Local Government
Gosnells
Region
Metropolitan
Bickley Rd, Boyle Lane, Maddington Road and Hardinge Road ORANGE GROVE
Mason and Bird Heritage Trail
Gosnells
Metropolitan
Constructed from 1864 to 1872
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 01 Jan 1998 | Category 2 | |
The alignments of the roads have historic value for their association with the Mason Mill and the Mason Bird tramway which developed the timber industry in the colony and the first in the district. The alignments of the roads have historic value for its association with early settler Benjamin Mason and architect Francis Bird who were significant to the establishment of the region.
The Mason Bird Heritage Trail originates at the Bickley Reservoir and consists of a walking trail through native bushland and extending through to the site of the former Mason’s Mill in Carmel. The majority of the track falls within the Shire of Kalamunda. The original path of the tramway within the Shire of Gosnells is now followed by Boyle Lane and Maddington Road which is of typical road construction.
In the early 1860s Benjamin Mason, a merchant of Perth, established a timber station on the Canning River at Mason's Landing. Timber from the surrounding area was pit-sawn and then transported on flat-bottomed barges via the Canning and Swan rivers to Fremantle or Perth. Realizing the limited potential that the area held compared to the thick stands of jarrah available in the Darling Range, Mason applied for a licence to cut timber near Bickley Brook, in what is today the suburb of Carmel. Upon obtaining his permit in 1864 Mason built his second timber mill, the Hills Station (also known as Mason's Mill). In 1870 Benjamin Mason took Francis Bird, a wellto-do young architect, newly arrived from England, as a partner. Bird put some £25,000 into the business and is considered to have been the designer of the timber tramway which stretched from Mason's Landing to the Hills Station. The 14km track was built by convict labour and took seven months to complete, at an estimated cost of £300 per mile. The tramway was opened by Governor Weld on 8 February 1872, and was the second railway to be opened in the state. Part of the tramway included a timber bridge over the Bickley Brook which is extant. The timber from Mason's Mill was used in a variety of projects throughout Perth and surrounds. The company was one of the largest in the state but struck financial difficulties and was dissolved. The track ceased to be used as a tramway c.1882. The track was known as 'Hardinge Road' after Thomas Henry Hardinge who owned property nearby. Evidence of the former track was still visible in the 1970s and a walk trail was established in 1988 as a bicentennial project.
High
Good
| Name | Type | Year From | Year To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Bird | Architect | 1870 | 1882 |
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| WA Heritage Committee, Mason and Bird Heritage Trail Brochure, 1988. | |||
| Pickering Brook Heritage Group website | http://pickeringbrookheritagegroup.com/home.html |
Historic Site
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | Transport\Communications | Road: Other |
| Original Use | FORESTRY | Other |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| PEOPLE | Early settlers |
| OCCUPATIONS | Timber industry |
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.