Whatanine Soak

Statement of Significance

It is significant due to tis association with the development of farming in the area and for its
connection with pioneering families.

Physical Description

The site is a short distance east of where the Cartmeticup Church was later built - being NE of
Cartmeticup Well and south of Woolkabunning Well. The soak is in the 'V of a junction of two
gullies, both of which have been replanted with trees in recent years. A well was excavated -
about 1 metre square and about 2 metres deep. When inspected before the first rains in May 2000
the water was about Vi metre below the surface. It is lined with timber and appears to have a solid
bottom with about 1/3 metre of silt. The top is covered with timber.

Remnant pear trees lie to the north east (100 metres) and the house site was 100 metres north on
the west side of the creek (glass and stone remnants mark this site).

History

The property around the well was taken up by Henry Bradbury and his wife, Mary Jane
Blackmore who had married in 1874. They spent the early part of their married lives working at
'Glencoe'. As well as doing contract work Henry and Mary engaged in cutting and carting
sandalwood. Mary and her sister Lizzie were both capable teamsters and in 1889, Alf Keirle, who
had recently arrived in Katanning, was surprised to see two women in charge of a team drawing a
load of sandalwood.

The Bradburys built their house at Whatanine Soak. The outer walls were constructed with
upright sheoak slabs plugged with mud. With the large family of 11 children, many rooms were
needed. Inside the house there was no passage and the family went through one room to get to the
next. The internal lining consisted of jute bags whitewashed with white clay. The house was
razed to the ground in the big fire of 1925, when a wddfire from the neighbouring property came
through. The house had previously been burned and re-built. In this earlier fire, Lizzie,
Bradbury's daughter, and her child were burned to death and were laid to rest on the property.
Young Henry and William took over the farm after their father's death and lived here until the big
fire of 1925. Henry sold his team of horses to Whiteside and abandoned the farm, but was to
remain in the Cartmeticup area until 1954 working for the Haddletons and the Crossleys.

The eldest daughter, Fanny Alice, married Edward (Teddy) Lee, a sailor who had arrived in the
area in the 1880's. Lee worked as a sandalwood cutter. With the decline in the sandalwood trade,
Lee (like the Bradburys) took the advantage of the new land policy and selected a block between
W Pattersons and Bradburys. Here their large family (six daughters and three sons) were raised
and with the new school at Cartmeticup soon built nearby, they did not have far to walk to have
schooling. Eventually, the family, with the exception of Eddy (who lived on the farm until the
1940's) departed the district, while another son Jimmy did not return from the war.

Like Whiteside's farm, it was incorporated into the old Manna Flats property (directly south of it)
and when this old selection was purchased by the Shackley's for Des and Marlene and family it
became known as "Whatamine".

Integrity/Authenticity

original materials; most

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.