The UWA Historical Society

Crawley Park House talk and tour 2014

Further Information

The UWA Historical Society invites you to join this popular public event to discover the significance of an often-overlooked building which sits so much at odds with its neighbours on campus.

Photo of Shenton House from UWA Archives, 1936P
Event: 
Crawley Park House talk and tour
Tour by: 
Ron Bodycoat AM, Heritage Architect
Date: 
Sunday 21 September 2014
Time: 
2 pm
Location: 
Shenton House, UWA Crawley Campus
Suggested donation: 
UWAHS members $5, non-members $10.
RSVP: 
RSVP to Ron Bodycoat or phone 0418 917 757. Numbers are limited.

Crawley Park House, now styled Shenton House, currently houses the School of Indigenous Studies at The University of Western Australia. This tour explains the origins and the history of the first building on the UWA campus established in the 1830s – well before the land became the site of the current university. The tour embodies past changes which take in the aesthetic values and appearance of the building and site, and the extent that this has changed the visual significance of the building. Join this very popular walk to discover the significance of this often overlooked building which sits so much at odds with its neighbours.

About Crawley Park (Shenton) House

Crawley Park is the name adopted by Sutherland in memory of his mother Maria Crawley. The name changed to Shenton House in 1963, reflecting the long association with the Shenton family. Crawley Park House has been in use by the School of Mining and Engineering, Education, and then in 1988 as the Centre for Aboriginal Programs, now the School of Indigenous Studies.

It is significant as a rare surviving Colonial house dating from c. 1846 and as the initial element of the fabric of The University of Western Australia Crawley Campus in 1914. The place is historically and socially significant for its origins as a farming property purchased in 1831 and developed by Henry Sutherland, and later owned by George Shenton Jnr. Assistant Surveyor General Captain Currie had selected the land in 1829 at the time the official party was proceeding to the site selected for the Foundation of Perth.