by Jenny Trigwell, Jenny Golding & Janice Calcei
Updated: 30 June 2025
The Dell
After the death of her husband Sam in 1894, Elizabeth Buckby and young nephew Richard Palmer moved from Harvey in 1896 to Crooked Brook, naming their property The Dell. There is no record as to who built the two roomed cottage that they first lived in.
The original cottage has walls of split jarrah slabs, in two sections and a corrugated iron roof which extends over a verandah. The rooms lined with match board. Later, additions to the cottage consist of asbestos external walls with the internal walls lined with vertical jarrah boards from floor to ceiling. All the timber was cut on the property and the boards were pit sawn.
This building still exists today and is a wonderful example of early building styles used by settlers in the area.
Richard married Isabella Scorgie Barron on 10 November 1902 in the Boyanup Agricultural Hall. The reception was held at the McFarlane’s house on the property adjoining the south boundary of The Dell. Elizabeth Buckby had died just before in Augusts 1902.
Isabella and Richard lived in the slab cottage at The Dell. Richard became a member of the Dardanup Road Board on 17 March 1904, the start of a 47-year involvement. He was elected Chairman in 1920, a position he held until 1946.
For a long time, Richard and Bella planned to build a new house on the little rise above their cottage. Architect F W Steere, of Stephen Street Bunbury, drew up plans and specifications for the large wooden bungalow residence. Finally, 27 years after Richard first moved into the little slab walled cottage, the magnificent new house was completed. The West Australian newspaper reported on the large reception held at The Dell on 15 November 1923, on the occasion of ‘the opening of the new homestead.
Bella suffered heart problems and died 17 May 1955, aged 79 and Richard passed away on 20 October 1965.
The Dell homestead remained within the family until 2023 when it was sold, one hundred years after its completion.
Click here for more on the story of the Palmer family.
The Dillon Home
Richard Dillon was born in Ireland in 1830. He sailed to the Swan River Colony in 1850 and was welcomed to the Dardanup district, settling in Crooked Brook. Neighbouring families included the Hertnans and the Doolans.
In 1851 Richard married Maria Hertnan and Thomas, Maria and Ellen were born to them before Maria died at the age of twenty three.
In 1860 Richard married Ann McKinley, school teacher at the little Catholic School in Dardanup. Arthur Dillon was born of this second marriage.
Richard Dillon died in 1872. In 1874 widowed Ann married James Doolan who farmed 100 acres in Crooked Brook. Four children were born. Ann Doolan (McKinley/Dillon) died in Perth in 1918.
The Dillon home was constructed of home-made bricks, fashioned from clay on the property at Crooked Brook.
Arthur married Laura (nee Brennan) and they lived with their large family at this home from 1912. Their son Frank and his wife Doris (nee Adamson) lived there from 1938. Frank said that the home consisted of three rooms, two as bedrooms and one as a living room and the walls were protected by all-around verandas. A galvanised iron roof gave extra protection. Timber face-cuts were used to enclose portions of the verandas when additional sleeping space was needed. A kitchen, with an oven, was built separately.
Click here for more on the story of the Dillon family.
Linden
Peter Buckenara and his family are recorded as living at this farm in Crooked Brook in October 1920. It is believed their timber house was transported from Wellington Mills at around this time. This would fit with the timeline for the main mill closing in 1919 and Millars Timber & Trading Co. then selling a number of homes as they wound down operations. It is believed the house was lived in by various doctors who worked at the Mill.
Peter Buckenara was a member of the Dardanup Roads Board 1895 (the first year that it met after being separated from the Wellington Roads Board) until 1899, then again between 1902 and 1904.
In 1921, Kate Cumming from East Perth visited the farm and made the following observations:
I have had the opportunity of visiting Mr and Mrs Buckenara’s farm ‘Linden’ about one mile out of Dardanup, and it is refreshing to see what can be done by a man who studies and experiments practically and carefully. I have seen growing well and vigorously on ‘Linden,’ maize, millet, lucerne, Soudan grass six feet high, mangelwurzels, sugar beet, melons, pumpkins, potatoes, etc., at the end of one of the very dry seasons, grown without any irrigation, and all healthy and flourishing. Also the paddocks are full of subterranean clover, and paspalum, that wonderful grass we all neglect, and the sheep are looking splendid. The lucerne is bealthy and well grown. The Soudan grass is finer than any I have seen and should be generally grown as it succeeds nearly everywhere that I have seen it grown. It is wonderful stock feed when cut,
Kate Cumming, in Bunbury Herald and Blackwood Express Friday 6 May 1921
Peter Buckenara was reportedly applying superphosphate to his pastures in1923 with very good results, demonstrating that land that was considered poor quality could still be useful to agriculture.
Images:
- The Dell and its small cottage were provided by Jenny Trigwell.
- Frank and Doris Dillon in front of the Dillon homestead was provided by Jenny Golding.
- Linden homestead in the 1960s was provided by Gwen Wells.
Newspapers:
- South Western Times (Bunbury, WA : 1917 – 1929), Thursday 14 October 1920, page 3.
- Bunbury Herald and Blackwood Express (WA : 1919 – 1929), Friday 6 May 1921, page 1
- Great Southern Herald (Katanning, WA : 1901 – 1954), Wednesday 14 March 1923, page 4
Dardanup Heritage Collective 