Willyung Cottage & Stables

Child Places

• 15603 Willyung Cottage, Stables & Pendeen Homestead Group

Statement of Significance

Pendeen Homestead has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
The place was built for the Balston family, William Balston being a well-known shipping agent in Albany, and for whom the nearby Willyung Cottage and Stables was also erected.
The place is a fine and well executed and expressed example of the Federation Bungalow style of architecture that was constructed using locally sourced stone for its random course walls.
The place has landmark value being located close to Willyung Road and as a standalone residence in this sparsely developed road.
The place, through Balston, is associated with sea trade and port affairs that developed around the port of Albany in the latter part of the 19th century particularly when Albany was the main port for Western Australia.
The place retains a high level of authenticity that reflects an early farming homestead property that continues for this purpose.

Physical Description

Some of the notable features of this place include:
• Set quite a long drive from the front gate of the farm
• Very large single storey homestead
• Thick, random coarse faced stone walls
• Rendered corners and window and door architraves
• Wide verandah under a separate roof
• Roof cement tiled
• Low stone and iron fence creates a boundary around the homestead separating it from the farm land

Some obvious modifications include:
• Chimneys
• Verandah posts have been replaced by brick pillars
• Brick extension and enclosures at the rear of the house

History

There is confusion as to the origins of the name of the house, but two likely possibilities are that it was named after the old Pendeen in Cornwall in Southern Britain, north of Cape Cornwall, or possibly after the Celtic site known as ‘Pen Dinas’ (meaning Fort Pen) which was an iron age hill fort.
The construction of Pendeen Homestead attracted much public attention, notably in the controversy surrounding the claim of two plasterers Thomas Osmond and C. Buggins for extra pay for additional work. The house measured 52 squares and was constructed from granite stone. Some yellow granite in the walls is believed to be the ballast in ships discharging at Albany. There were two marble mantels, 3.6m ceilings and jarrah floors. The hall was made wide enough for a horse drawn wagon to enter with loads of granite during construction.

The house was built for the Balston family on a property of 1,700 acres (688 hectares). William Balston was a shipping agent. As well as the main house two semi-detached cottages and stables were built near the front gate of the property. The cottages were a gate house and coachman’s quarters (now known as Willyung Cottage). A Pendeen neighbour since girlhood in 1912, Evelyn Weston, (aged 94 in 1994) recalled that “Mrs Balston played the lady and every time she came up in her carriage and pair, she waited for the woman in the gatehouse to run out and open the gate. I think the Balston’s had the first cars in the district, Model T cars, sitting bolt upright as if they were going to fall off. Willyung Road was a sandy boggy stretch...”.

Pendeen Homestead was used as the venue for many maritime social gatherings with travellers and Captains visiting the homestead.

The house has been in the Negri family for the last c50 years. The Negri’s have been active participants of the King River community, and in 1992 were made life members of the King River Recreational Club which operates out of the King River Hall.

In c1950 the cottages were subdivided from the Pendeen Homestead estate. Although the cottage now exists as one house it was formerly two distinct and separate dwellings. However, though the two original houses were joined and an internal joining door was cut, the basic original structure of granite walls and jarrah floors remains largely unchanged. In the 1990s a large extension was added to the rear.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High
Authenticity: High/Moderate

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.