Armstrong
In 1831, Adam Armstrong took up an estate of 320 acres in the area now known as Dalkeith. He named it Dalkeith Farm after the district near Edinburgh from which he had migrated in 1829. Armstrong had first taken up land on the Murray River, south of Fremantle, where he established a farm. However, after some difficult times endeavouring to get established he relinquish this isolated holding and established his home on the Swan River.
Here, with his family, he began improving the estate and built Dalkeith Cottage. The exact location of this first house is not known. However, following financial difficulties, Armstrong decided to return to the Murray River and on 1 February 1839, sold Dalkeith Farm for £250. At sale, the property included stockyards and five acres of gardens.
The new owner was John Lewis, Commissary General and Colonial Treasurer. On Lewis' death, two years later, Dalkeith Farm was leased, first to William F. Cook and later to James Gallop.
(Source: Register of Heritage Places-Assessment Documentation for Gallop House, Dalkeith)
Gallop
James Gallop arrived in Western Australia in October 1829 with his two
brothers. They were indentured labourers selected by the agents of Colonel
Edward Latour; however, Latour never came to Australia and the brothers
were left to fend for themselves. Within a short time the brothers found themselves
'good positions'. Through hard work, Gallop was able to lease, and later purchase, the land in Dalkeith which enabled him to prosper as a market gardener and wine maker.
In 1847, Gallop bought out part of the lease, acquiring the cottage built by Armstrong and 65 acres of land, including improvements, for £250; and in the mid-to-late 1860s, he acquired the remainder of the 320 acres for £50. The two parcels of land Gallop bought comprised most of the present-day suburb of Dalkeith.
By this time, Dalkeith Farm had become a well established market garden which supplied Perth and Fremantle with much of its fresh produce.
Gallop House is a two-storey residential building constructed between c.1872-1877, by James Gallop, Snr.
Over the years the Gallop family developed a thriving market garden and
vineyard operation. After James Gallop Snr. died in 1897, James Gallop Jnr.
subdivided the land and sold off parcels of it, up until around 1911.
(Source: Register of Heritage Places-Assessment Documentation for Gallop House, Dalkeith)
Ned's Land and The Bruce Family
Originally inhabited by the Mororo tribes, Nedlands made up part of the tribe's vast hunting grounds and covered most of what is now known as the western suburbs. A favorite camping spot in this area was a fresh water spring where Archdeacon Road now stands.
In 1854, Colonel John Bruce, Military Commandant of the Colony, brought land in this area, intending the land to be the heritage of his son Edward. He is said to have referred to the estate as "Ned's Land" in the hope that one day he would be able to pass it down to his eldest son, however it is said he bought the property on impulse and due to Bruce's commitments in the establishment of the developing city of 'Perth', he had little time for the land. The land remained completely under-developed until 1907.
Bruce died in 1870 and his family elected to return to England. The 'Heir' Edward Bruce, later Major Edward Bruce of the 19th Bengall Lancers, returned Western Australia for a brief trip in 1883. On a mortgage dated 29th June in that year, the various locations left to him by his father are described as being the land "known as Nedlands". This land was then left to be administered and absorbed into the Bruce Estate Trusts. Edward never had any active part in the development of the property. It wasn't until 1910 that any major subdivision and development took place.
(Source: "Nedlands: From Campsite to City", A.E. Williams)
Winthrop
Sir John Winthrop Hackett Senior arrived in Western Autralia in 1882, joining forces with Charles Harper, the proprietor of The West Australian. In 1887 Hackett became editor of The West Australian and strongly advocated responsible government. Western Australia received its constitution in 1890 and Alexander Forrest selected Hackett as the first man to be asked to join the nominee Western Australian Legislative Council.
In 1894 he was elected to the legislative council as representative of the South-western province and held this seat until his death. He advocated women's suffrage, and Western Australia was one of the earliest countries to give women the vote. He also strongly supported Forrest in his development policy, in the building of the pipe line to the goldfields, and the making of Fremantle harbour.
The University of Western Australia (UWA) opened in 1913 with Hackett as its first chancellor, and Hackett gave it its first substantial private contribution when he endowed the chair of agriculture. Hackett died suddenly of a heart condition in February 1916. Under his will a bequest to the Church of England paid for the building of St George's College, the first residential college within the UWA. The residue of his estate went to the university which received the sum of £425,000. £200,000 of this with accrued interest was used for the erection of a group of buildings which include Winthrop Hall and the student's building, Hackett Hall. Another £200,000 provides scholarships, bursaries and other financial help for deserving students.
(Source: www.wikipedia.atpedia.com)
