Local Government
Nedlands
Region
Metropolitan
Cnr Adelma St & Melvista Av Dalkeith
Nedlands
Metropolitan
Constructed from 1890
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 15 Apr 1999 | ||
Masons Gardens has aesthetic, historic and social heritage value. The Gardens are an excellent example of an historic site. Though no buildings remain. the park is well maintained for public use. Aesthetically the Gardens add character to the surrounding homes. The many trees provide a shady retreat for visitors to the park. Links with the past use of the place are maintained by the name Masons Gardens and the plaque explaining the history of the area.
Masons Gardens today (1998) is a large, attractive, well reticulated park in the middle of suburban Dalkeith. Maintained by the City of Nedlands. the parkland is a mixture of manicured lawns, large matured trees and swampland. The water is well obscured by large trees that encircle the low wet areas. A large holding lake is covered in water plants. A natural block of limestone holds a plaque giving a historical picture of the gardens.
The land now known as Masons Gardens is actually only a small part of the original holding bought by Fred Mason Snr in the I 890s. It seems the property was purchased for his two sons Wally and Frederick. They were not the first settlers on the land. Development in the form of a small brick cottage had already been achieved by a Pensioner Guard named Waters. Swampy land attracted the Masons to the area for its potential as a market garden. They subsequently established a successful market garden, considered the second biggest in WA. For over four decades the Masons worked the land facing a faJling water table, the Depression and increasing suburbanisation. By 1939, the business was declared unprofitable and the land was offered for sale to the Nedlands Road Board. Surveyor. Percy Hope resurveyed the area and some new residential blocks and two new roads (named in honour of members of the Mason family) were established. The blocks sold quickly and the remaining land was designated for a park. However. during the 1940s and 50s it was used as a domestic waste dump. The brick cottage and the Masons residence were both demolished during the development of the area. Designs for landscaping and beautification of Masons Gardens were supplied by Jean Verscheur and the Council put this plan into action in the 1960s. Today (1998) the park is visited by many locals who enjoy having an attractive parkland in their vicinity.
Little remains of original gardens
Very good
| Ref Number | Description |
|---|---|
| D8 | LGA Place |
Garden
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | PARK\RESERVE | Park\Reserve |
| Original Use | PARK\RESERVE | Park\Reserve |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES | Community services & utilities |
| DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY | Settlements |
| OCCUPATIONS | Commercial & service industries |
| OCCUPATIONS | Rural industry & market gardening |
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.