the pools along the Toodyay Brook for irrigation. All the land was taken up within two years. The cottage was believed to have been built by Morgan Ford who constructed a number of the cottages in the district as a contract builder.

Integrity/Authenticity

Unable to determine

Condition

Site only.

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Coondle Hall - Site of

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

12227

Location

Bindoon - Dewars Pool Rd Coondle

Location Details

1.5km from Bindi Bindi Road GPS: 0446574 6517360

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Constructed from 1927

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 01 Dec 2012

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 27 Aug 1998 Category 3

Place Type

Historic Site

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use SOCIAL\RECREATIONAL Other Community Hall\Centre
Present Use SOCIAL\RECREATIONAL Other Community Hall\Centre

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Wall METAL Corrugated Iron
Roof METAL Corrugated Iron

Historic Themes

General Specific
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES Sport, recreation & entertainment

Creation Date

21 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

Shire of Toodyay

Construction Date

Constructed from 1927

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The site has historic value as it represents the Coondle Hall which became the focus of the Coondle community and social life after it was built in 1927. The site has research value as it has potential to contain subsurface archaeological remains.

Physical Description

The site is possibly marked by a post in the fence, which is supposedly the original gate post, or a later fence post. The reserve is designated for use as a gravel pit.

History

The Coondle Estate was the first land in the state to be resumed for the purchase and subdivision of old grants. It had a long history of absentee ownership with the original grantee, George Leake, never living there and subsequent lessees occupying the property. It was subdivided in 1898 into 71 blocks. George Throssell, the Minister for Lands, proposed that the hills be used for running cattle and the cleared river flats used for vineyards, orchards and vegetables, using the pools along the Toodyay Brook for irrigation. All the land was taken up within two years. The Culham Hall, which opened in 1899, served the surrounding districts of Coondle and Nunyle but was unable to serve all the social needs of the expanding community. A hall was built in Nunyle in 1904 and Coondle Hall opened in 1927 in the vicinity of the store and post office. The communities of Culham, Nunyle and Coondle each had a cricket and tennis team and played regularly on the anthill pitches. Coondle cricket pitch was the envy of others after Morgan Ford laid a solid cement pitch near the hall. The Coondle Easter sports was a popular annual event. After the hall closed the building was relocated into Toodyay and established as the CWA rooms in Stirling Terrace. The reserve is designated for use as a gravel pit.

Condition

Site Only

Owner Category
Department for Planning & Infrastructure State Gov't

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

19 Apr 2021

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.

Coondle Post Office & Store

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

12230

Location

Church Gully Rd Coondle

Location Details

GPS: 0446513 6519179

Other Name(s)

Site of Mrs Fawell's place

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Constructed from 1899

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 27 Aug 1998 Category 5

Place Type

Historic Site

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use COMMERCIAL Shop\Retail Store {single}
Original Use COMMERCIAL Shop\Retail Store {single}
Other Use Transport\Communications Comms: Post or Telegraph Office
Other Use RESIDENTIAL Single storey residence

Historic Themes

General Specific
DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY Settlements
TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS Mail services

Creation Date

21 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

Shire of Toodyay

Construction Date

Constructed from 1899

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The place has social value for its associations with communication and as a centre to informal gathering in Coondle. The place has historic value for its association with the development of the Coondle district and the Falwell family. The site has reseach value as it has potential to contain subsurface archaeological remains.

Physical Description

No remnants found but approximate location is in the vicinity of the three almond trees. No access to the land was obtained but there was evidence of a masonry line close to the trees.

History

The Coondle Estate was the first land in the state to be resumed for the purchase and subdivision of old grants. It had a long history of absentee ownership with the original grantee, George Leake, never living there and subsequent Lesees occupying the property. It was subdivided in 1898 into 71 blocks. George Throssell, the Minister for Lands, proposed that the hills be used for running cattle and the cleared river flats used for vineyards, orchards and vegetables, using the pools along the Toodyay Brook for irrigation. All the land was taken up within two years. Patrick Fawell married a member of the Ferguson family who ran the 'Coondle' Estate and they built a cottage and established a store and post office. They irrigated their vegetable garden from Dewar's Pool.

Integrity/Authenticity

None

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Coondle Homestead - Site of

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

12229

Location

Lot 1 Coondle West Rd Coondle

Location Details

GPS: 0446420 6517334

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Constructed from 1865

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 01 Dec 2012

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 27 Aug 1998 Category 3

State Heritage Office library entries

Library Id Title Medium Year Of Publication
7915 Toodyay homesteads: past and present. Book 2006

Place Type

Historic Site

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use FARMING\PASTORAL Homestead
Other Use FARMING\PASTORAL Servants or Shearers Quarters
Original Use FARMING\PASTORAL Homestead

Historic Themes

General Specific
OCCUPATIONS Grazing, pastoralism & dairying

Creation Date

21 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

Shire of Toodyay

Construction Date

Constructed from 1865

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The site has historic value as it represents the settlement of the Coondle district. The site has research value as it has potential to contain subsurface archaeological remains.

Physical Description

Any remnants of the ruin have been lost. The mature tree marks the approximate site of the former house.

History

The Coondle Estate was the first land in the state to be resumed for the purchase and subdivision of old grants. It had a long history of absentee ownership with the original grantee, George Leake, never living there and subsequent lessees occupying the property, including Ewan Mackintosh and John MacPherson. In 1889, the owner Charles Ferguson subdivided the original grant into 71 blocks. George Throssell, the Minister for Lands, proposed that the hills be used for running cattle and the cleared river flats used for vineyards, orchards and vegetables, using the pools along the Toodyay Brook for irrigation. All the land was taken up within two years. C.J. Ferguson took up the homestead block but soon after the homestead was struck by lightning and fell into ruin.

Integrity/Authenticity

None

Condition

Site Only

Owner Category
Baird Other Private

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

19 Apr 2021

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.

Mayfield

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

12204

Location

188 Toodyay West Rd Coondle

Location Details

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Constructed from 1890

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 01 Dec 2012

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 27 Aug 1998 Category 3

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use RESIDENTIAL Single storey residence
Original Use RESIDENTIAL Single storey residence

Architectural Styles

Style
Victorian Georgian

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Wall EARTH Adobe {Mud Brick}
Roof METAL Corrugated Iron

Historic Themes

General Specific
DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY Settlements

Creation Date

18 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

Shire of Toodyay

Construction Date

Constructed from 1890

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The place has historic value as an example of residential development in the 1890's in Toodyay. The place has aesthetic value for its contribution to the streetscape of Stirling Terrace.

Physical Description

A rendered mudbrick and iron cottage with hipped and gablet roof, red brick chimneys and open front verandah with timber posts. Symmetrical facade to the original cottage. The front elevation has timber framed sash windows. There is a brick side extension with metal framed windows and a lean-to carport to the rear of the property.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Medium Authenticity: Low-Medium

Condition

Fair-Good

Owner Category
Darby Other Private

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

19 Apr 2021

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.

Vetter Cottage & Winery Ruins

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

12207

Location

Toodyay-Bindi Bindi Rd Coondle

Location Details

GPS: 0446626 6517257

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Constructed from 1860

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 01 Dec 2012

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 27 Aug 1998 Category 3

Place Type

Historic site

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use FARMING\PASTORAL Cottage
Original Use INDUSTRIAL\MANUFACTURING Winery

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Other EARTH Adobe {Mud Brick}

Historic Themes

General Specific
DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY Immigration, emigration & refugees

Creation Date

21 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

Shire of Toodyay

Construction Date

Constructed from 1860

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

the place has historic value as it demonstrates the role of the government in encouraging settlement on the land through the provision of small lots for new settlers. The place has historic value as it illustrates the diversity of migrants who settled in Western Australia as a result of the gold discoveries. The place has aesthetic value as it demonstrates former methods of construction and materials.

Physical Description

Ruins of mudbrick structure with red brick additions.

History

The Coondle Estate was the first land in the state to be resumed for the purchase and subdivision of old grants. It had a long history of absentee ownership with the original grantee, George Leeke, never living there and subsequent lessees occupying the property. It was subdivided in 1898 into 71 blocks. George Throssell, the Minister for Lands, proposed that the hills be used for running cattle and the cleared river flats used for vineyards, orchards and vegetables, using the pools along the Toodyay Brook for irrigation. All the land was taken up within two years. John Baptiste Archille Vetter and family came from Europe to establish a goldmine at Bardoc near Kalgoorlie in the 1890's gold rushes. Vetter's son Claude August Vetter conducted their business and was instructed to take up a river block of the Coondle Estate, intending to build a house and to grow vines. They built a large house and winery shed.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Medium Authenticity: Medium

Condition

Ruins

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

19 Apr 2021

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.

Community Sheep Dip

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

12209

Location

55 Bindoon - Dewars Pool Rd Coondle, Dewars Pool

Location Details

GPS: 0446257 6519324

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 01 Dec 2012

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 27 Aug 1998 Category 3

Place Type

Historic site

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use FARMING\PASTORAL Other
Present Use FARMING\PASTORAL Other

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Other TIMBER Other Timber

Historic Themes

General Specific
OCCUPATIONS Grazing, pastoralism & dairying

Creation Date

21 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

Shire of Toodyay

Construction Date

Constructed from 1911

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The place has historic value for its demonstration of the type of small landholding that was present in the district before the amalgamation of farms. The community sheep dip has social value as an example of a former work practices and an expression of shared community resources and skills.

Physical Description

Remnants of a sheep dip with rails, yard and dip. A concrete channel is located parallel to the water course and water would have been diverted through the channel to treat the sheep. Holding pens and barricades would have been present to direct the sheep on the land, timber post remnants of these enclosures remain within the site.

History

In the 19th century John Dewar established a significant property near Gingin which focused on cattle production. The Dewar family continued the station and also undertook cattle dealing. Dewar's Pool adjacent to the community sheep dip was named after a member of the Dewar family. Sheep farming has and continues to be more prevalent in the Toodyay district and the sharing of facilities in rural areas is a common practice. The community sheep dip was used until the 1940s. In the late 20th century the farms have tended to become amalgamated into larger landholdings to increase economies of scale. The community sheep dip would have been used by smaller scale farms and its location next to a water course would not have been an option for all farms.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Low Authenticity: Medium

Condition

Poor-Fair

Owner Category
G.J. Ash Other Private

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

19 Apr 2021

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.

Britt's House (fmr)

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

12141

Location

Bindoon - Dewars Pool Rd Coondle, Dewar's Pool

Location Details

GPS: 0445174 6519051

Other Name(s)

Waylen

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Constructed from 1850

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 01 Dec 2012

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 27 Aug 1998 Category 2

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Other Use INDUSTRIAL\MANUFACTURING Flour Mill
Present Use RESIDENTIAL Two storey residence
Original Use RESIDENTIAL Two storey residence

Architectural Styles

Style
Victorian Georgian

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Wall BRICK Common Brick
Roof METAL Corrugated Iron

Historic Themes

General Specific
DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY Settlements

Creation Date

17 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

Shire of Toodyay

Construction Date

Constructed from 1850

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The place has historic value through its association with the development of the Toodyay district. It is closely associated with early settler John Britt who built the place and a number of substantial buildings in the area. The place has social value through its association with the former mill which was a focus for local growers.

Physical Description

Double fronted house with later side wings. Much altered since its original construction and thought to have been reorientated, with what is now the main front elevation originally being the rear of the house. Verandah to the upper level added to both the front and rear, French doors replacing the original windows during works undertaken in the 1960's. The wings are of concrete block construction and date from c. 1930. The main house is double height with the side wings both being single storey. Gable roof to the main house and hipped roofs to the wings. The rear of the property is of similar appearance to the front. The front elevation now incorporates a centrally placed gable roof to the verandah, supported on timber verandah posts to the upper level and rendered brick posts to the lower level.

History

John Britt, who came to the colony as part of the failed 'Peel Scheme' and was a former employee of 'Squire' Phillips of 'Culham' settled a block on the road from Bindoon to Toodyay near a bridge that crossed Toodyay Brook. This road was used in winter months when the Bindoon settler's road to Perth was impassable over swampy land and many travellers stopped at Britt's home. In 1857 John Britt's wife recieved a legacy from England. They built a neat two strey inn and a separate brewing room around which they planted prickly roses to deter thieves. Britt applied for an inn licence but it was refused. He instead converted the brewing room into a flourmill which was operated by a small steam engine until the expensive sifting silks wore out. In 1989, in response to public demand to open up grants more suitable for farming that pastoral use the Government bought 'Coondle' and subdivided the property into farmlets of 15 to 410 acres.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Medium Authenticity: Medium

Condition

Fair

Owner Category
Moondale Pty Ltd Other Private

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

19 Apr 2021

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.

Culham Hall - Site of

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

12231

Location

Culham

Location Details

GPS: 0450534 6524593 (vicinity)

Local Government

Toodyay

Region

Avon Arc

Construction Date

Constructed from 1899

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 01 Dec 2012

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 27 Aug 1998 Category 3

Place Type

Historic Site

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use SOCIAL\RECREATIONAL Other Community Hall\Centre
Present Use SOCIAL\RECREATIONAL Other Community Hall\Centre

Historic Themes

General Specific
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES Sport, recreation & entertainment

Creation Date

21 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

Shire of Toodyay

Construction Date

Constructed from 1899

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The site has historic value for the associations with generations of Culham settlers who gathered for social, community and recreational activities. The site has research value as it has potential to contain subsurface archaeological remains.

Physical Description

No remains were found on the site.

History

The Toodyay Valley Settlers initially formed and met in the 1890's to raise funds for school purposes and a meeting hall. They revived the custom of ploughing matches at 'Culham' and 'Hawthornded'. The club qualified for the government grant for a hall and then changed their focus to the proposed railway. The Culham Hall was built on the northern boundary of the 'Culham Estate' at the Plains Road Boundary and opened in May 1899. The opening was celebrated with a cricket match against the Victoria Plains team and a ball in the evening. However, it was two mile east of Pell Mell School and miles north of Culham Church which proved inconvenient for the settlers in the region and a cohesive community centre was difficult to develop. After the subdivision of the Coondle and Nunyle estates those communities used the Culham Hall but even after Nunyle built a hall in 1897 and Coondle n 1927the three communities worked together and supported each other. In 1902 a meeting at the hall appointed a committee to agitate for the railway extension to Bolgart. The Toodyay Valley Settlers discussed the route of the proposed railway and organised a deputation to the Government in 1902. One of the most important social events in the Toodyay Valley was the annual Culham races. The race club was formed in 1902 and the track went around the hall with special permission granted to use part of the Bolgart Road. Over 500 people attended the first meeting at Easter 1903. When the railway line reached Bolgart in 1909 a distinct holiday was declared and a celebration dinner was held in the hall that evening with a special train picking people up along the line. The railway line cut through the race track at Culham and although a new track was marked out the races gradually declined in popularity and the last meeting was held in 1913.

Condition

Site Only

Owner Category
Department of Planning & Infrastructure State Gov't

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

19 Apr 2021

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.