Deep Pool, Beaufort River

Statement of Significance

The pool is important for its association with the development of the pastoral industry in the region and with pioneering families.

Physical Description

One of a series of pools in the south branch of the Beaufort River within a short distance of its junction with the east branch, some two kilometres east of the Beaufort River Bridge on the Albany Highway. The Deep and Wandibirrup Pools are part of a series of permanent (and until more recent times) fresh water pools in this section of the river

History

The first pastoralist to the Beaufort River was Edward Hamersley. On 31 March 1852 he was granted a lease of 10,000 acres centred on the Martup Hills. Within this lease 15 acres was surveyed to freehold Dungalar Spring (Locn V) and locations 1-4 of 10 acres apiece near the site of the Beaufort Bridge. These were the first land selections in the Williams district freeholded outside of the immediate vicinity of the Williams River.
Hamersley decided to concentrate his southern leases near the Williams River bridge and new prospects in the Champion Bay area finally saw him transfer the Martup lease to William Cornwall in 1866. Cornwall had previously taken up J.H. Monger's relinquished lease at Queerearrup and Martup leases. Cornwall who came to the colony as a 'young emigrant' in 1840 when a lad of 15 years worked initially for JH Monger at York. Having acquired both capital and experience in Monger's employ, Cornwall saw the opportunities is the Beaufort area. In 1860 he married Eliza Malone, a young Irish immigrant. The site of their first home at the Beaufort is not certain, but soon the grand Beaufort Station homestead was built. By 1862 Cornwall was freeholding land within the Martup Lease and by 1868 a total of 1040 acres amongst the Martup Hills had been
purchased by Cornwall.
The river pools (including Deep Pool) were included in the Martup lease and provided the water necessary to run the extensive numbers of sheep owned by Cornwall.
Early in the twentieth century, land in the immediate vicinity of the pool was taken up by Bill (WH) Perfect who had been a tobacco and vegetable grower at Hoban in NSW. Impressed with the amount of water in the pools near his various blocks, Perfect soon launched into tobacco growing. So spectacular was his success that word soon reached the ears of authority and his industry was brought to an abrupt halt by the Excise Department. A keen sportsman, Perfect played host to the annual New Years Day Picnic at his property which included a cricket match which possibly went into recess during the mid war years.

Uses

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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.