St Leonard's Estate

Child Places

• 02459 St Leonard's Homestead

Values

• The place is a representative example of an early colonial estate which includes remnants of two periods of occupation, potentially occupied by differing social classes: 1829-1841 and c.1842 to present.
• The place is associated with the Barrett Lennard family (1829 to 1918), particularly Edward Pomeroy Barrett Lennard, who acquired the land with the establishment of the Swan River Colony, and his grandson George Barrett Lennard who was a prominent viticulturalist in the region and helped establish the exportation of grapes to overseas markets.
• The place has the potential through archaeological investigation to reveal information about the lifestyles of early settlers and agricultural practices during the settlement of the Swan River Colony, including what began as a large, successful farming operation but ultimately led the fall of its wealthy owner.
• The place has the potential, through archaeological investigation, to reveal information about the development of vineyards in the region in the late nineteenth and early twentieth-century.
• The place is representative of the patterns of settlement and development in the Swan Valley region, from large land holdings with the establishment of the Swan River Colony to the subdivision of these estates between 1900 and 1919 to provide farming land for newcoming settlers.

Physical Description

St Leonard’s Estate comprises two residential lots in West Swan, bounded by George Street to the west and Edward Street to the south. Elements include the main homestead (c.1842), with the earliest portion constructed with rammed earth. A verandah with redbrick flooring surrounds this part of the building. Internally, there is a kitchen, bathroom, dining and living areas, and several bedrooms. A brick extension (c.1950s; modified c.1995), containing five rooms and a double garage, is connected to the original building by an alfresco area. Other structures include a small, corrugated iron structure (likely pre-1953) at the rear of the homestead and a large steel indoor riding shed (c.2013). An outdoor riding area (c.1995) straddles both lots. There is a driveway from Edward Street leading to the property, flanked by olive trees mostly on the right. A cleared paddock is bound by Edward and George Streets. Marri and Jarrah trees are also located on the property.

History

St Leonard’s Estate is within Whadjuk Noongar Booja. Noongar people living around the Swan Valley in the pre-and early contact period can be broadly described as comprising small family groups moving through the landscape in response to seasonal change. The Swan River itself, known to the Noongar as the Derbal Yerrigan, was of significance as a source of food and water, location for trade and meetings, and as the home of the Waggyl, the spiritual serpent associated with social law, new life, and fresh water. The traditional way of life of the Whadjuk people began to be disrupted with the arrival of British colonists. Establishment of St Lennard’s Estate After explorations of the Swan River region in 1827, Captain James Stirling arrived with British colonists in 1829 and established the Swan River Colony. Colonists received long ‘ribbon’ grants along the banks of the Swan River, with a small amount of frontage providing access to more fertile soils. St Leonard’s Estate is within Swan Location H. One of the effects of the colonists settling along the river was taking up land, access to water, and resources that were relied upon by the local Noongar people which often resulted in conflict. This led to much violence and many deaths, including that of Midgegooroo, a senior and respected Noongar man, and his son Yagan, who both resisted settlement. Edward Pomeroy (E.P) Barrett Lennard arrived in the Swan River Colony on 23 June 1829. The fifth son of a wealthy English baronet, Barrett Lennard arrived with six servants and was permitted to select 13,220 acres of land. Barrett Lennard established himself on the Swan River and by December 1829 was residing at the farm which he named ‘St Leonard’s’. That same year, Barrett Lennard was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the Guildford district, and later as a commanding officer of the Voluntary Yeomanry in 1831. Barrett Lennard left the colony in August 1836 and returned in May 1839 with his new wife Elizabeth Frances Graham, their first-born child, and a nephew. The St Leonard’s homestead was the centre of Barrett Lennard’s farming ventures. Surveys in 1836 and 1841 indicate the estate comprised many structures, with river and brook levee gardens and wheat planted on the river flood plains. In November 1841, the thatched roof of the 1829 homestead caught fire, destroying the eight-roomed dwelling, separate kitchen, dairy, and store. Following the fire, Barrett Lennard and his family lived with William Brockman at Herne Hill before moving back to St Leonard’s Estate. It is believed the family moved into one of their servant’s dwellings (Thomas O’Neill at Upper Spring farm), a rammed earth and shingle-roofed homestead, located on the right bank of St Leonard’s Brook , which is thought to be the extant structure within St Leonard’s Estate. A painting from c.1840s shows St Leonard’s Estate featuring the main homestead and other structures surrounded by trees. Elizabeth and four of their children went back to England in 1854 leaving her husband behind and did not return to the colony. Their sons Edward Graham and Robert St Aubyn remained at St Leonard’s with their father. Barrett Lennard appears to have been quite successful in his farming ventures, controlling nearly 30,000 acres in the Swan and Avon Valleys by 1865. However, in 1866 he was declared bankrupt, and his land, stock and goods were sold by public auction. Some assets were purchased by John Wall Hardy, his son Edward Graham’s father-in-law. Barrett Lennard remained at St Leonard’s Estate, reportedly in a small mud cottage close to the main homestead, until his death in 1878. After his father’s death, Edward Graham and his family continued to live at St Leonard’s Estate. The place remained in John Hardy’s ownership until 1888 when Edward Graham regained several of his father’s properties before his own death that year. St Leonard’s Estate was then transferred to Edward Graham’s son, George Hardey Barrett Lennard, who became a prominent viticulturalist in the Swan Valley region. Viticulture in Swan Valley Region By 1896 George Barrett Lennard had established a vineyard at St Leonard’s Estate, and later extended this to another estate he named ‘Belhus’. His prosperity in viticulture was commended in local press, particularly highlighting irrigation techniques and the use of modern equipment. By 1905, there were approximately 60 acres of vineyard at St Leonard’s Estate. He grew predominantly table grapes for local supply, but he soon ventured into exporting grapes to overseas markets. George Barrett Lennard resided with his family at the homestead until his death in 1917. By December that year, St Leonard’s Estate was advertised for sale by public auction, including the homestead and 124 acres of vineyard, with about 80 acres served by irrigation. Population increases in the State from the 1890s saw further expansion in the Swan Valley region. Following the gold rushes, many miners left Kalgoorlie to settle in the Perth metropolitan area, causing a demand for small farms. Between 1900 and 1919, many early land estates were subdivided, including St Leonard’s Estate, with new lots available for purchase from 1918. The Government also offered financial assistance to returning soldiers to purchase land within the former estate. 1950s onward In 1951, the homestead and 45 acres of the original estate was purchased by Carnarvon pastoralist R.G. Hall. By this time, several additions had been made to the c.1842 homestead, including the construction of wide verandahs and red-brick structures. Aerial photography from 1953 shows the ‘C shaped’ homestead facing George Street, with another structure to the rear of the main building. The remaining site was cleared, apart from several trees surrounding and leading to the homestead along the access road from Edward Street. An article from 1896 described the ‘olive shaded avenue leading to the commodious homestead’ suggesting these trees within St Leonard’s Estate date from at least the 1890s, but they are likely older given their apparent size at this time. St Leonard’s Estate was purchased by the Pavlinovich family in 1962. As well as a family home, the place has been used as a riding school, function centre, and branch of Riding for the Disabled. Numerous works were completed to the homestead in the 1980s, including replacing the wooden verandahs, and overhauling the drainage system to prevent wall cracking. Aerial imagery shows several trees west of the homestead were removed by 1989. By 1995, there were new additions to the homestead, and a riding area was established west of the residence. A large steel riding shed was constructed in 2013. The property was sold in 2024 and continues to be used as a private residence.

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