Local Government
Woodanilling
Region
Great Southern
There no heritage location found in the Google fusion table.
Location
Flagstaff Rd Wardering
Location Details
Other Name(s)
(Billie Light)
Construction Date
Demolition Year
N/AStatutory Heritage Listings
| Type | Status | Date | Documents | More information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
Other Heritage Listings and Surveys
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | More information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Description | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 18 Mar 2003 | Category 5 |
Category 5 |
|
Statement of Significance
The site is significant due to its association with the horticultural industry in the district and with pioneering families.
Physical Description
The vineyard comprised almost 50 acres and extended East and West along Flagstaff Road to the crest in the hill (about 700m) either side of a small swamp area near the corner of Flagstaff and about 1km North-South along Flagstaff Road (towards Douglas Road).
The drying shed with racks (an open sided structure) was situated towards the NE edge of Billie Light Swamp - it had a track leading to it from Flagstaff Road.
Nothing remains except some remnants of the trellis wires/posts lying on the salt pan.
History
When fully established, this was perhaps the biggest vineyard in the State at the time producing excellent sultana and current grapes.
Prior to farming Billie Light had been a penciller to Andy Wight, a bookmaker. Both settled west of Woodanilling (Wight to the south of Carters 'Horseshoe' property). After service in the Great War, both returned to farming and were in partnership for a period.
A Dried Fruit Board was instituted about 1929 and the currants and sultanas had to be packed in cases and railed to the board. The Depression caused a slump in demand and prices fell. Coupled with this were poor seasonal conditions generally during the 1930's.
Severe frosts in the spring, sometimes as late as October, checked the young growth flowering and setting of fruits. Rain and hail during January for several years also played havoc with the crop when it was nearly ready to pick and place on the drying trays. The quality and quantity was greatly reduced by the bursting of berries and the shattering of bunches.
The shortage of labour during and after the Second World War when all the picking and pruning were done by hand made the districts vineyards unprofitable. After Light, McLean (Ada Douglas' husband) ran the vineyard as a commercial enterprise and then Dick Wilcox and family took over (Dick's sister was married to Archie Douglas). It seems that there was some internal family dispute over the matter. English lived here after Wilcox.
John Carter can remember that children picked grapes and paid same rate as adults - 3 shillings a box which was big money for them in those days as they could pick at same rate as adults.
Integrity/Authenticity
site only
References
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Bird, "Round Pool to Woodanilling", pp 209, 257 | 1985 | ||
| Photos: 15/7, 15/9, 5/24; "Round Pool to Woodanilling", pp 190, 249 | 1985 |
Place Type
Historic Site
Uses
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Original Use | OTHER | Other |
Historic Themes
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| OCCUPATIONS | Rural industry & market gardening |
Creation Date
10 Nov 2004Publish place record online (inHerit):
ApprovedLast Update
01 Jan 2017Disclaimer
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.