Annotated Bibliography/Historical Sources Review Brief – Strawberry Hill

Reference quality copies of images held outside the Trust’s collections will be required (naming appropriate details of source, copyright, date etc). If moveable heritage provenanced to Strawberry Hill is identified (in private and public collections) then reference quality images of those objects will also be required.

An Executive Summary is to be prepared summarising the findings of the project. It should identify gaps and propose additional avenues for future research.

It is anticipated this project will be carried out within an agreed budget in the region of $10,000+gst inclusive of all fees, travel and disbursements. A fee proposal is to be provided in the submission showing the fee allocation and the hourly rate charged.

The project will commence on the appointment of the historian and is expected to be completed by December 2019.

Project Aims

In recent years the National Trust has undertaken considerable planning and conservation works at Strawberry Hill. The next phase is to focus on interpretation and to continue its conservation. It has become increasingly obvious that continued reliance on secondary sources for this work is far from satisfactory and that enormous knowledge gaps exist.

There is also a strong belief that Strawberry Hill is likely to meet the threshold for national heritage listing but this needs to be interrogated and assessed. With the bicentenary of British settlement on the horizon in 2026 it is timely that this project is undertaken to support enhanced understanding of the history and significance of the place, and to inform and guide the presentation of its stories.

Of particular interest is material relating to the period of the Government Farm and the Spencer family period of occupation; the farming operations and later market gardens at Strawberry Hill; and the interiors, furnishings and previous uses of the buildings.

The aim of the project is to produce an annotated bibliography/ historical sources review that will support conservation, interpretation and community engagement relating to the heritage values associated with this significant heritage place.

Submissions must be limited to 10 pages and will be evaluated against the following criteria:

1. Demonstrated previous experience in similar projects
2. Knowledge and understanding of the history of Albany and/or the south west region
3. Understanding of the tasks and outcomes
4. Value for money based on the fee breakdown and price for the project including travel and other disbursements

The following details must also be included within the submission:

• Name of the consultant historian, business address and relevant contact details
• Details of services offered, background and financial standing
• Confirmation of total fee including travel and other disbursements
• Rates for any additional works outside the agreed scope
• Names and contact details of three referees who have had recent dealings with the consultant
• Level of professional indemnity and public liability insurance and name of the company that holds the policy

Submissions

All submissions should be clearly marked, “Historian – Strawberry Hill Project” and submitted no later than 9am WST on Monday 9th September 2019 at the following address: 

Location:

National Trust of Western Australia
The Old Observatory
4 Havelock Street
WEST PERTH WA 6005

Postal Address:

National Trust of Western Australia
The Old Observatory
PO Box 1162
WEST PERTH WA 6872

Email address: trust@ntwa.com.au

Email proposals received by the nominated closing date and time will be accepted provided that they are completed, signed, legible and include all necessary information required to be submitted as part of the proposal, and a hard copy of the proposal is forwarded to the National Trust of Western Australia on the same day.

For further information please contact:

Ms Sarah Murphy
Manager Interpretation and Collections
Telephone: (08) 9321 6088
Mobile: 0419 951 454
Email: sarah.murphy@ntwa.com.au

Existing Resources

The National Trust holds a collection of historic photographs and various files that contain some historical material but holdings of primary sources material are limited.

Many reports and studies have been undertaken since the National Trust took custodianship of the property in 1964. Key documents that contain bibliographic sources include:

• Gardos, A (2004) The Historical Archaeology of the Old Farm on Strawberry Hill – a rural estate 1827-1889, Albany, Western Australia unpublished BA Hons thesis, UWA
• Chessell, G (2005) Richard Spencer: Napoleonic War Naval Hero and Australian Pioneer UWA Press
• Mulloway Studio and National Trust of Australia (WA) (2012) Conservation Plan, Old Farm, Strawberry Hill Final issue May 31 2012
• Mulloway Studio and National Trust of Australia (WA) (2010) Interpretation Plan, Old Farm, Strawberry Hill Final issue May 31 2012
• Mulloway Studio and National Trust of Australia (WA) Master Plan, Old Farm, Strawberry Hill’ Final issue May 31 2012
• Winter, S., Forsey, C., Dotte-Sarout, E., Paterson, A (2016) The settlement at Barmup: Britain’s first farm in Western Australia Australasian Historical Archaeology 23:32-43

Copyright

Copyright of all original material produced during the course of the project will remain with the National Trust of Western Australia. Use of already copyrighted material must be appropriately obtained and acknowledged. Further publication or distribution of all or part of the document must receive prior permission from the National Trust.

Insurance requirements

The consultants is expected to hold Professional Indemnity Insurance to the value of $5 million and Public Liability Insurance to the value of $20 million.

Client Liaison

The primary contact for this project is Sarah Murphy, Manager Interpretation and Collections.

The National Trust of Western Australia seeks to connect Western Australian communities to the value of our diverse natural and cultural heritage. It manages a substantial portfolio of heritage places and collections on behalf of the community and Government of Western Australia. The National Trust is committed to ensuring the heritage values of its places (both tangible and intangible) are acknowledged through an innovative and engaging approach to conservation, interpretation and community engagement.

The National Trust acknowledges its properties are situated on Aboriginal land across the state and recognises Aboriginal people remain the cultural and spiritual custodians of their land and continue to practise their values, languages, beliefs and knowledge. The National Trust is committed to working with Aboriginal people to ensure these practices are recognised and included in the conservation and interpretation of its properties and Aboriginal people are consulted and involved in the development of Trust projects and programs.

Brief History and Significance

Barmup was a resource rich place and this was a key factor in its use as an important camp by Menang families and visitors to King George Sound. These same features are what led to the initial establishment, in 1827, of Strawberry Hill as an adjunct to the military outpost of a distant NSW colony and for it to become the site of the first farm to be established in what was to later become Western Australia.

In 1832, Government Resident Sir Richard Spencer bought the extensive land holdings at Strawberry Hill and added to the original cottage built in 1831. The place fell into disrepair in the years after the deaths of Sir Richard and Lady Ann, and most of the land was subdivided and sold. Francis and Augusta Maude Bird bought the current holding in 1889. Their family continued to live here until 1956, calling it “The Old Farm”. It was opened to the community as the National Trust’s first heritage property in 1964. It is a place of layered heritage significance and stories.

The heritage significance of the place is encapsulated in the following Statement of Significance from the Conservation Plan for Strawberry Hill (2012):

• Old Farm, Strawberry Hill is significant as an important camp site for the Mineng people and a place of close and ongoing contact between them and European settlers.
• It is the site of the first farm to be established in what was to later become Western Australia. The place bears testament to 19th century colonisation and the need for self-reliance in the colonial extremes.
• The extant two-storied granite stone house is a rare example of Old Colonial Georgian architecture while the nearby cottage is a rare example of an adobe farm worker’s cottage, possibly built before the main house. The grounds of Old Farm, Strawberry Hill contain examples of the earliest European planting in WA.
• The place is significant for its association with the earliest soldier settlers; Sir James Stirling, the colony’s first Governor, and Lady Ellen Stirling; Sir Richard Spencer, successful naval officer and government resident and Lady Anne Spencer for whom the extant stone house was erected in 1836; with Francis Bird, a pioneer of the State’s timber industry and prominent architect, who with his wife Augusta Maude rescued the place from ruin in 1889; and the National Trust of Australia (WA) which has conserved and made the place, the first property acquired by the Trust, accessible to the public since 1964.