Mutenup / Foundation Park

Parent Place or Precinct

27272 Old Frederickstown Precinct

Statement of Significance

Mutenup/Foundation Park has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
The place has a high level of historic significance being part of the first military station/cantonment in Western Australia established by Major Lockyer and therefore associated with the early British colonisation of Albany and in proximity to where settlement was officially proclaimed.
The place was the first cultivated garden to be established in 1827 in what was then Frederickstown to supply the first settlers being the military and prisoners.
Since its conversion into public open space, the place has developed a high level of social significance for its importance and continuous use as a civic, sporting, entertainment and recreation facility in Albany.
The place is a landmark in Albany being situated on a prominent corner location in the historic townsite area.
The place holds an important sense of place as the location of many community and civic gatherings and events.
The place has high research value for its potential to reveal artefacts and other archaeological evidence relating to its many uses over time and including the foundations of the oldest buildings erected in Western Australia.

Physical Description

Some of the notable features of this place include:
• Informal open landscape setting
• Prominent corner location

Some modifications of this place include:
• Earlier timber post and rail fencing removed and replaced with treated pine and metal wire
• Infrastructure relating to former seating, sheds, tennis courts and bowling greens removed.
• Memorial stone installed commemorating 150th anniversary of the proclamation of British settlement
• Grassed bunting on Mill Street side (for water collection management)
• Playground installed

History

Mutenup, meaning place of the little black ant, is the Menang Noongar name of the place also known as Foundation Park. Foundation Park was established in 1826 as the garden and parade ground for Albany’s first military station or cantonment established by the NSW government, which included barracks, blacksmith’s shed, boat shed, commandant’s residence, commissariat, cookhouse, hospital, kitchen, morgue, officer’s quarters, powder magazine, sawpit, vegetable garden and flagpole. The four commandants of the military station were Major Edmund Lockyer (1826-1827), Captain Joseph Wakefield (1827-1828), Lieutenant George Sleeman (1828-1829) and Captain Collet Barker (1829-1831) when it came under the jurisdiction of NSW before being assumed under the Swan River Colony’s governance.
After the military operations were relocated from here to the area now known as Lawley Park on Brunswick Road, the old garden was eventually turned into a park and became a venue for sporting and recreation from the mid-19th century for the local community including for cricket and football. It was often called Parade Street Oval. Spectator seating was installed and there was at one time a shed on the reserve used by the cricket and football clubs.
In the late 1890s other improvements included new walling on the Vancouver Street side and sloping the banks at this end. During games and events stalls selling fruit and drinks were also set up. In 1900 a bowling green was added and later tennis courts.
The park/oval was also a venue for public meetings and visiting circuses. In 1908, new fencing around the perimeter of the reserve was installed. From around the 1920s the park was predominantly used as a children’s playground and sporting use dropped away for a time, however, owing to community agitation to be allowed to play sport on the reserve it was revived again from the 1930s. Today, it is mainly used as an urban parkland and still popular with local residents.
In 2018, archaeological investigations were undertaken at the park to determine the presence of the remnants of the early military buildings. The 1829 quarters of Captain Collet Barker was built within the perimeter of the park area and evidence of the foundations of the quarters was revealed. The quarters were also used as a courthouse.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Moderate/High
Authenticity: Moderate

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Last Update

Disclaimer

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.