Dalmore

Statement of Significance

Dalmore is of aesthetic value for its design and setting. It is also of historic, and social value for both its past and present activities. It still has a number of significant farm buildings and the original homestead. Aesthetic Value Dalmore is of aesthetic value for the quality of its buildings, farm setting and the early plantings near the house and quarters, particularly the old cork tree. Historic Value Bill Scott’s farm, once the most productive orchard in the Bridgetown District, is of historic value for its forward thinking farming methods introducing fertilisers to the soils before others in the district. Research Value NA Social Value High Dalmore was of high social value as a highly productive orcharding property, requiring numerous workers to pick the crops. In later years shearing teams were required on the property. The farming is now of a somewhat smaller scale using modernised methods, requiring less labour, however the old packing/shearing shed is now used as a yoga/fitness studio, providing a modern social value.

Physical Description

Dalmore farm currently consists of the 1920’s house, the original fruiting packing/shearing shed (now gymnasium), the worker’s cottage and various other outbuilding of less significance. The house is somewhat typical of a 1920’s California Bungalow, with a rendered brick façade, triple casement windows (each divided into small leadlight panes), half-timbered gables and robust verandah piers with stone plinths and rendered tapered posts. The terracotta tiled roof has been replaced with a red Colorbond roof in recent years, and extensions have been made to the southern side and rear of the house. The original packing shed has been modernised and adapted to a high standard for use as a gymnasium and function room, however it retains many of its earlier features including double action catching pen doors and exposed steel truss framing. The shearers’/worker’s quarters remain in situ to the east of the shed. An old barn began collapsing only a few years ago and has since been removed. The house backs onto an all year round creek, an important water supply for the farm. Near the shearers’/worker’s quarters is a very large cork tree, thought to be an early planting.

History

Robert Purdom Scott purchased a large parcel of land from Sir James George Lee-Steere’s ‘Jayes’ property c.1897. This was occupied by his sons, and Robert (snr) continued to work as a bank manager in South Australia until his retirement in 1919. His obituary (1929) and other newspaper notices of the period indicate he then settled on a property named Warraninni, which was near the farm he had established for his sons at the end of the nineteenth century. Warraninni was later occupied by his daughter, Kate Louise, and her husband, Basil Wardell-Johnson. Newspaper notices and advertisements dating from c.1903-1911, refer to various members of the Scott family as living on a property known as ‘Dalmore’ (including Robert Purdom Scott’s 3 sons Robert Wooley, Alexander ‘Alec’ Bell, and William ‘Bill’ Purdom). Another newspaper report, dated 1930, states that a partnership between RW and WP Scott was dissolved in 1913, and that the property was subdivided as ‘Dalmore’ and ‘Falnash’ at that time. Local history suggests that their brother, Alec, occupied another local property, ‘Weroona’. However, entries in the Electoral Rolls suggest that he was a storekeeper of Fitzroy Crossing by 1912 and was later a hotel keeper (variously in the north-west of WA and the Northern Territory). The current Dalmore homestead was built c.1920. It has since had additions to the rear and a number of modern modifications, however retains many of its early details and features and retains its 1920’s character. An original packing shed still exists on the property. This was later used as a shearing shed and now used as a gymnasium (fitness studio). The property also contains shearer’s/worker’s quarters which were also used to house Italian World War II POW’s who worked on the farm.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate The property is still both a working farm and residence. Moderate Significant buildings remain and despite many changes and additions to them, the original character of the buildings is still clearly recognisable.

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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