One of our national heritage buildings
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (326170)
Rockingham, Australia
March 25, 2021 4:38pm CST
Whereas cities might have cathedrals and other impressive buildings on their heritage listings, West Australia has this slab hut! We live midway between Boyanup and Donnybrook. Both are known for orchards and dairying among other things. It is a fertile area with an assured rainfall. Boyanup is aboriginal for ‘place of quartz’.
One of the first buildings erected on the outskirts of Boyanup was this slab hut which was constructed around 1885. In 1925, a new home was built several hundred closer to the town. It has an iron roof and, on the other end of the house, a brick chimney which is still standing. You might be able to see some scaffolding in the interior which is preventing the building from falling down.
While it doesn’t look much now, no doubt, back in 1885, its shelter was very much appreciated.
Photo by my husband, Vince.
31 people like this
30 responses
@DianneN (247219)
• United States
25 Mar 21
Nice photo. My younger son attended a prep school building built in the 1600s and moved to his campus from its original place on the town green. It fit 6 students and one teacher. He and the boys had to keep the fireplace going during his winter class.
4 people like this
@TheHorse (206612)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 Mar 21
@JudyEv Not sure what the best solution is. Wood eventually goes away. The cabin I often show was my parents' cabin. They built it in the 1950s. My Grandfather's cabin dates back to the 1900s. I'll see if I can find a picture.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (326170)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Mar 21
I've seen your grandfather's cabin. It's really lovely and I know you do maintenance on it when you go there. As this is heritage listed, I don't think they are allowed to do much to it. They've put in the scaffolding to help hold it up but I think 'repairs' probably aren't allowed. Bit silly really as it won't last forever if it stays as it is.
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@RebeccasFarm (86828)
• United States
26 Mar 21
Iron roof is it Judy or tin? Its lovely, It would do me fine for now.
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@porwest (78759)
• United States
28 Mar 21
Still, always very interesting to see how some people lived in the early days. We take many of our current creature comforts for granted these days. When we say life is hard nowadays, I wonder what the people who lived in that time period might think about our complaints.
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@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
25 Mar 21
Oh, my! Was that your honeymoon cottage when you and Vince got married? 
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@indexer (4852)
• Leicester, England
26 Mar 21
That is a fascinating piece of heritage. Our garden project has revealed some interesting relics from the past - the house was built around 1910 and some of the original garden features are coming to light.
I was horrified to read about a chapel in Spain that was hundreds of years old - it had been built by the Knights Templar in the 13th century - and which has recently been demolished because the landowner wanted to use the land it was on. We should do everything we can to preserve our history.
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@indexer (4852)
• Leicester, England
26 Mar 21
@JudyEv That is indeed what happens in many places, but the thing about builders in past times was that they did not dig deep foundations or use piledrivers, so they they were highly unlikely to destroy what was underneath. That is one reason why the bones of King Richard III were still almost intact when discovered in Leicester a few years ago - part of a school was built on top of the site of the former Friary, but did not destroy the skeleton lying not far below where they were working.
These days, work often has to stop when discoveries are made, so that archeologists can gather all the information they can before the remains are lost for ever.
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@JudyEv (326170)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 Mar 21
And somewhere in the south of England, a now heritage building was built on top of Roman ruins. The bathhouse and other bits and pieces nearby have been unearthed but what is under the more modern building has to stay there.
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Mar 21
What I see is a nice pile of firewood! haha
Just kidding of course. It's pretty neat that buildings of historical significance are preserved, no matter how small or simple they are.
Here in Florida, our annual rainfall amounts, coupled with high heat, humidity and insects, assures that no wooden structures stand the test of time.
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@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
26 Mar 21
@JudyEv Well, nothing lasts forever, so eventually it's going to succumb to the elements, unless someone steps in and does a preservation effort.
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@Deepizzaguy (94913)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
25 Mar 21
I like this story about the old building in your homeland.
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@Deepizzaguy (94913)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
26 Mar 21
@JudyEv I agree with you.
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@DocAndersen (54407)
• United States
26 Mar 21
it used to make me laugh when I would go to Europe or Asia and the old buildings I was shown were 500, 1000 or more years old.
that 1885 is an old building in the US as welL!!!!!!
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@DocAndersen (54407)
• United States
26 Mar 21
@JudyEv it really is - I guess there is a difference in being a youngster!
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@sharonelton (25162)
• Lichfield, England
26 Mar 21
Wow! It is a shame they can't renovate it.
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@sharonelton (25162)
• Lichfield, England
26 Mar 21
@JudyEv Yes, I agree with that.
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@snowy22315 (170578)
• United States
26 Mar 21
Pretty dilapadated. I wonder how much longer it will last? You know the scoop on everything I think..at least in your area..
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@JudyEv (326170)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 Mar 21
It's on about five acres. It had a couple of owners back in its day but has now been in the one family for three generations.
@kaylachan (58272)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
25 Mar 21
I can imagine any shelter would've been very welcome.
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@kaylachan (58272)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
25 Mar 21
@JudyEv Oh yeah. Construction has improved since, though.
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@RasmaSandra (73749)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
26 Mar 21
That is interesting and amazing that much is still standing today
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@Mike197602 (15487)
• United Kingdom
26 Mar 21
I'm surprised they haven't built some sort of shelter over the top of it to stop it being damaged by bad weather.
Looks like it is going to rot away
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