An address steeped in history

Churchman Brook has a vibrant history and dates back to the times when the Swan River colony was in its infancy.

In 1831 Captain Charles Blisset Churchman was granted 5666 acres of land. This large parcel included what is now Churchman Brook. Alas Captain Churchman only enjoyed this substantial endowment for a mere three years. The ownership fell to his sisters and they eventually sold the land to Thomas Buckingham.

The area went through various incarnations, most interestingly as a logging area where timber was exported to England for road building. However, it became most famous during the 1920’s and 30’s when Perth’s reservoirs and dams were constructed.

In 1923 the Chief Engineer of the of the Water Supply Department, F.W. Lawson, recommended that three dams be built to combat Perth’s severe water shortages.

Churchman Brook dam was completed three years later under the supervision of Sir Russell Dumas. Churchman Brook’s Dumas Drive is named in his honour. Sir Russell was also responsible for the Canning Dam, completed in 1940. Wungong Dam was finished in 1978.

Today all three dams feature picnic areas that prove very popular with families.

The most recent person of significance to have an association with this area is Matron Florence Grono. In the early 1900’s this remarkable woman was responsible for opening her own hospital.

Her association with Churchman Brook occurred in the 1930’s when she purchased the present location of the estate. Here she grew the fruit and vegetables that sustained her hospital patients.