Bindoon House

Statement of Significance

The ruins and site have considerable significance as the namesake of the townsite of Bindoon. It has significant associations with identities and settlers of different generations; Brockman, Haselwood, Purser, Atkinson and Stephens. It has significance as a post office and communication centre, meeting place and inn, as well as the site of one of the earliest mills in the area.

Physical Description

The ruins of the buildings are still in place. The kitchen and adjoining room (originally the bar) with cellar beneath, were constructed of stone. Later additions to the place were mud brick construction, white washed interior and exterior, and with pressed metal ceilings. They formed a long building with the rooms opening onto a long verandah. Some rooms interconnected, and they all had a fireplace. The main bedroom was the former bar room (without the cellar under). The kitchen had a bakers oven and a #3 Metters stove with a fountain on the side, and a copper was also in the kitchen. The huge pine table was scrubbed everyday. The blacksmith's forge and barn were sited left of the flour mill on the river bank, a few hundred metres from the homestead.

History

W.L. Brockman originally took up his Swan Location 98 grant in 1843. The Brockman River runs though the property which covered both sides of the road in the area around of Bindoon Hill. Trowbridge William Haselwood bought the property in 1844, and built a dwelling in the northwest corner of the property. From c1848, the place was an unofficial 'post office' where mail was collected and delivered. He sold the property to Joseph Purser in 1852.
Purser was a miller and possibly built the flour mill on the banks of the river. By 1857, the property was called Bindoon, (previously Bingdoon) and operated as a wayside inn and post office. Joseph had the monthly mail sen/ice tender between Gingin and Victoria Plains until 1863.
After Purser was killed at the mill in 1866, the widowed Frances Purser married James Atkinson in 1868, and Atkinson continued the mail run. In 1875, Atkinson took the second wayside license in the area, and called his wayside inn the "Shepherd's Home'. The Shepherd's Home ceased to operate in 1879.
Stephens bought the place from Findlater who had originally bought Stephens to work for him. The mill never worked from when Stephen's bought the place in 1919. Sam and Mary Stephens lived in place until 1941 when their son Greg Stephens had the new homestead built on the Great Northern Highway frontage on the west rise of Bindoon Hill. (Ref No. 32-B31 ) Tom Hayden moved into the place during the time he worked for Eric Stephens. After a cyclone came through and blew the roof off, Hayden moved elsewhere, and the place became a ruin. Greg and Eric Stephens were brothers who owned the place. When they divided the property, Greg took the land on the west and Eric took the property on the east side of the highway (Ref No 33-B32). Greg later became ill and sold his entire property to Nic Humphries.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Irredeemable
Authenticity: High Degree

Condition

Ruin

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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