Bovell Cottage, Busselton entered on heritage register

2/12/94

Heritage Minister Richard Lewis announced today that an historic Busselton home has been entered on the Register of Heritage Places.

Mr Lewis said the Heritage Council of Western Australia had recommended that Bovell's Cottage, in Adelaide Street, be placed on the Register.

He said the interim entry recognised that the building had played a significant role in WA's history.

"The building, almost in original condition, is a fine example of a single storey rural cottage in the Victorian-Georgian style," Mr Lewis said.

"It is closely associated with Joseph Bovell, one of the early European settlers in the South-West, who contributed to Busselton's development."

Mr Lewis said the building was important as a rare example of a later nineteenth century cottage sited close to the Busselton townsite.

Joseph Bovell arrived in WA in October 1859 aboard the West Australian, with his wife Elizabeth and son.  Later, he was the proprietor of the Ship Hotel in Busselton.

The land on which the cottage stands was originally part of a block extending to Marine Terrace.

The cottage was built of local limestone with a steeply pitched gabled roof and simple chimneys.

The roof, originally clad with split she-oak singles, was replaced with corrugated iron sheeting at the turn of the century.  Remnants of the original roofing can still be seen under the iron roof of the woodshed and outhouse.

When the cottage was built in 1882, the West Australian newspaper reported that it would be best house of its class in the district.

The cottage comprises of four main rooms, two either side of a centre passage.  Each room contains a fireplace, with a jarrah mantle.   The rooms are large - 5.48 m by 5.18 m, with a ceiling 4.26 m.

The house continues to be used as a privately holiday home, but is no longer owned by the Bovell family.

Media contact:  Tony Robertson 222 9595 or Alison Maggs 221 4177 or 1800 644 177