Clayton Farm

Statement of Significance

Clayton Farm, which consists of a double storey brick and iron residence in the Victorian Georgian style, a single storey brick and iron cottage and a brick lined well have cultural heritage significance for the following
reasons:
. the place represents part of the original system of grants that were first established in Western Australia;
. the place is associated with the development of Western Australia's agricultural industry and the fledgling colony's efforts to become self-sufficient;
. the place has retained a high degree of integrity and authenticity and is the oldest farmhouse on the Helena River;
. the place is associated with Richard and Mary Smith who were amongst the earliest colonists to arrive in Western Australia;
. the place is ideally placed in its rural environment and is a fine example of the Victorian Georgian style;
. the place has the potential to contain archaeological deposits which would provide additional information
on early colonial life; and,
. the place is held in high esteem by the Smith's descendants.

Physical Description

Clayton Farm comprises a double storey brick and iron residence in the Victoria Georgian style, a single storey brick and iron cottage with cellar, a brick lined well on the northern side of the residence and the remains of a well, orchard and possible habitation site to the south of the residence on the banks of the Helena River. The place is located in a semi-rural environment on the floodplain of the Helena River.
The residence is constructed of soft fired bricks laid in flemish bond. The front section of the building, which is only room deep, is double storey while the rear portion of the building ,s single storey. The double storey section is covered with a hipped roof, while a steeply pitched skillion roof covers the single storey section. A single storey, skillion roofed verandah protects the front and sides of the house. The verandahs have concrete floors with stop chamfered posts set into metal stirrups. The lower part of the walls have been rendered to a height of approximately 80 cm above the verandah floor. A single storey addition was made to the rear of the house in 1971 using soft fired bricks rescued from a demolished building in Guildford. The addition is covered with a flat roof. This section has incorporated the original, detached kitchen wing into the main house. The wing has a gable roof and the eastern wall
has been rendered.
The front facade has three easement windows, evenly spaced across the upper floor white the lower floor has easement windows set on either side of the main door. A double hung sash window is located towards the rear on the southern side. This window is not original. The front door features a solid, six panel front door, with rim lock and a three paned fanlight. A brick chimney stack rises from the eastern edge of the hipped roof towards the southern side of the house.
The upper storey brickwork features four diamond patterns (formed from header bricks), evenly spaced across the facade between the windows. The two outer diamonds feature dark coloured header bricks, while the two inner diamonds are light coloured header bricks. The brickwork within these diamonds contains the initials of Richard and Mary Smith's children and the date that the house was constructed (1861).
The front door opens onto a wide entry hall with a staircase on the northern side and single rooms on either side of the hall. The staircase leads up to single rooms on either side of the stair lobby. The interior was renovated during the 1990s and the original brickwork covered with gyprock sheeting and the ceilings replaced with gyprock sheeting and plaster cornices. The original floorboards, staircase and timber joinery have survived. The front bedroom on the southern side has a timber mantle piece with a cast iron firebox. These are not original.
The central hall on the ground floor opens out onto a lounge room with a kitchen on the northern side. The ceiling in this section of the house is open leaving the original shingles (which are now covered with CGI) visible. Some of the original floorboards have been replaced in the lounge room, the boards in the kitchen are covered with vinyl. The fireplace features an elaborate Federation style timber mantle piece which is not original. The kitchen has modem fittings and fixtures. On the eastern side of these two rooms is a large sunroom which stretches across the width of the house. This was constructed in 1971 and features recycled timber boards, french doors on the eastern and northern sides a set of three easement windows on the southern side, plaster walls and ceiling. The formerly detached kitchen wing has been renovated to function as a laundry and bathroom. It has new
fittings and fixtures.
The brick cottage to the east of the house also features flemish bond brickwork with the lower section of the wall rendered. A skillion roofed verandah on the western side is supported by treated pine posts. The roof is covered with new shingles. Access to the building is via a ledged, braced and sheeted door on the western side of the building which is accessed via two steps. The door leads into a single room with easement windows on the western and eastern sides. The floor is tongued and grooved boards, with a coved, tongued and grooved ceiling. A modern laundry and bathroom annex (constructed with vertical, timber boarding), has been built on the northern side.
A cellar is located beneath the main room and is accessed by exterior steps on the southern side. The walls are rendered to approximately 80 cm above a concrete floor. A small opening, with bars, is located on the western side. The room floods regularly in winter and has been fitted with a pump to prevent this. A brick lined well is located on the north side of the house. Renovations were made to this well in 1972 and included the construction of a new stone coping, approximately 80 cm above ground, surmounted by an open gable roof supported on treated pine posts and clad with shingles. A plaque records that the well was 'restored' to mark the reunion of descendants of Richard and Mary Smith on 22 October 1972.
Approximately 500 metres to the south west of the house, near the bank of the Helena River, are the remains of an orchard, a cleared open space and a filled in well. This well was originally used by the Smith family and had better quality water than the well close to the house. An old orange tree and mulberry tree are all that remain of the orchard. The Smith family may have occupied this site when they first moved out to Clayton Farm in the 1840s.

History

Assessment 2003
Construction 1861
Architect/designer: Richard Smith
Builder: Smith family
Henry Camfield arrived in the Swan River colony in October 1829 aboard the Caroline. He was accompanied by Richard and Mary Smith, Frederick and Frances Friend and Richard Bardon his indentured servants. Camfield was initially granted Swan Loc. 35 (1,000 acres) which Camfield called Burrswood'. In November 1829 he was also granted Helena LOG. 20b (1,186 acres) on the Helena River.
Camfield leased his Helena Location to a settler to carry out his location duties, but by 1839 no buildings or yards had been constructed on the grant. During this early period, settlers experienced cash flow problems and Camfield was no exception, By November 1830, Camfield had cancelled Smith's indenture, probably because he was unable to provide for him. Smith was a carpenter by trade and he managed to survive by getting commissions, such as building Stirling's 'cottage ornee' at Woodbridge.
Camfield sold the Helena property to Smith in April 1854. However, the Smith family (by this stage Richard and Mary had six children), appear to have occupied the location prior to this date as Chauncey's survey of York Road in 1846 notes a 'track to Smith's' on the southern side of York Road. The name Clayton's Farm was apparently given to the property by one of Camfield's earlier leasees. RichardSmith established a thriving farm on the property and by 1861 had completed his two storey house. The bricks for the house were apparently made on the property. Smith was assisted by a number of ticket-of-leave-men between 1857 - 1870 who no doubt assisted with the construction of the house and a number of out buildings: a five stall stable, a separate cottage with coach house attached for farm hands, barns and pig pens. During the early years, Smith had his wheat ground at Cruse's mill at Upper Swan.
Richard died in 1878 and the running of the farm passed to his third son George. His eldest son John had established a property out at Northam and Alfred had initially purchased a farm at 'Wongamine' before coming back to establish a sawmill at Smith's Mill (Glen Forrest). When Mary Smith died in 1891, Alfred moved with his family down to Clayton and assisted his brother George with the running of the farm. The brothers started to sell off portions of land in 1902, although the bulk of the property was sold to Katharine Samson in April 1906. During the 1920s, Mrs Samson sub-divided the location into orchard blocks. The land on which the farmhouse and outbuildings was now located, Lot 27, was reduced to 26 acres and 3 perches. Lot 27 was purchased by Goldsborough Mort in April 1924. They had also
purchased lots 18 19, 24, 25 and 26 which contained riverside pastures which were used by
Goldsborough Morth (which later became Elders Goldsborough Mart) as holding paddocks for stock prior auction at the sale yards at Midland Junction. Clayton Farm was used as a manager's residence.
The property was sold at auction to Innes Pty Ltd in November 1968. Prior to the auction the various outbuildings were demolished, with the exception of the small brick cottage to the east of the house. Innes Pty Ltd was owned by the Dick Family (David and Dorothy Dick). The house had been unoccupied for approximately a year before the Dick family's purchase and before they moved in, the Dicks renovated the house, adding a sun room across the rear of the house. The addition of this sun room incorporated the detached kitchen into the house.
A modern asbestos cement house was placed on the north east corner of the lot in 1971. Initially this house was used by caretakers until David and Dorothy Dick moved there in the 1990s. The original 1861 house is currently occupied by David and Dorothy's son Graeme and his family. A family re-union of the descendants of Richard and Mary Smith was held in the grounds of Clayton Farm in October 1972.
The place was placed on the National Trust's Recorded list in August 1971 and on the Shire of Mundaring's Municipal Inventory in April 1997

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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.