Beaufort Homestead

Child Places

• 23488 Beaufort Shearing Shed
• 23489 Beaufort Well
• 23487 Beaufort Blacksmith Shop
• 23485 Beaufort Cottage
• 23530 Beaufort Store
• 23535 Beaufort Well
• 23527 Beaufort Blacksmith Shop
• 23529 Beaufort Shearing Shed
• 23542 Beaufort Cottage
• 23486 Beaufort Store
• 23540 Beaufort Blacksmith Shop

Statement of Significance

The building is important for its connection with the first European settlement of the area and for its association with pioneering families. The building is a fine example of the style, construction methods and use of building materials in this period.

Physical Description

The Beaufort Station homestead has had several additions during the last 140 years since first built around 1860. Described by "Cyclopaedia of WA (Vol II) in 1913: "The Beaufort homestead was
typical of the old established country home of superior class. The 10 rooms had the greatest possible comfort and possessed home-like graces and there are few to equal it in the countryside. The outbuildings — woolshed, machinery shelters and stables are in scale and are equal to those erected in the old countries with many centuries of civilisation ".

Further alternations and additions have occurred since that time during the ownership of the Anderson family and recently the Carter family has restored the homestead.

History

The building is a part of a precinct on 'The Beaufort' comprising in total the homestead and nine outbuildings. The precinct was established by William Cornwall in the late 1850's/early 1860's.

Cornwall named his property after the Beaufort River which ran through the pastoral lease first taken out by J Monger (sen) in 1852 and later transferred to Cornwall in 1858. Prior to formally gaining this lease, Cornwall selected a number of blocks (location 9, 10, 11) to afford him longer term security. William Cornwall left the 'Beaufort' homestead in 1875 to make his home at
Williams where he was the licensee of the hotel. Part of the 'Beaufort' was leased to Hegarty's and possibly Bennett and the remainder was patrolled over by shepherds working for Cornwall.

When Thomas, the oldest son left 'finishing school' at Fremantle, he returned to the Beaufort. In early 1882, before his nineteenth birthday, young Tom was given the management of the Beaufort Station. In 1882 the 700 acres of freehold and the 60,000 acres of leasehold was transferred to him.. In 1893 he married Annie Munday, daughter of a Greenough pioneer. The couple built a
new homestead at Queerearrup Lake ('Lakeside') in 1913. While living at the 'Beaufort' Thomas astutely procured blocks on the old station area and by 1913 the Beaufort Station consisted of 16,000 acres of which 6000 acre's were cleared and all but 1000 had been ring barked.

Their son, Beaufort, later lived at the station until his death at a relatively early age in the 1950's. The Station was then divided into two properties - the Anderson family from Katarining buying the homestead section and Joe Forsyth the western portion. Anderson later sold to Scanlon's and in 1993, after the property was auctioned, Neville and Leonie Carter became the owners.

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.