Buckingham Ruins and Archaeological Sites, Roleystone

Child Places

• 16627 Thomas Buckingham's Cottage (ruins)

Physical Description

DESCRIPTION: The site consists of two ruined structures and the possible remains of a building footprint. The buildings are random rubble stone walling. The ruins are situated on a rock outcrop near the crest of a north facing slope overlooking the Canning River. A well-maintained public walking trail follows the river from the end of Thompson Road. Commencing from the same point, a rough track moves south uphill and then skirts around behind the ruins and across the crest. The ruins sit on a rocky outcrop, facing north, with a flat area behind, overlooking the Canning River valley. An excellent view is afforded west and east along the valley, and the opposite hills. It is an ideal spot for an enterprise such a coaching house to maintain a view of all the traffic passing through the valley. The slope below and to the east of the ruins, down towards the walking trail shows signs of past agricultural use or stock pens. Post and rail fencing remains in some areas, and there is some indication of rock walls dividing the area into rectangular sections. Remains of some modern water piping can be seen, and some exotic trees, perhaps apples or pears, are scattered through the area. The site is comprised of three key features: the remains of what appears to have been a two storey building facing north at the edge of the outcrop, remains of another building (possibly stables or accommodation) south east of the first, and what appears to be the footprint of a building to the south of the main building. Two storey building : The largest intact portion of the building is the east wall, is approximately 2-3 metres high in the south eastern corner. The interior has a deep hollow which seems to have formed a lower storey (or cellar). The interior side of the wall contains holes indicating housings for floor bearers and remains of a timber beam can be seen within one. It is not clear whether this lower room was formed by taking advantage of a natural indentation in the outcrop, or whether it was quarried into the side of the hill. The room could not be properly examined because it was full of rubbish. The remaining exterior walls of the building exist only up to about 0.5 meter in places, but was apparent that it was a rectangular structure approximately 3-4 meters by 4-5 meters. Stables or accommodation: Further up the hill, to the south east of the first building, are the remains of another random rubble structure approximately 4.5 metres by 10 meters which appears to consist of three distinct rooms. At the south eastern end a triangular section of wall remains. It is just over a meter at the apex and shows evidence of internal rendering. The north western corner remains to a height of approximately 1 meter, but remaining walls are little more than a few course. A number of bricks lie around the site.. Building Footprint: Due to a recent bushfire in February 2003, it was possible to see a flat area of rocks to the south east of the two storey building. They do not appear to be a natural formation and a distinct edge and small drop are discernable at the southern side. It is possible this could have been a raised landing stage to aid loading of wagons or coach or the ruins of an additional building. In June 2003, re-growth of vegetation meant this area was no longer visible

History

Assessment 2004 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW The township of Kelmscott was gazetted in 1830 and was, from the first, a key point in coach and mail runs between Perth and Albany and other parts of the southwest of the new colony. Canning Location No. 32 is situated to the south east of Kelmscott and across the Canning River. As far as we can ascertain, Charles Blissett Churchman was the first owner, holding the property until his death in 1833. According to local historians1 , coach routes used this property as a stop until 1833, when the route was changed to avoid the hills. As Blissett left no will, it was not until 1852 the property was registered to his three sisters, the widows Juliana Dane (resident in England), Frances Gregory and Lucy Aulini . Thomas Buckingham Snr. arrived with his family in Western Australia in 1850. They initially settled at Moraba, a property near Gingin, In 1856, Churchman’s sisters advertised Canning Location No. 32 for sale, referring to it as ‘Roleystone’. Buckingham saw the advertisement while on business in Perth with his son, Thomas Buckingham Jnr., and agreed to purchase the property site unseen. Thomas Buckingham Jnr. records in his memoirs that after agreeing to the purchase, he and his father walked from Perth to Roleystone and back to Kelmscott in a day, to view the property.3 The Buckinghams’ paid out the mortgage in 1858 and moved to Canning Location No. 32 in 1860. They took stock with them from Moraba, but they did poorly and the family had some difficult years. 1 Discussions with Beth Blair and Margaret Bettenay 2 V/59 3 Popham, D. ‘First Stage South – a history of the Armadale-Kelmscott District, Western Australia’ Town of Armadale, 1980 p36Fmr Armadale Coaching Ruins, Armadale - May 2004 On arrival, Thomas Buckingham Snr. began building a homestead of ‘pug with bat bricks and split bush timber for rafters and frames’. Popham notes ‘The ‘small stone hut’ referred to is believed to be the one used originally as a staging post for the coach, as the Buckingham’s farm was built alongside the old Albany coach road, just above where the coaches crossed the ford over the Canning River.’ In 1866, Thomas Buckingham Jnr. bought the property ‘Poplars’ situated near the current corner of Brookton Highway and Mount Street. He also started a timber mill in partnership with his brother Alexander. This was located at Sparrow’s Race (later Butcher’s Race) near the current Stocker Road. Despite the growing timber industry in the region, this venture was not a success at first and Thomas Jnr. left to manage a butcher shop in Fremantle. However, he must have returned soon as in 1868 he built a cottage on ‘Poplars’. In 1870 Thomas Jnr. joined Edward Cockram to head for the goldfields, returning in 1871 to rent Roleystone from his father. Buckingham Snr. retired, building another cottage on the property for himself and his wife. Mrs. Buckingham Snr. died in 1875 and her husband in 1879. William Buckingham (brother of Thomas Jnr. and Alexander) had also built on Roleystone in 1871 and now (1879) took over management of the property as Thomas Jnr. returned to Poplars. It appears Thomas maintained his interest in the timber industry as Alexander now went to England and purchased a traction engine for the mill, causing a local sensation when it was driven into Kelmscott. After the death of Thomas Buckingham Snr. in 1879 the brothers decided to sell Roleystone as they were all beginning to move in different directions. A portion of Canning Loc. 32 was acquired by Hugh Buckingham and John Buckingham in 1885 . On 25th January 1898 Hugh and John leased this property to Joseph Henry Dart9 however, by February 1905 the lease was abandoned. The property was further sub-divided in 1905 and a small portion was purchased by Albert Edward Cockram and William Gordon (7 acres and 15 perches) and on 8th February 1905. James Butcher, a farmer from Kelmscott, purchased this block in May 1923. In 1878 a new mail service had been established between Perth and Albany. It had eight stages corresponding to police stations located at 36 mile, Bannister, Williams, 131 mile, Kojonup, Gardner River, Mt Barker and Albany. The coaching links with Canning Location No. 32 had probably ceased long before this, but the property was still linked to a family growing in influence and connections in the area. It is unclear which of the ruins remaining at Canning Location No. 32 are which of the buildings linked with the Buckingham family, although Beth Blair feels the remains of what look to be three small rooms (stables or accommodation) could have been the cottage built by Thomas Buckingham Snr. for his retirement.

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