Accommodation - Glen Doone, 335 Victor Rd, Darlington

The original grant for Greenmount Lot 36 of 9.7 ha (24 acres and ten perches) was granted in 1890 to Alfred Waylen and Josceline Amherst. By 1901 both Amherst and Waylen had died and the land was purchased by Elsie Eltze Barrymore (nee Victor) married woman of Kalgoorlie in 1904. It is Hugh and Elsie Barrymore who it is thought transported a house from Kalgoorlie/Greenbushes and erected it on the property c1923. A mortgage is on the title for £700.00 in 1922. The Electoral Roll and Postal Directories have the couple at Darlington in 1925.

In 1927 the 24 acres was sold to Reginald Dimond, a Furniture Manufacturer in Perth. It is the Dimond family that is first associated in the social pages with the name Glen Doone for the property as the article below shows.

Gildas comments 12th December 1929 Western Mail below

“At their prettily situated bungalow, Glen Doone, at Darlington, Mr. and Mrs.R. E. Dimond gave a cheery party last Thursday evening to several car loads of friends from Perth.”

It appears it was used as a weekender as the Dimonds are not listed in the Electoral Roll or Postal Directories as living at the property.

The property was then sold in 1930 to Arthur Connop, a returned soldier from WW1 who suffered hearing loss and struggled to find work in his profession as a carpenter. He was married and had three sons who he supported through casual work and being somewhat self-sufficient on the property, having poultry, cows, as well as growing wheat and vegetables.

The property changed ownership again in 1938, passing to Llewellyn and Ngaire Griffiths, Llewellyn was also a returned WW1 soldier, who served with the 10th Light Horse in the Middle East from early 1916 and was injured twice during his service. Initially tram or train carriages were placed on the property for accommodation then Llewellyn who was a builder initially built 4 cabins on the property which were advertised as rentals in March 1940. According to their daughter, Dawn, the cabins were painted cream with either red or green trim. They were constructed of wood and asbestos and a 5th cabin was added later.

Griffiths Advertisement in the West Australian in July 1942.
“DARLINGTON. Glen Doone Cabins. 2 rooms, bathroom, ver. furnished, e light, all cons. spotless, mile station. 25/ weekly. 15/, term. Griffiths, Darlington. Phone 244.”

The property changed hands again in 1943 and the Griffiths family remained in Darlington while in 1944 Llewellyn enlisted for WW2 and served with the Construction Corp in the Northern Territory at Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs. He was discharged at the end of 1944 with an eye abscess.

The new purchaser was William Rutt, a retired Captain with the Merchant Navy who had married later in life. There was no advertising for the rental of the cabins on the property but regulars possibly still did occupy some of them. The Rutt family had a few chooks, a house cow and horses for their daughter Loisette who attended MLC and boarded during the week but returned home for weekends. This family lived in Darlington until 1948 when the property was purchased by Edna Clara Lester. Records show that the Lesters used Glen Doone as a weekender and didn’t live on the property full time.

By 1952 Ethel Margaret Cunningham had purchased the property and was joined by her daughter’s family Charles Jeffery and Ethel Kathleen Wilde shortly afterwards. When Ethel M. died in 1963 the Wilde family purchased and remained on the property until 1973.

The Wilde family put in the original septic systems for the main house and cabins as well as putting all the cabins on separate water and electricity meters. They constructed the ablution block that served first the cabins then later the 10 berth Caravan Park set up in the late 1960’s.

In 1973 Godfrey Hazelton purchased the property but sold it in 1974 to Thelma Development Pty Ltd whose company director was John and Hilda Owen (late of Owen’s store in Darlington). Just over one acre which was separate on the original title was sold to Kenneth & Janet Johnson who joined Thelma Development Pty Ltd.

This development group planned to develop a Bird Sanctuary,Tavern and also make provision for the Theatre Players on the property. The Mundaring Shire gave its approval but the Metropolitan Region Planning Authority turned it down citing it as an inappropriate development in a rural area and contrary to the zoning purpose.

Avonlea Farm Riding purchased the home and land that was home to the Wilde family and the proposed Bird Sanctuary and Tavern.

1981 saw 5.6 ha (Lot 4) cancelled from the title and resumed by the State Government for a Regional Park. Lot 3 was transferred to Stuart and Nola Lee now comprising 3.84 ha (9.5 acres). This couple built a new rammed earth house on this block.

The Lee’s sold the house and property in 2002 but a further piece of land was added to Avonlea Farm Riding School that included the old stone stables.

The current owners of Glen Doone are Val and Denis Shiell who subdivided and sold 1 hectare of the property adjacent to the Hudman Reserve in 2016. They now retain 2 hectares which surrounds the rammed earth house built by the Lee’s.