Old Bannister Town Military Barracks Site, Carter's Crossing

Statement of Significance

Notable as the site of one of the two military barracks established in the Williams area to 'protect' the first settlers.

Physical Description

Located at the foot of Kondenning, Katta Hill, facing east to the Williams River. An early map of the Williams River shows military barracks on Williams crown grant 'K' (Bannister townsite). These barracks appear at a position slightly to the rear of premises which were built at a much later date by Rev Joseph Withers and known as The Parsonage. A military post at that location would have afforded protection for JR Phillips, the settler on Williams crown grant T , whose homestead was almost opposite on the other side of the river. (1)

History

In 1836 Joseph Harris Junior and James Randall Phillips, who had previously visited the district as members of an exploring party, notified Governor James Stirling that they intended to settle in the Williams district. The Governor instructed Lieutenant Henry WM Bunbury, of the 21st, Fusiliers, to take a detachment of ten soldiers and escort the pioneers to the area of their choice. An additional task given Bunbury and his men was to find the best line to the two projected townsites of Bannister and Williamsburg on the Williams River. (2) On 28 May 1836, Phillips decided that for the present, at least, he would relinquish his intentions of establishing a farm in its immediate vicinity and that he would withdraw from the expedition. (3) John Randall Phillips returned to York with Lieutenant Bunbury's detachment when they withdrew from Williams River in May 1836. But he must have gone back to the Williams district later as on Saturday 8 June 1839, he is listed as Government resident at Williams River. Earlier than that, in March 1837, he is shown as owning crown grant Williams location 'I' of 4,500 acres which is situated just north of Bannister townsite on the Williams River. During November and December 1838, Alfred Hillman in one of his reports mentions the JR Phillips was still at Kondenning (Bannister townsite). (4) By the end of 1839, Phillips had left the Williams River. His going led to the redundancy of the military post at Kondenning on Bannister townsite. Consequently the military barracks were then closed leaving only one military post on the river - that at Williamsburg. (5) He was Government resident there from late 1837 to late 1839. During his sojourn he does not appear to have made any great attempt at farming. Perhaps he was not so keen as he had land interests near Perth. He owned Maddington station and could quite easily have had financial interests elsewhere. Crown grant 'I' was in 1861 sold to Alfred James Hillman, a surveyor, after whom Mount Hillman and Hillman River were named. After the death of Hillman this grant was transferred to his widow, Elizabeth Hillman, who in turn transferred it to Samuel Hamersley on 10 January 1885. (6)

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