Glencoe House Site

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Statement of Significance

The building is important for its connection with the first European settlement of the area and for its association with pioneering families. The building is a fine example of the style, construction methods and use of building materials in this period.

Physical Description

Remnants marking the site include an ancient Mulberry tree and large pepper tree. The structure became unstable and unsafe in the early 1980's and was demolished by the current owner. The well which supplied the house was just to the east. This had a large (6m square) opening and was lined with sheoak (4" diameter). Over the years it had gradually caved in and a dam was constructed on the site (also incorporates part of the house site). However no seepage was evident in the dam - perhaps being sealed over by clay. Further east are chimney remnants of an old cottage. The homestead had a thatched straw roof with sheoak and pug walls.

History

This selection was made by Michael Cronin and was an outpost of European civilisation for many years. Michael Cronin, then 13, was one of five children who had emigrated from County Cork, Ireland with their parents in 1855. Tragedy struck within a month of their arrival when their mother Margaret Cronin died. The father, Patrick, found employment as a bricklayer and the eldest son, John (aged 14), learnt this trade which he was to practice successfully in the years to follow. Michael attended Bishop's School, Perth and upon leaving was engaged in the bakery trade until the family moved to Pinjarra. In the early 1860's the two brothers came south with John building in the Arthur River and Kojonup areas while Michael worked on a farm for two years before he took up Solomon Drolf s lease at Mallitup. It was not long before the brothers were to find wives to share their lonely lives. In 1866 Michael married Eleanor Noonan and the following year John married Eliza McKenna, daughter of the first policeman at Eticup Station. Michael Cronin in August 1874 decided to move from Mallitup to east of Round Pool and applied for a special occupation lease (this was later to be Location 219) and moved all his interests to his new home at Glencoe and brother John left to start a new life for his family at Bunkin, north of the Dumbleyung Lake. In November 1884 Michael's wife Eleanor died in childbirth and the five black party frocks which she had so carefully sewn for her five daughters during her confinement were worn for the first time at her funeral at Kojonup. It fell on the three oldest Cronin girls Agnes, Eleanor and Mary, to take charge of the Cronin household. As they were the oldest of the 10 children they had become accustomed to helping with the household as each two years in the past there had been an addition to the family. So in the same way as their brothers became almost legendary horsemen in later years, the girls were renowned for their cooking ability and hospitality. This family tradition was carried forward and it was said by the old timers that the Cronins had fed half the district at one time or another.. The death of Michael Cronin at Glencoe in 1931 came as a sad loss to the district. His presence had been a bridge between the old pioneering days of the Colony and the new century. As a Justice of the Peace he had sat on the bench at the Katanning Court on many occasions. His son, Frank, lived in the old cottage at Glencoe, which served as a school in the old days for the Cronin children, which had been built at the same time as the main Glencoe Homestead. The property passed to Lindsay Cronin after the death of his bachelor uncles, Don and Frank. Lindsay's father, Eddy farmed at Paringa which was a few miles to the Southwest, opposite Bill Cronin's Yelyelling farm. Eddy's other brother, Harry, farmed at Nyabing for many years.

Integrity/Authenticity

Site Only

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Glencoe P.O. Site

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

The site is significant due to its association with postal deliveries and with pioneering families

Physical Description

Remnants marking the site include an ancient Mulberry tree and large pepper tree. The structure became unstable and unsafe in the early 1980's and was demolished by the current owner. The well which supplied the house was just to the east. This had a large (6m square) opening and was lined with sheoak (4" diameter). Over the years it had gradually caved in and a dam was constructed on the site (also incorporates part of the house site Further east is chimney remnants of an old cottage. The homestead had a thatched straw roof with sheoak and pug walls.

History

The Glencoe property pioneered by Michael Cronin in 1874 was an outpost of European settlement for many years. The isolation broken only by the passing of the occasional sandalwood cutter or carter. In time several families ventured into the area and the opening of the Great Southern Railway in 1889 brought a new impetus for settlement. The Cronins participated actively in the affairs of the new town of Katanning in preference to the closer, but smaller Round Pool settlement. Michael Cronin was a vounding member of the Katanning Road Board and was later to strongly oppose the excision of part of that territory to form the Woodanilling Road Board. Perhaps Cronin's loyalties lay with the Katanning Board, as he was a prime mover in the creation of this Board in 1892, as in May 1891 he was appointed by a public meeting to organise signatures for a petition to the Government. When Surveyor Oxley marked the Dumbleyung- Katanning Road in 1891 he noted that the road was called 'Cronin's Road' even near Moojeping. The early resident's connection with the outside world was through the weekly mail service from Katanning. The service commenced in January 1892 with WR Harvey conveying the mail from Katanning PO to Michael Cronin's and vice versa, calling in at the homesteads enroute on horse back. At the Glencoe end, Michael Cronin's home continued to be used for many years as an unofficial post office, with settlers not serviced by mail delivery, both receiving and leaving mail at 'Glencoe'. The district took the name "Glencoe" with the school, oval and rifle range all bearing this name. Michael Cronin's third daughter added to the significance of the family establishment. Mary, equally at home at her father's, side, accompanying him on sandalwood expeditions and became an expert on native flora which she would press and sent to botanists in the Eastern colonies. Three shrubs are thought to have been named in her honour - Consperum, Croninae, Daviesia Croniniana and Traehymene Croniniana. The death of Michael Cronin at 'Glencoe' in 1931 came as a sad loss to the district. His presence had been a bridge between the old pioneering days of the Colony and the new century. As a Justice of the Peace he had sat on the bench at the Katanning Court on many occasions. His son, Frank, lived in the old cottage at Glencoe, which served as a school in the old days for the Cronin children, which had been built at the same time as the main 'Glencoe'. The property passed to Lindsay Cronin after the death of his bachelor uncles, Don and Frank. Lindsay's father, Eddy farmed at 'Paringa' which was a few miles to the south west, opposite Bill Cronin's 'Yelyelling' form.

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Bookabunning Soak

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Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

The site is significant for its association with pioneering families.

Physical Description

The site is a short distance east of where the Cartmeticup Church was later built - being NE of Cartmeticup Well and south of Woolkabunning Well. It is situated to the west of the farm house and is about 100 metres west of the old Bookabunning Homestead (one remaining wall is used as a tennis bit wall). All that remains is a slight depression in the ground - just to the north of a poplar tree. Remnants of a once thriving orchard are in the proximity.

History

The name is derived from the Aboriginal word 'Booka' meaning cloak. The place was selected by John Cornelius who arrived from Red Hill in SA in the late 1890's. By this time his children were mostly grown up and with the help of their five sons and three daughters, the 'Bookabunning' farm was developed. Tom (Tracy) Cornelius later took over the property and had a substantial orchard. Two of Tracy's older brothers, Edward (Ted) and Harris, also had properties in the area, while Jack farmed near Boyerine until about 1935. The other brother, Mark, was killed in the Great War. Tracy Cornelius was one of the original members of the Woodanilling Roads Board serving until 1915. Early in 1926, he leased Bookabunning to Reg Crosby (who was the only son of Frederick and Bertha Crosby) being bom at Katanning in 1900. His father had come to the Great Southern as a construction worker on the railway, but liked the look of the district and decided to go on the land. He selected land from the Land Company about a mile west of Katanning. In the meantime he had engaged in sandalwood cutting and carting with Tom Garstone who became a life long friend. Crosby was elected to the first Katanning Road Board and later became its Chairman. He was also an originator in the formation of the Katanning Masonic Lodge (1898), Katanning Farmer's and Settler's Association (1894) Agricultural Society and in the construction of the Agricultural Hall. Reg Crosby enlisted when only 16 years old in the 10th Light Horse and served in the Middle East before returning in 1920. He worked about the district shearing, clearing and share farming for several years. Then in 1925 he married Mabel Fidock and in April the following year moved to 'Bookabunning' at the beginning of the 1929-33 depression. During this period four sons (Ross, Melville, Les and Ivan) were born. The Crosby's were probably more fortunate than some others at this because of the well established orchard left by Cornelius. In June 1946, Reg Crosby was elected to the Woodanilling Road Board to which he dedicated a great amount of time and devotion. Later he was to become Road Board Chairman and Shire President. In 1960, Reg and Mabel went to live in Katanning and despite poor health, Reg continued to serve on the Woodanilling Shire spending a lot of time at meetings and conferences. In 1964, Ivan took over the farm, Reg's health was failing and in September 1964 he passed away. Ivan Crosby renamed the farm 'Glenrose'. The original name had been taken from the Bookabunning Soak near the house.

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Samuel Blackmore's grave

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Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

The place is significant as it is a burial site - one of a number of lonely graves in the Shire.

Physical Description

No evidence of the grave site remains. It is believed to be near the creek below the homestead site

History

In 1875 Samuel Blackmore, his wife Catherine and children (Mary and Thomas) took a selection on Yellyellan Gully which they named "Bamboo". When Blackmore died he was buried on the property. Samuel Blackmore had arrived in the colony only shortly before his marriage to Catherine Glynn (an Irish lass) in York in 1848. Blackmore worked as a labourer for Chas Heal, a farmer at York, till the 1860's. It is said that they travelled to the Yowangup locality in 1869. Their daughter, Mary Jane (born 1849) grew up helping her father and from an early age became very proficient at driving the bullock teams. Mary met a contract worker at Coompatine, Henry Bradbury, and the couple were married about 1874. While the Blackmores lived at 'Jamboo' and farmed their small selection, Samuel Blackmore was engaged in the sandalwood trade in his bullock and horse teams continued to be a familiar sight for many years even after the founding of the township of Katanning in 1889. A son, Thomas, had been born in 1859 at York married Stephen Hale's daughter Dora Agnes at Arthur River in August 1891. However, two years later she was to die in childbirth, while Thomas himself died relatively young at Katanning in 1907. Thomas, had shifted from Kojonup to Broomehill with his brother-in-law John Delaney in 1895. The pair spent the next few years carting supplies to Southern Cross, Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie and Menzies. His son Stephen served as a stretcher bearer with the 28th Battalion and was awarded the Military Medal. Lance Corporal Blackmore was the first Kojonup serviceman to return home with distinction (in September 1918).

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Glencoe School Site

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Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

The site is closely associated with the provision of schooling in the district.

Physical Description

Situated on the Church Site on the ESE corner of the Shire boundary 4kms south of Oxley Road. A plaque was erected here on 29 October 1983 by the Katanning CWA. The reserve is bushland with four large sugar gums marking the comers of the school site

History

As early as 1899 approaches had been made regarding the establishment of a school in the Glencoe area. When the original Cartmeticup school was build in 1901, it supplied most of the immediate needs of the area. However, by 1905 there were fresh demands for the establishment of a 'Provisional School' at or near Glencoe. The application by Michael Cronin, Albert Bain and AE Elliot suggested the name for the school to be either Glencoe or Glen Urquhurt. It was also said that Mrs Kelly would board a teacher for 15 shillings per week. At this time the four White children went to the Cartmeticup School some five miles from Glencoe. They seldom got more than half a day's schooling because of the distance to be travelled by horse and cart. The new proposed site would only be two miles distant. Nothing happened until the application by John Kelly with 17 potential students was approved in October 1907. The school on Kelly's Road was built by Mr Hull at a cost of 143 pounds and was completed in early April the following year. In May 1908, the teacher, M Ross, commenced lessons. Miss Ross lived with the E Cronin family but resigned only four months later and another teacher (Eva Sheridan) was not appointed until the following year. The coldness of the unlined building may have been the reason for the resignation of Miss Ross. On 5 August when Miss Ross arrived at school, she found the ink was frozen in the ink wells. Over the next two years the numbers at Glencoe school fell below the eight required to keep it open on a full time basis. So in 1911, Martin Fox was appointed to conduct schools at Glencoe and Woolkabin on alternate weeks. Woolkabin's numbers dropped when the Kenward family left and so was closed in September 1916. Glencoe now reverted back to a full time basis and the new status justified replacing the roof of the school in 1917. The school was temporarily closed in April 1927 by the withdrawal of the two Harris children. The eldest who was only six used to drive her young brother (4) to school. (The 4 year old was only sent to keep the school open). One day the horse bolted, throwing the two children out. Mrs Harris was prepared to have the teacher board with her if she drove her children to school as Dorothy Lavis had done previously. Although numbers of children at Glencoe remained a problem, the slutting of the Cartmeticup School some five miles north of the original site in 1926 helped keep Glencoe open until the end of 1944. After the closure of the school, the Baptist Church hired the building to hold fortnightly church services. The building had been inspected with the view of moving it to another site but it was found to be too old and weak to move. The gazetted area was then changed from a school site to a church site with a lease for 999 years. The building remained at Glencoe where it was used for monthly Baptist services until December 1968. A year or so later, the corrugated iron building was removed and rebuilt as a holiday cottage at the Baptist holiday camp, Camp Kennedy (Torbay) where it is still known as 'Glencoe'.

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Glencoe Oval

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Statement of Significance

The site is important for its association with the development of recreational activities in the district

Physical Description

Is situated on a reserve (former) on the south east side of Oxley Road. The oval's centre is some 250 metres from this road. Remnants of a concrete cricket pitch are still evident. Contrary to the normal practice of wickets running north and south, this pitch is more east to west., probably due to the flatter nature of this orientation, as there is a marked slope away from the road in the direction of Bellakin Hill. Some remnants of galvanised iron are on the site - it is uncertain whether these are from the shed and toilets which were on the reserve. The reserve area carries large wandoo trees but the oval is still cleared and currently cultivated.

History

The oval takes its name from Glencoe homestead selection of the area's first settler Michael Cronin. Usage of the oval is uncertain - certainly some football and cricket matches were played here and possibly it was also the site of sports/social events related to the Glencoe School. As the Woodanilling football team played its Association matches on a Saturday, some social/scratch matches were held here on a Sunday against the locals. Frank Shackley played in at least one such match and recalled the scoring end was the southern end and it was all down hill that way with the goals being at the north and south ends of the oval.

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Yelyelling Homestead

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Statement of Significance

The building is important for its connection with the first European settlement of the area and for its association with pioneering families. The building is a fine example of the style, construction methods and use of building materials in this period.

Physical Description

Large building situated about 50 metres north of Yellyellan Gully from which it takes it name. It has stone exterior walls with mud pug and mud batt interior walls. On the western end a corner fire place served the end two rooms. A central passage led to the rooms either side.

History

Yelyelling was the home of William Cronin who erected the dwelling in 1902. In 1956 it was bought by Tom Catling who had the neighbouring Carramar (formerly Naveena) farm. It comprised 340 acres and included the Jamboo selection of Samuel Blackmore (Location 113). William (Bill) was the fifth child (and eldest son) of Michael and Ellen Cronin being born in 1873. He married Eleanor Hassell and died .in July 1955. He was friendly with Tom Haddleton and the pair built the old Oxley Road bridge at Yairibin and was perhaps instrumental in Haddleton purchasing Naveena in 1920. Bill Cronin was highly respected and his appearance was distinguished with a wide handle bar moustache.

Integrity/Authenticity

Original Material: Some

Condition

Poor

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Glencoe Rifle Range Site

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Statement of Significance

The site is important for its association with the development of recreational activities in the district.

History

Rifle shooting was a popular pastime in early times and was encouraged by the Commonwealth Government as it was seen as adding to the nations defence capacity. In 1914 the Woodanilling Rifle Club had 68 members and the sport was so popular that a second range was being booted, but the war was to intervene.

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