Kunmallup Well

Statement of Significance

It is important as an early settlement site and its association with pioneer families.

Physical Description

Is situated some 400 metres SW of Kunmallup Hill. The well is stoned with the shell rising about V2 metre above ground level. The depth of the well is V/i-2 metres below ground level and has a diameter of about 3 metres. Its supply is still plentiful and services the drinking and general needs of three households at Kunmallup. Its location was the obvious reason for the building of the old Kunmallup homestead, (some 30 metres to the SE) and the establishment of the Kunmallup Orchard to the west.

History

The origin of the name is the Aboriginal work 'kumal' for brush tail possum. The original pastoral lease of 5000 acres surrounding the well was taken up by William Noonan in January 1873. This was extended (to the north) as lease A177 by Owen Hale the following year. The site around the well being surveyed as location 93 for Hale on 5 December 1883. Previously (in 1877) Michael Quinn from 'Glenfield' Williams had taken over the lease. In the late 1880's it was transferred to William Knott. Hale around this time moved to the Old 131 mile Police Barracks where he established a tannery. (Following complaints he was forced to remove his tannery from the Government reserve surrounding the 131 mile well) (2). Knott died and his widow and daughter continued to live on the small isolated holding. Later she re-married a kangaroo shooter named MacDonald. Near the well was a well established orchard. In the early 1900's, John Merrit who lived north of Kunmallup, leased the orchard to provide fruit for his whisky brewing. The apples and grapes were picked green and hard with large amounts of sugar being added. It was a successful venture until the police intervened. In 1914 EC Leggoe closed his auctioneering and agency business in York and bought 'Kunmallup'. Due to the isolation his wife and children lived in Woodanilling being joined on the weekends by Leggoe. At this time the property was small, encompassing the Kunmallup and Kenine Hills - a small pocket of rich country with some 500 acres of light plain to the west. Unlike most of his predecessors, Leggoe's approach to land selection and poison eradication was different. He selected large areas on a face, regardless of land type or poison, reasoning that the cheaper price and usage of gangs of Aboriginal labour would make it an economic proposition. Soon the area selected reached 52,000 acres including much land west of the Albany Road. To help finance this immense venture, Leggoe took a partner - EB Anderson of Katanning. When in 1918 Leggoe sold his interest in Kunmallup to Anderson the property totalled 11,000 acres. Later owners included AH Dickson, Schmidt, E Forbes, Roland Parker, Flanagan and Jackson (Tom Flanagan sold his share to the Fowler Bros from Williams in 1950 and built the Beaufort River tearooms) and finally the present owner H. Thomson. (3)

Integrity/Authenticity

Original Materials: few

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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