Brooklands

Statement of Significance

Brooklands is a good and substantial example of a Victorian Regency homestead house with spacious wrap around verandahs and turned verandah posts. Historically, it is one of the first properties taken up in the district and illustrates the operation and extent of the early pastoral leases in the area. It is also important for its association with the first owner of the land, Walter Padbury and his brother, Edwin, who first developed the property, and subsequent owners William Spencer and Charles Brockman, for whom the house was constructed.

Physical Description

Brooklands is a substantial single-storey, brick and corrugated iron farmhouse in the Victorian Regency style (although constructed in the Federation period). It is set on sloping land in the Blackwood Valley with cleared land in front and forest behind. The front facade is symmetrical with a central timber front door with side lights and highlights and two pairs of French doors on either side. The roof is a moderately pitched hip and a deep verandah surrounds the house.

History

In the early 1860s, Walter Padbury purchased some freehold land and leased a larger area for pastoral purposes in the Balingup district. His brother, Edwin (b. 1811) undertook the initial development of the property known at this period as Padbury’s Brook, including erection of a six room homestead and a workers’ house (both brick construction), a barn, stables and stockyards etc.. In January 1876, Edwin died. In April, William Spencer (b. 1825) purchased the property for £4,000, took up residence, and named it ‘Brooklands’. In late 1881 - early 1882, it was offered for sale or lease, and George Dowden purchased it. In 1886, ‘Brooklands Estate’, which comprised 1961 acres freehold and 18,280 acres leasehold land at this date, was sold to well known pastoralist Charles Samuel Brockman (b. Guildford, 1845, d. 1923), who married Dowden’s eldest daughter, Jane, in that year. Fred Lukis came to manage the pastoral property for Brockman. In 1898, the townsite of Balingup was taken out of the ‘Brooklands Estate’. In c. 1901, the Brockman family moved to ‘Brooklands’ and took up residence in the house there. In 1904, a fine new homestead, constructed of bricks baked on the property, was built by a man named O’Brien for an agreed sum of £800 ($1,600), with a bonus of £100 ($200) to be paid if completed by Christmas, which he achieved. The house comprised five bedrooms, a large lounge, large dining room, hallway, kitchen, pantry, laundry, bathroom, workroom etc., with wide verandahs on all sides. The Brockmans took up residence in the new house, and his employees, the Delaportes, moved into the original homestead (fate unknown). Brockman had three workman's cottages built near the road for his employees. In 1911, Brockman retired to ‘Sandridge’ (near Bunbury) and sold ‘Brooklands’ to Wedge and Lowe, who later sold it to Lee Allnutt. Post-World War I, the Government acquired Brooklands Estate for soldier settlement and sub-divided it into blocks about 130 acres (54 h.a.) in area, which proved too small to be viable. V. P. Widdup, purchased the homestead block, and took up residence in the homestead. Later he increased his holding to 317 acres (132 h.a.), which was leased to Dick Cause for a period before Widdup sold ‘Brooklands’ to the Universal Brotherhood in 1975. The Universal Brotherhood established their commune on the property, using the homestead as the administration block, and erected some other buildings at the place.

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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