Forrest Homestead

The Forrest Homestead is a former farmhouse built around 1849 by William Forrest (reference). The house is a single-storey building constructed of brick walls made from clay dug on site, terracotta tile roof and timber floors (reference). An orange terracotta tile roof was installed in the 1960s, unifying the different periods of the house (reference).

The older section of Forrest Homestead is Colonial Vernacular in style (reference). The extensions designed by Eales Cohen and Bennett are Inter-War Arts and Crafts (reference). The 1930s addition is a fine example of Eales and Cohen's work and an excellent example of architecture from the period (reference). Forrest Homestead was again altered in the 1960s with a new wing containing a large kitchen, laundry and garage (reference). 

The house has been the Forrest's family home since 1849 and is an example of a rural homestead adapted to suit subsequent generations' needs (reference). It includes a significant collection of furniture and memorabilia relating to its owners and occupiers and important events with which they were associated (reference). The grouping of the house and large, mature olive trees planted by William Forrest to represent each of his nine sons form a landmark that contributes to the continuing history of Bunbury (reference).

The homestead also includes the site of the Leschenault Mill Race, which was testimony to the engineering skills of William Forrest, as it was capable of powering a large two-storey mill (reference). The mill was essential to the local economy and provided flour for the local market (reference).

William and Margaret came to Australia as colonists as part of the Western Australia Company Australind Settlement scheme. They agreed on a fixed wage contract to travel to the colony ranging from five to seven years (reference). However, the Australind settlement's failure led to the early termination of their contract with Dr John Ferguson in 1846 (reference; reference). Now free to move around the colony as they pleased, William and Margeret built their home on the estuary's banks near Bunbury and called it Mill Point, named after the mill they made alongside their small timber homestead (reference).

In 1849 William purchased 100 acres from James Hertman for £50, moving his young family to Picton (reference). At their new home, they created the Leschenault Mill, now called the Forrest Homestead, the first water-powered flour mill of the state, alongside their new home, the Forrest Homestead (reference; reference; reference; reference; reference). William built the house with a shingle roof and hand-fired bricks using clay from his property, crushed limestone and pit-saw jarrah (reference; reference). The flour mill was 100 feet by 40 feet with two floors (reference). The Leschenault Mill was operational from March 1851 (reference). The flour mill serviced the region, milling wheat grown in Dardanup, Preston, Collie, Brunswick and Harvey (reference). Supposedly the mill could be heard over two miles away and scared the surrounding cattle (reference). William built a dam on the Picton River a mile upstream from the mill (reference; reference). The dam included a wooden flume 8 feet wide and 2 feet deep that carried the water down to the mill, where it fell over a large wooden water wheel to power the machinery (reference; reference). He later added a sawmill, which milled most of the timber used in the old Bunbury buildings and furniture (reference; reference). The flour ground at the mill was exported around the colony, including Fremantle (reference). Flour from the Leschenault Flour Mill was advertised regularly in the newspapers, as well as any changes to the services provided (reference). One such announcement appeared in the papers in December 1863, when William announced a reduction in the price of grinding wheat (reference; reference). He also reported a new addition of a silk-dressing machine to produce superfine silk-dressed flour (reference; reference). Tragedy struck the struggling early settler pioneers of the southwest when the Leschenault Flour Mill caught fire. On the night of Saturday 28 September 1867, the entire mill burnt down, consuming half of the stocked 4 000 bushels of wheat and damaging the rest (reference; reference; reference; reference). The fire was so hot that no machinery survived, "brass fittings were melted out of their sockets and the cast-iron fused" (reference). Estimates predicted the fire caused damages of £3,000 (reference).  

The Bunbury correspondent of the Inquirer and Commercial News, 9 October 1867 newspaper reported (reference): "The scene which presented itself to the visitor within a few hours of the fire would take a more graphic pen than mine to describe. The bare walls of the engine-room, with a few wooden pillars, was all that remained of the once splendid mill, and in their grim blackness they looked as though in deep mourning for the ruin and desolation with which they were surrounded, the building having been mahogany, the fire had done its work too well. Among the smoking embers were pieces of machinery of every description, a new and valuable dressing machine, smut machine, portions of ironwork belonging to the steam engine - all appeared to be twisted, broken, and completely destroyed. Fortunately, the new Turbine water wheel, which was submerged, escaped injury. About 50 volunteer labourers with begrimed and smutty faces, were hard at work removing a large heap of wheat which had fallen to the ground with the granary flour, and although most of it is more or less injured by the fire and smoke, it is considered that a quantity may be used of for feeding animals. We were all glad to notice that our unfortunate friend Mr. Forrest bore his loss bravely, and to his credit be it said, that although the fruit of many years' patient industry was swept from him in a few hours, he appeared as concerned for his fellow sufferers as grieved at his own terrible loss." 

After the fire, a meeting was held, where William was found not at fault for causing the fire, and therefore was not responsible for the loss of wheat and other produce held on his land (reference). The produce that survived the fire was divided among those who had lost stock (reference). The wheat and flour refuse that ended all over the property was swept up and auctioned off (reference). The meeting ended with the attendees offering their condolences to William for the destruction of his mill and hoping that he would rebuild (reference). They also recognised that the mill resulted from William's many years of hard work, and he had lost a lot (reference).

On 2 October 1867, William released a notice to the public (reference): "The undersigned begs to inform the public that his valuable Flour Mill was entirely consumed by fire on Sunday morning, 29th, and hereby requests and hopes that all parties indebted to him, will make an effort to pay their respective accounts at an early date, so as to enable him to commence a reconstruction."

Despite having lost everything, William rebuilt the mill better than ever. He abandoned the old overshoot water wheel technology and adapted it to the modern turbine (reference). The new technology of the turbine allowed for more power produced from less water (reference). The new mill continued the business until district growth of wheat diminished as more produce was being imported from Adelaide and Champion Bay, causing the mill to close (reference). 

Forrest Homestead has remained in the Forrest family for generations. As of 2011, it is still owned by William and Margaret's descendants (reference).

More information on William can be found in his biography: William Forrest (1819-1899)

More information on Margaret can be found in her biography: The Hill Sisters