Cominin & Tampia - Narembeen Aged Homes

Child Places

• 24748 Tampia Aged Home
• 24770 Cominin Aged Home

Statement of Significance

The place has exceptional significance for the associations with explorers, and pastoralist pioneers. It represents the pastoral use of the land prior to the agricultural industry. The place was constructed of local materials and the architecture is a significant and rare example of its type in the region. It represents a way of life no longer practiced.

Physical Description

The plan of the homestead is an "H" shape with verandahs extending along the north and south faces in the middle sections of the "H". A separate kitchen is contemporary with the homestead, and in close proximity. The homestead and kitchen were constructed of local stone with a sapling structure for the roof. The interior walls show various applications of mud and render finishes. Part of the west facade, on the south end has been reconstructed with cement blocks. The east wall on the south end still shows evidence of the stonework being pointed.

History

SETTLEMENT PIONEERS In 1836 Surveyor General John Septimus Roe first led an expedition east of York, and described the Emu Hill district. In 1860 (2 May) the first major pastoralist venture in the district was undertaken by Charles Smith and his two sons near Emu Hill, while ER Parker established at Dangin with an outstation at Mount Stirling. Smith took up 80,000 acres in the most isolated outpost of the European settlement in the Colony at the time. After 1861 sandalwood licences were issued for the area, and sandalwood pullers worked through the area travelling tracks beaten through the natural bush by the native inhabitants. In a major expedition in 1863, Henry Maxwell Lefroy travelled through the Narembeen district. In the days before his departure from York, he had despatched a supply to Smith's pastoral station "Narimbeen" along a track which became known as "Heal's track", and later, "old Beverley track". The rock near Charles Smith's was called Cominin, and he translated that to Cumminin which later replaced "Naribeen" as the station name, called the station. When Lefroy arrived at Narimbeen, William Harris was managing the station in Smith's absence. The exploration party travelled eastwards from Smith's for the first expedition by European people, and 80 days later returned to Smith's, concluding an important journey of discovery in Western Australia.
In 1866 when the aboriginal police assistant, Windich, journeyed to Smith's during the course of his duties, he reported that the place seemed to be abandoned. However during a visit in 1867 it had improved considerably, and in 1868, when Windich accompanied Charles Heal to his newly acquired property (12 December 1867) it looked abundant in feed. About this time, at Wogerlin Rock, Bateman's pastoral caretaker constructed a crofter's cottage. The construction bears similarities to the kitchen building of the Kumminin Homestead. In about 1867, Bateman employed emancipists too sink a well and construct a new homestead. The remains of which (never complete) bears comparison with the Kumminin homestead stonework. In 1868 George Walton and Charles Heal took over the Wogolin lease, which Walton took over in 1890.
Charles Heal was the Colonial born son of Charles Heal (senior) who had arrived in 1830 on the "Minstrel", and later became a successful "literate" farmer in the York district. Charles was one of twelve siblings, one other of which joined him in partnership at Cumminin, James.
Tommy Windich had previously accompanied Lefroy on his eastern expedition and later accompanied Alexander and John Forrest, and Charles Hunt on various expeditions.
Mr JH Monger assisted the Heal brothers financially in their settlement and purchase of sheep for Cumminin. During their first year the Heals employed two well sinkers to find supplies of fresh water for the stock, they were unsuccessful, and the brothers found water themselves.
Much of the land was jam country which is poisonous to stock. Heal's employed aboriginal shepherds, usually the women, to care for the sheep watching the sheep by day and yarding them at night. By 1880 they produced the first wheat crop on the property, and were running up to 5000 sheep which were driven to the Mackie and Avon Rivers to be washed prior to shearing. The brothers also bred Suffolk horses at Cumminin, assisted by Fred Mead, a young aboriginal who helped Charles to break the horses in. Sandalwood cutting and pulling was also a viable activity on the property. With a dry year in 1882, the Heal brothers purchased John Well's 640 acre property "Coraling", south of Parker's Dangin land, to provide a more permanent water supply for the Cumminin stock. In 1884 Charles extended the mud brick hut at Coraling to accommodate his bride. James married later and remained at Cumminin. The two properties were worked as one.
In the early 1890s the track eastwards from Beverley and York was one of the paths used by prospectors and gold seekers travelling to the goldfields, Kumminin being a destination and often a stop over point in a journey through the region, and many other tracks passed through.
In 1906 the Heal brothers transferred the Cumminin lease to a New South Wales solicitor, AF Crossman, who subsequently transferred to Frank Biddies, a master pearler of Broome in 1909. Less than seven months later, the Government resumed the property from Biddies in December 1909. During the time that Biddies owned the property, a well known Perth solicitor, Sinclair McGibbon, became interested in the property, and subsequently received compensation, and was allowed to retain 7000 acres freehold, of the 100,000 acre holding. McGibbon retained the homestead property, and it was henceforth known as Kumminin. During 1911, Angus Ferguson and Hugh Garmony were among the six men erecting the rabbit proof fence through the Kumminin property. Garmony later took up land in Narembeen after the war, and was instrumental in establishing monthly pig sales during the Depression years.
In 1912 the "Sunday Times" agricultural reporter stayed at the Kumminin station receiving the hospitality of the Manager Mr Nicholls. At that time, farmers in the East Kumminin district were not planting crops due to the disappointing reports that the railway was proceeding on a route considerably further east than the Government promised. Kumminin had 927 acres under crop and 900 sheep with two a week lost to dingoes.
In 1919 McGibbon sold the freehold portions privately, and the remainder to the Government for soldier settlement. Tom Ingham took up the homestead property as a Soldier settlement property. During the 1940s Ingham's sons Bob and Keith, were among the musicians in local Narembeen band which provided music for the many dances held during the war years. During the 1950s a substantial homestead was constructed within 100 metres of the Kumminin homestead ruin. In 1969 Keith Ingham sold the property to a neighbour, Bob Smith. In c1980s Ted Cole purchased the property, and his son manages it, until he took over ownership.

Condition

Ruins

Uses

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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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.