Wonnerup House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wonnerup House |
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Wonnerup House
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| General information | |
| Type | Farm |
| Location | Wonnerup, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 33°37′39″S 115°25′58″E / 33.6276°S 115.4328°E |
| Designated | 13 August 2014 |
| Reference no. | 424 |
Wonnerup House is a very old farm and home in Wonnerup, Western Australia. It's a special place because it's listed as a heritage site. The house you see today was built in 1859 by George Layman Jr.
His father, George Layman Sr., built the first house in 1837. Sadly, that first house burned down in 1858. Luckily, the dairy (where milk products were made) and the kitchen were in a separate building, so they survived the fire. Later, stables and a blacksmith's workshop were added to the farm.
In the 1870s, there was no school in Wonnerup for local children. George Layman Jr. helped by giving land near Wonnerup House for a school. The school was built in 1873, and a teacher's house was added in 1885.
The National Trust of Australia bought the Wonnerup property in 1971. They opened it to the public in 1973. This means people can visit and learn about its history. The name Wonnerup comes from the Nyungar language. "Wanna" means a woman's digging stick, and "up" means water.
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The Layman Family's Journey to Wonnerup
George Layman Sr. was 17 when he moved to Australia from England in 1827. He first settled in Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) with his brother. In 1829, he decided to move to the new Swan River Colony in Western Australia.
He arrived in October 1829. In 1832, George married Mary Ann Bayliss in Perth. They started a home in Augusta. However, Augusta didn't work out as a good place to live for many settlers. So, they moved to the Vasse region instead.
George and Mary Layman moved to Vasse in 1834 with their two young daughters, Harriet and Mary. Their son, George Jr., was born in 1837. This was the same year George Sr. built their first home on his land. He also built a separate dairy and kitchen with a cellar and large ovens. The Laymans had two more children, Charles (born 1838) and Catherine (born 1841).
Challenges and Changes at Wonnerup
Life was not always easy for the early settlers. In 1841, George Layman Sr. died in an unfortunate incident. A year later, his wife Mary married Robert Heppingstone. Robert helped run the Wonnerup farm. He also had a whaling business nearby.
In 1858, the Layman family's cottage burned down. Only the separate dairy and kitchen building survived the fire. Later that same year, Robert Heppingstone sadly drowned in a boating accident.
After these difficult events, 20-year-old George Layman Jr. took charge of the farm and the whaling business. In 1859, George Jr. married Amelia Harriet Curtis. He then began building the new Wonnerup House, which is the one we see today. He used local limestone and timber for the house.
How Wonnerup House Grew Over Time
The house was built in different stages. It started with four rooms and a hall. A kitchen and scullery (a small room for washing dishes) were added around 1862. Much later, in 1925, a bathroom and toilet were built.
The original kitchen and dairy, which survived the fire, were expanded in 1872. In the 1880s and 1890s, Wonnerup House became one of the most successful dairy farms in the area.
At the main entrance, there are impressive cast-iron gates on limestone pillars. These gates were put up to remember George Layman Sr. A special plaque on the pillars tells a bit of his story. It says: "George Layman came to Western Australia in 1829 aged 18 years, Augusta 1830, Wonnerup 1834, speared by natives 1841".
The Land and Its History
The land where Wonnerup House stands was first surveyed as Sussex lot 4. George Layman Sr. bought this land after getting another piece of land called Sussex lot 3, which was about 500 acres (202 hectares). Over time, the Layman family bought more land next to their farm. At its largest, the farm covered over 2,500 acres (1,012 hectares).
George Layman Jr. passed the farm management to his youngest son, James, in the 1900s. After James died in 1911, the farm was managed by his parents and four unmarried sisters. Eventually, a nephew took over.
In 1962, after the last Layman sister passed away, the farm was sold. The land was divided up. The part with Wonnerup House and its buildings was bought by the National Trust of Australia in 1971. This purchase included the family's furniture, personal items, and Aboriginal artifacts.
In 1973, the National Trust opened Wonnerup House to the public. The Western Australian Government also gave the old school house and teacher's residence site to the National Trust.
The School and Teacher's House
Across the road from Wonnerup House, you can find the old school building (built in 1873) and the teacher's house (built in 1885). These buildings are on land that George Layman Jr. gave to the government. They show how important education was to the community.
Images for kids
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Wonnerup House
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Grave of George Layman Sr. in St Marys Church, Busselton, Western Australia.
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One of the bedrooms with furniture that belonged to the Layman family.
