Lowlands Homestead

Statement of Significance

Lowlands has a high level of cultural heritage significance as an example of very early rural residences built out of local materials and using convict labour, and in its association with Thomas Peel, afterwhom the region is named, John Wellard and the Richardson family who still own the property. The development of the residence is a reminder of the difficult conditions underwhich early settlers lived and the need for self-sufficiency, and the development of extensive farming lands which provided the owners with an income.

Physical Description

Large homestead building set on 1657 ha. reminiscent of Old Colonial through to Victorian Georgian style, with high-pitched broken-back roof and spreading veranda. All three residences are joined by breezeways. Early out-buildings mostly ruins.

History

The property was originally owned by Thomas Peel and known as Serpentine Farm which he gave as a a gift to his son Tom. The first building on this estate was a hut built sometime in the 1830s (not existent) and situated in low lying paddocks west of the existing dwellings. This was closely followed by the original wooden barn, built sometime in the 1840s. Tom Peel junior completed his first house in 1845 (existing) and a second house of similar design completed in c1859.

Following the bankruptcy of Peel, Serpentine Farm was sold by auction in 1859 to John Wellard. Auction notice in the Perth Gazette dated 18 November 1859.

John Wellard arrived at the Swan River settlement in 1841 as a 15-year-old apprenticed seaman aboard the James Matthews, wrecked on its arrival at Woodman Point. Based in Fremantle, he was successful in several business enterprises including providing supplies to the shipping industry.

John Wellard was a pioneer of the pastoral industry in the north-west of Western Australia, starting one of the first stations in the Roebourne district in 1863.

John Wellard married Ann Woodward in January 1850. Ann Woodward arrived with her parents,
James and Sarah, aboard the Hooghly, one of Peel’s vessels, in February 1830. John and Ann had three children Selina, Ellen (Nell) and Pierce.

In the 1860s, John Wellard added a brick two-storey storehouse, mens quarters and stable to the collection of buildings that made up the homestead area.

John Wellard managed a large household of people. The household included Ticket-of-Leave men who were employed at Serpentine Farm and responsible for much of the building, including the making of the bricks on site. Jimmy Bristow was the bricklayer employed and living on Serpentine Farm and remained on the farm well into his autumn years. Another was James Coxon. James was laid to rest on Serpentine Farm.

Alexander Robert (A.R.) Richardson married Ellen Bates Wellard in 1874. Their wedding was held in the drawing room of the pug house at Serpentine Farm. They lived the first part of their married life at Pyramid Station in the North West of Western Australia.

In 1876, an indenture was made between John Wellard and his son Pierce and son-in-law A.R.Richardson for Serpentine Farm. The joint purchase by the brothers-in-law lasted only a few months after which Richardson bought Pierce’s share, and it was at this time that Serpentine Farm became known as Lowlands and Alexander and Ellen made the farm their family home.

John Wellard purchased Whitby Falls Homestead from the Mead Family and resided there. A.R. Richardson was a well-known political figure in both the Legislative Council (1887-1890) and Legislative Assembly (1890-1897), and as Minister for Lands (1874-1897).

Extensive additions were made to the homestead group of buildings by Alexander Richardson in 1888. A larger residence was built for his growing family numbers, with a sheok shingled roof and using bricks made on site, joined to the 1st and 2nd Peel Houses by a ‘high lobby breezeway’ and the cellar under the 2nd Peel house was lined with bricks. The Richardson’s also increased the land holding from 5000 acres to 10000 acres.

In 1900 additions including the large drawing room and additional family sleeping areas with bay windows, roof cladded in corrugated iron and bullnose iron verandahs. The corrugated iron sheeting was placed over the existing shingles in the other existing builds. At about this time, a worker’s cottage was built near the bridge.

In 1922, when A.R. Richardson and Nell retired to South Perth, the estate was divided between the two youngest sons of this family of six boys and six girls, Rupert and Lennox, each receiving 5000 acres with Lennox owning the half containing the original buildings.

Rupert renamed his portion of the original holding to Riverlea, which he subsequently divided between two sons in 1946. One-part retaining the name Riverlea and the other Kalga.

In 1925, the kitchen wing was completed, separated by the existing verandah which then became a breezeway. Original bricks from Bristow’s previous constructions where used and the northern walls of this building were painted white.
In the early 1950’s, Lennox carried out significant stabilisation works on the foundations and walls of the Wellard era two storey storehouse/mens quarters and the stables.

On the 21 March 1978, Lowlands was certified by the Australian Heritage Commission as a Registered Place. The Lowlands and Riverlea Bushland areas were on the National Estate Heritage Register in 1998 and 1999.

The State Government had identified the Lowlands property as Site M105 in its System 6 Report (1983). In 2000 the West Australian Planning Commission designated two areas of Lowlands Bushland as Bushforever Sites #368 and #372. In 2001 the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale rezoned the bulk of the Bushforever site area, one of the first properties to be amended to that zoning under a new Conservation Zoning Policy.

In 2013 the State Government purchased the Lowlands Bushland Areas and rezoned them under the Metropolitan Region Scheme as A Class Reserve for the purpose of flora and fauna conservation to be managed by the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions as the Lowlands Nature Reserve.

Integrity/Authenticity

MODIFICATIONS: The buildings have been added to and integrated over time. Original
kitchen has been demolished.

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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.