Azalea Stirling Cottage

Azalea Stirling Cottage

In the mid 1800’s, the first Governor of Western Australia, Governor Stirling, selected 12,800 acres of fertile land in Harvey called it the ‘Harvey River Settlement’. The only improvement he made to the land was to build a cottage, known as “The Hut”. This convict built cottage, on the banks of the tranquil Harvey River, featured a shingled roof and ‘pit-sawn’ jarrah walls with hexoganal-shaped paving blocks fitted together to form firm flooring. One of the original paving blocks can be seen in the Cottage history room today. As the ‘Harvey Estate’ was sold quite a few times over the years, the ‘cottage’ was home to many pioneering farming families. In 1885 and 1886, May Gibbs, (creator of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie), lived in the cottage with her family. It is believed that May Gibbs drew much of her inspiration for her stories and illustrations from her experiences in Harvey. The original cottage was surrounded by gardens and fruit trees, and had a cellar which was often flooded in winter. A blacksmiths workshop and stables were added. Over the years, the cottage fell into disrepair, and by the end of the 1960’s only a few bricks and stones remained. A lone pine tree marked the site of the Cottage, but this was blown down during a storm in 1985. On Sunday 9th October 1994, the replica ‘Stirling Cottage’ was open to the public. Modelled on the original ‘Stirling Cottage’, this building features the shingled roof, jarrah walls and hexoganal paving blocks of the original. A balcony has been added overlooking the tranquil Harvey River. Info from Harvey Tourism webpage

Azalea taken in the ground. This is a delightful tranquil place to visit, with lovely short walks, a small orange grove and old fashioned herb garden. At the time of the visit, a wedding reception area was being laid out for the afternoon. They also make great scones.

Azalea Stirling Cottage belongs to the following groups:

All That is Nature (Photography Only), All the Colors of the Rainbow and Rhododendrons Available for sale as

Greeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints, Framed Prints and Posters