Work was undertaken to investigate the condition of the north wall of Gallop House as part of Heritage Week 2011. An area of cement render was removed and to shed light on: the original construction and finish of the building; the condition of the building and effectiveness of previous repairs; whether the house was built in two stages; and the possible order of construction.

The team included Alan Kelsall of Kelsall Binet Architects and Building Conservationist Piero Casellati, with conservation staff of the National Trust.

The Trust opened this work to the public to highlight the ways in which the process of collecting and analysing information before making decisions can add substantially to our understanding of important questions about a place.

Gallop House has cultural heritage significance as the oldest private residence within the City of Nedlands, and its close associated with the Gallop family who were amongst the first European settlers associated with farming in the district. It is a fine example of Victorian Georgian style and is a Perth landmark occupying a prime location in a prominent landscaped setting which is particularly noticeable from Melville Water.

The National Trust manages a substantial and varied portfolio of heritage places on behalf of the community. The Trust wants to use the diversity of its portfolio to attract different audiences and to sell its message of conservation and interpretation of significant heritage places. The ongoing use of Gallop House is being considered within the context of the Trust’s broader heritage property portfolio.

Interpreting the significance of a place is vital, however access does not necessarily have to be constant nor does it have to be physical.  The use of the web, publications, education and public programs, events and the like open a place to much broader audiences and provide the chance to explore a richness of stories and themes.

At Gallop House, a range of potential future uses have been mooted.  The final outcome will be one that allows the Trust to follow a sustainable agenda for the management of its portfolio without compromising the heritage values of this significant property.

Curtin Family Home in safe hands 

Former Australian Prime Minister John Curtin’s family home in the beachside suburb of Cottesloe, Western Australia is available for short stay accommodation. It’s one aspect of a unique approach to ensuring a sustainable future for the nationally significant property.

John Curtin, wartime Prime Minister of Australia, and his wife Elsie built this house in 1923. Four generations of the Curtins’ extended family lived in the house for the following seventy-five years.

The house underwent major conservation and interpretation works during 2010  including restoration of the garden. Interpretation of the place included the production of series of internal panels, a self-guided audio tour, a booklet website and the dramatic performance season. 

This National Trust project provided an exciting opportunity to focus on what is an often neglected part of John Curtin’s - the importance of his home life.

The unassuming nature of the Jarrad Street House reflects the nature of the man and his family and helps explain his political convictions and directions for the nation during WWII.

The property has been in the care of the National Trust since 2002 and is one of only three former prime ministers’ homes that are in public ownership.

The National Trust plans to use the house for residential accommodation while continuing an interpretation program during which guest curators will interpret aspects of the Curtin family story annually.

Please visit Curtin Family Home website for more information

Rare watercolour returns to Western Australia

A 19th century sketchbook containing a watercolour painting of Western

Australia’s first settlement at The Old Farm, Strawberry Hill in Albany is the latest addition to the National Trust‘s collection.

The bound sketchbook, the biggest investment ever made by the National Trust of Australia (WA) in a single object, was purchased at auction in July 2010 for $57 000 by the Trust’s Director of Conservation and Stewardship, Sarah Murphy. Ms Murphy said there was unprecedented interest in the rare sketchbook which sold for considerably more than the Trust expected to pay.

“The watercolour featured in the sketchbook appears to have been painted by an amateur artist and is of special interest because it includes buildings that are no longer extant,” Murphy said.

“This image will also help us explore the potential for future archaeological study at the property because it so clearly depicts the locations of these buildings and other features.”

The National Trust plans to feature the sketchbook as a key element of its exhibitions at The Old Farm, Strawberry Hill and make it accessible through hands-on digital technology.

The purchase as an exceptional investment that will assure the future of Western Australia’s heritage while bringing great value to the community. Funds for the purchase of the sketchbook were raised from the Trust’s deaccessioning program in 2007. 

The Old Farm, Strawberry Hill is a nationally significant place which was established in 1827 as part of the first European settlement at King George Sound and was home to the first Government Resident in Albany, Sir Richard Spencer. The National Trust has cared for the place since 1964.