Muckross House Site

Statement of Significance

The site is important for its connection with the first European settlement of the area and for its association with pioneering families.

Physical Description

The Bell brothers built a stone house and stone sheds. A fine orchard was soon established across the creek which flowed past the homestead. Pools in this creek were used to wash sheep for many years. Luke later built a new house near the road. A plaque marks the site 30 metres east of the Great Southern Highway with a large lemon scented gum standing tall over the last remnants of the original homestead.

History

In 1892. Robert, Elijah and Luke Bell took up land about 2km south of Round Pool. This was named 'Muckross' after their mother's birthplace near the Killarney Lakes in Ireland. When their parents Richard and Johannah Bell left the Railway Hotel in Katanning they lived in the original home at 'Muckross' with their daughter Sarah who was to remain a spinster, and son John who was
also unmarried when he died at the age of 32 in 1909. He was ripped by a boar pig and died of septicaemia. It was here that Richard and Johannah were to spend their remaining days, both attaining the 'very ripe old age' of 91 years.
Sons, Robert and Luke were to find brides around Round Pool to Wilhelmina Severin in 1899 and Elizabeth Haddleton (1902) respectively. Luke and Elizabeth's wedding brought to light reminiscences of their mothers' who had both arrived from Ireland as young girls some 40 years before.

The brothers prospered on their property, developing it to one of the finest in the district. In 1905,
Robert left the partnership, preferring to strike out on his own portion 'Westbury' to the north of
'Bellevue'. The Bell's had purchased small holdings taken up by selectors like Barnett, Hogan and
Whitfield. They consolidated these into 'Bellevue' which by 1915 consisted of 3400 acres of prime
farming land - owning all the land immediately to the south and south west of the Woodanilling
townsite.

The family continued to purchase small farming properties and Luke and Elizabeth Bell eventually were able to place their four sons on properties of their own. In about 1920, Turner's farm near Marracoonda was bought and Luke's son, Albert (Bert), lived there and later Bert's son Allan. Richard (Dick) Bell, the eldest son, married Trish Johns and left to farm in the Dumbleyung area. He was captain of the Woodanilling cricket team who were prominent in the association, also being an all-round sportsman. Second son, Esmond, took over the Trimming's estate 'Woodlands'. Third son, Frank, inherited the home property 'Bellevue' on his father's death in 1948, but after several years he sold to Coombes and left the district. Lewis, the second youngest son, took over Sammy Robert's property near Queerearrup.

Although the descendants of the Bell's still farm in the shire, 'Bellevue', 'Muckross' and 'Westbury' have long since passed out of the family. The retirement of Elijah Bell caused the sale of a large piece of'Muckross' to R.A. Wise and 674 acres were also sold to Maugher's.

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