A Swan River landmark has been listed on the State Register of Heritage Places

8/12/96

A Swan River landmark and popular tourist site has been listed on the State Register of Heritage Places.

Heritage Minister Richard Lewis announced today that Woodbridge, one of Perth's best-known historic buildings, had been listed on an interim basis.

Mr Lewis said the site, in West Midland, had a number of important links to the State's past.

"The Woodbridge site was originally part of Sir James Stirling's country estate," he said.

"It then played an important part in the farming history of the Swan region, was linked to both Guildford Grammar and Governor Stirling High School, and then later operated as a women's home.

"Woodbridge also reflects the growth of the heritage movement in Western Australia in the 1960s.

"After being threatened with demolition, the local community stepped forward to save it, restore it and then preserve it for the public to enjoy as a heritage site.

"Woodbridge is highly valued by the local and wider community and deserves the protection of the State's heritage laws."

Mr Lewis said Woodbridge was built on land that was once part of Governor Stirling's 1,620ha country estate.

Stirling named it Woodbridge for nostalgic reasons, the picturesque landscape reminding him of the countryside at Guildford, in Surrey, where his wife's family home Woodbridge was located.

In 1883 the property was subdivided and 110ha of the best land, known as Woodbridge Farm, was purchased by prominent agriculturalist, businessman and politician Charles Harper.

Harper established Woodbridge as his family home and farmed the surrounding land. Built in 1885, it was described in a local newspaper report as 'the handsomest private residence that has as yet been erected in the Colony.'

The heritage site includes Woodbridge, an impressive two-storey brick house with high ceilings, steeply pitched roofs and elaborate timber joinery, the single storey coach house and surrounding grounds.

Mr Lewis said Guildford Grammar School had its origins on the Harper property and over a number of years the school acquired a large proportion of the land which formerly made up the Woodbridge Farm.

"From 1921 to 1941, Woodbridge House School - an innovative and highly regarded school for junior boys - operated from the house and a small area of adjoining farm land," he said.

"The house and surrounding four hectares was bought by the Government in 1941 as a future high school site, but served as the Guildford Women's Home until 1964.

"With the development of the Midland Junction High School, later known as Governor Stirling High School, the house was used as an annexe to the school until 1968."

Mr Lewis said after Woodbridge was threatened with demolition, it was vested with the National Trust in 1968 and restored to its original state then opened to the public.

"The grandeur of the building pre-empts the style of houses which were built a decade or more later during the gold boom of the 1890s," he said.

"Woodbridge is highly regarded by members of the National Trust and is perhaps the most important of its WA properties."

"Woodbridge is one of our most significant heritage sites and the Government is pleased to recognise its importance with this heritage listing."

Media contact : Bronwyn Hillman 222 9595, 221 1377