Port Mandurah Canals Series
1990 saw the start of the construction of the canal development on the Western side of the Mandurah Estuary on what used to be farmland. In 6 stages over the following years the area was transformed from farmland to multimillion dollar home land. In between the mansions there are vestiges of times past.
This series of caches will take you on a circular route of about 3.5 km that visits these islands of history that have been preserved in amongst the canals.
Park near the bridge at S32 32.165' E115 42.977' and do the series then take a leisurely stroll over the bridge to one of the many coffee shops on the foreshore as a reward.
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SUTTON FAMILY GRAVEYARD
This rustic graveyard contains the remains of the early generations of the Sutton family, John Sutton, his wife Eleanor and their son Henry, who were early farmers in the Mandurah area went on to become significant builders of the community down to the present day. Now surrounded by canals, the graveyard once sat in a quiet corner of the Sutton family farm and stands as a testament to the rapid growth that Mandurah has and is experiencing.
In 1839 the Sutton family, consisting of John Sutton, his wife Eleanor and son Henry, left Ireland and arrived on the WA coast aboard the ship the Hindoo in 1840. John came as an indentured servant to James Tate and worked for him until 1843 farming in the Peel region. He then rented a block of land on the west bank of the Mandurah estuary on part of Henry Hall's 200 acres and occupied Hall's cottage.
In 1844 John Sutton took up the ferry licence and then started a small inn and in 1846 when he obtained an innkeeper's licence. The inn was mostly used by mail coaches for overnight stops. In 1848 John Sutton applied for the lease of the Mandurah ferry, which was granted by Thomas Peel. The ferry was used to transport people, horses and carts across the dangerous estuary. In 1849 John completed building the Wayside Inn approximately in the position of the current IGA store on the western side of the bridge.
In 1852 the Government bought the ferry back from Thomas Peel and appointed Sutton as the ferry-keeper. John operated the ferry free of charge for the public and in return was given 10,000 acres around the southern estuary, as well as a publican's licence for his Inn and finance to keep the ferry maintained.
John Sutton died in 1857, followed by his son, Henty, in 1861 who died from pneumonia after contracting measles. John Sutton's wife, Eleanor was left with the difficult job of managing the farm, inn and ferry service. She wrote home for help to relatives in Irelnad and her nephew, also called Henry Sutton, was sent over in 1862. Eleanor died in 1868 leaving the Sutton estate to her nephew Henry Sutton.
Extracted from "The Mandurah Murray Story" - A guide to some historical sites and stories of the Peel area. Published by the Mature Adults Learing Association. Copies can be obtained from the Mandurah Community Museum at 3 Pinjarra Rd (just near the bridge) website is www.mandurahcommunitymuseum.org
This Cache
This cache is a magnetic nano so bring your own pencil.
Inukshuck63