Historical notes on the Seymour family cottages in Dunsborough
The Seymour family were early settlers in the Capes region. William Seymour arrived in Dunsborough 1845-1846 to work for Lionel Sampson and the ‘Castle Rock Whaling Company.’ The Seymour’s two original family dwellings designed in local vernacular style were located on Lots 1 – 17 in Dunn Bay Road, Dunsborough WA, before being relocated to Millbrook Farm at Yallingup. One of the cottages was made from stone and the other weatherboard. Source: City of Busselton Municipal Heritage Inventory 2013.
The Seymour’s family name is shown on the 1902 Lands Department map showing the Locality of the Caves between Capes Naturaliste and Leeuwin in WA.
Image: 1902 map of Capes region with the Seymour’s name in Dunsborough. Image courtesy of State Records Office of WA.
Image: Pre 1980s the Seymour’s stone cottage on Dunn Bay Rd Dunsborough. Image courtesy of the City of Busselton Municipal Heritage Inventory 2013.
Julie Favell (former SW resident): “In 1982 I took these photos of the historic Seymour cottage which used to be located at the end of Dunn Bay Road in Dunsborough just across the road from a car park and boat ramp on the beach.”
Photo: 1982 the Seymour’s weatherboard cottage on Dunn Bay Rd Dunsborough #1. Julie Favell pic.
Photo: 1982 the Seymour’s weatherboard cottage on Dunn Bay Rd Dunsborough #2. Julie Favell pic.
The Seymour’s family dwellings were relocated from Dunsborough to Kevin and Margaret Merifield’s Millbrook Farm at Yallingup in the 1980s.
Kevin Merifield: “My understanding is the Seymour cottages in Dunn Bay road were the first cottages built in Dunsborough around 1850, when Dunsborough was a whaling station.
The historic Seymour cottages were relocated to Millbrook from memory in the early 1980s, we purchased Millbrook at Yallingup in 1976.
At that time Malcolm Paine was operating a tourist business on our property at Millbrook, the Seymour cottages were about to be demolished and we decided to save them and relocate to Millbrook.
Ironically Margaret and I were intrigued when we first came across the cottages around 1958, we knocked on the door to see if we could have a look and Jack Seymour the owner obliged by showing us around and offering a cup of tea, little did we know we would become the proud owners some 25 years later”.
Photo: 2016 the Seymour’s stone cottage on Millbrook Farm at Yallingup. Kevin Merifield pic.
Photo: 2016 the Seymour’s weatherboard cottage on Millbrook Farm at Yallingup. Kevin Merifield pic.
Photo: 2016 the Seymour’s cottages on Millbrook Farm at Yallingup. Kevin Merifield pic.
Left: Stone cottage, Middle: Jack Seymour’s cottage, Right: Weatherboard cottage.
Julie Favell: “I am ever so pleased about the Seymour cottages being relocated to Kevin and Margaret Merifield’s property. It is nice to know someone took the time to preserve a beautiful piece of Dunsborough’s history.”
Historical notes on the Seymour family cottages in Dunsborough
The Seymour family were early settlers in the Capes region. William Seymour arrived in Dunsborough 1845-1846 to work for Lionel Sampson and the ‘Castle Rock Whaling Company.’ The Seymour’s two original family dwellings designed in local vernacular style were located on Lots 1 – 17 in Dunn Bay Road, Dunsborough WA, before being relocated to Millbrook Farm at Yallingup. One of the cottages was made from stone and the other weatherboard. Source: City of Busselton Municipal Heritage Inventory 2013.
The Seymour’s family name is shown on the 1902 Lands Department map showing the Locality of the Caves between Capes Naturaliste and Leeuwin in WA.
Image: 1902 map of Capes region with the Seymour’s name in Dunsborough. Image courtesy of State Records Office of WA.
Image: Pre 1980s the Seymour’s stone cottage on Dunn Bay Rd Dunsborough. Image courtesy of the City of Busselton Municipal Heritage Inventory 2013.
Julie Favell (former SW resident): “In 1982 I took these photos of the historic Seymour cottage which used to be located at the end of Dunn Bay Road in Dunsborough just across the road from a car park and boat ramp on the beach.”
Photo: 1982 the Seymour’s weatherboard cottage on Dunn Bay Rd Dunsborough #1. Julie Favell pic.
Photo: 1982 the Seymour’s weatherboard cottage on Dunn Bay Rd Dunsborough #2. Julie Favell pic.
The Seymour’s family dwellings were relocated from Dunsborough to Kevin and Margaret Merifield’s Millbrook Farm at Yallingup in the 1980s.
Kevin Merifield: “My understanding is the Seymour cottages in Dunn Bay road were the first cottages built in Dunsborough around 1850, when Dunsborough was a whaling station.
The historic Seymour cottages were relocated to Millbrook from memory in the early 1980s, we purchased Millbrook at Yallingup in 1976.
At that time Malcolm Paine was operating a tourist business on our property at Millbrook, the Seymour cottages were about to be demolished and we decided to save them and relocate to Millbrook.
Ironically Margaret and I were intrigued when we first came across the cottages around 1958, we knocked on the door to see if we could have a look and Jack Seymour the owner obliged by showing us around and offering a cup of tea, little did we know we would become the proud owners some 25 years later”.
Photo: 2016 the Seymour’s stone cottage on Millbrook Farm at Yallingup. Kevin Merifield pic.
Photo: 2016 the Seymour’s weatherboard cottage on Millbrook Farm at Yallingup. Kevin Merifield pic.
Photo: 2016 the Seymour’s cottages on Millbrook Farm at Yallingup. Kevin Merifield pic.
Left: Stone cottage, Middle: Jack Seymour’s cottage, Right: Weatherboard cottage.
Julie Favell: “I am ever so pleased about the Seymour cottages being relocated to Kevin and Margaret Merifield’s property. It is nice to know someone took the time to preserve a beautiful piece of Dunsborough’s history.”
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