Australia So Much to See

"I spent nearly 60 years at Mangowine and saw many changes. At first we ran sheep on our large pastoral lease. In the 1880s wool prices fell but the discovery of gold further east gave Mangowine a new lease of life.

By 1910 the land was broken up into wheat farms. My son Charles and I kept the land around this homestead so I could remain at Mangowine until my dying day."

A building dating back to 1863 comprises a cellar and the present office, with memorabilia displayed. This was the original homestead.

We were greeted by an enthusiastic caretaker, who took use on a tour of the buildings.

The search for the cellar

During the restoration of Mangowine Homestead, significant work was undertaken to rebuild the cellar. When the work started, the cellar was no more than a hole in the ground, and the volunteer workers had to research and plan how to restore the room to its original standing. You are now welcome to explore the cellar and imagine what would have been stored here.

Mangowine Homestead at left, Mangowine Inn beyond this and the muniments building, housing reception, historical documents and other items behind the trees to the right. The cellar is under this building.

In the summer of 1887, a nugget of gold was found at Moujakine, to the north east of Trayning townsite. It is said that Jane Mary Glass (mother of Jane Adams) discovered a gold nugget in a bucket of mud drawn from a well her son was cleaning out following finding a dead possum in the well.

This was the first discovery of gold in the eastern districts, and led to the eastern goldfields rush and the development of the Yilgarn fields in 1888. The old York - Goldfields Road passed close to the homestead, so the family constructed an inn to service the needs of travellers.

Much was grown on the property and bread was made each day. They had a good relationship with local Aborigines and were assisted by Aboriginal staff. To ‘go to town’ to get supplies took seven days to journey to Toodyay, the nearest town, and this was infrequent.

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An underground water storage tank.

When they ran out of water at Mangowine Jane had to walk ten miles (sixteen kilometres) to Yarragin, a total of 32 kilometres. Jane had no choice but to take the children with her, and would never have managed without the help of an Aboriginal lad. Between them they carried the younger children, and the water. Charles was often working away, leaving Jane to manage the farm, family and the Inn.

With no refrigeration, perishables were kept in a Coolgardie safe (above left) or a meat safe (above right). These were kept on the verandah to make use of the breeze.

A Coolgardie safe was made from hessian, and a tub of water on top dripped down to keep the hessian moist to be cooled by evaporation in the breeze.

A meat safe was also used for perishables, and was made from fine mesh to keep the flies out.

To the left is the bread oven, in which Jane used to make dozens of loaves a day to service travellers and those staying at the Inn.

The small corner cupboard above right is also in the kitchen.

Dining room at right and bedrooms below were most likely added to the home.

In the main bedroom and children's bedroom below, a washstand at left in each has a china bowl and jug as a handbasin. A chamber pot below completed the amenities.

The colourful floor rug is handmade shag rag rug. Strips of rag were taken through a woven base, probably hessian from an old bag, resulting in a soft warm patterned floor rug.

Mangowine Homestead was built by Charles Frederick and Jane Swain Adams. It comprises a cottage built c1876, and an adjacent building constructed in 1889 as an inn. The property was given to the National Trust of Australia in 1968 by Olive Warwick and is managed by the Shire of Nungarin. These buildings were constructed from rocks and mud bricks, with timber being rough cut from the property.

The floor was made from cut slabs of rocks as in kitchen photo below.

Mangowine homestead, with the Inn behind.

The laundry consisted of a large copper tub set over a stone fireplace. Washing wash boiled, then wrung out with the mangle (wringer) above right.

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