‘Red House’ Homestead

Statement of Significance

Aesthetic Value – Importance for its contribution to the aesthetic values of the setting demonstrated by a landmark quality or having impact on important vistas. Aesthetic Value – Importance for its creative, design or artistic excellence, innovation or achievement. The building is a fine example of the vernacular architecture from the period. Historic Value – Importance for close associations with an individual whose life, works or activities have been significant within the history of the locality. The dwelling is important as it was built by one of the early pioneers of the district Charles Thomas Wheelock. Social Value – Importance in contributing to a community’s sense of place.

Physical Description

A hipped roofed dwelling with a surrounding partly enclosed verandah. The bricks used in the construction of the house were hand made locally. The original owners were the Wheelocks.

History

The Red House was built around 1883 in what was known as Yankee Town about three miles from the town centre. It was built by Charles Wheelock for his bride to be Jessie Nevin McJannet whom he married in 1885. They had six girls and two boys, the first child being the third white child to be born in Carnarvon. Their child May Elizabeth born in 1886 lived for seventy eight years in Carnarvon. Bricks were handmade mud bricks from the red soil. The house was renovated by Ann and Mike Kerswill and a portion of the mud brick section was left for tourists and interested people to see. The Cotton Palm is almost as old as the house having been planted by the Wheelocks from a seedling brought home in Charles Wheelock’s saddle bag from a droving trip and nurtured through drought seasons by Jesse. At one time, Aboriginal mothers and children used to hide and sleep under the beds in the Red House for fear of the ‘Gum mint’ (government) Man coming to get them (a law at that time was to separate the Aboriginal children from their mothers). The Red House is one of the few remaining homesteads and has stood for over 100 years through cyclones, floods and droughts and should continue to do so for much longer.

Integrity/Authenticity

High/High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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