In 1933 Thomas Garfield Hammond purchased circa 100 acres of land at Yallingup in front of the historic Caves House Hotel site owned then by that state government.
Thomas built rental cottages and grew oats on the land. 66% of the Hammond land was developed and 34 % was left as undeveloped.
Thomas ‘Ting’ Hammond and his wife Silvia ‘Dorrie’ Doreen (nee Burkett) bought up their sons William ‘Garth’ and Graham ‘Jack’ on Yallingup hill.
Ting was a Dental Surgeon and practiced out of Claremont and a surgery at the top end of St Georges Terrace in Perth. He also had an effective medical suite with dental surgery and denture manufacturing workshop at the big house on Yallingup Hill.
1940s Ting’s bronze Dental Surgeon professional plaque and a small selection of his dental equipment. Hammond family pic.
Thomas Hammond’s grandson the late Evan Hammond kindly provided this history of his family’s early years on Yallingup Hill. Evan was a 3rd generation Hammond family member living on Yallingup Hill. Evan and his elder brother Dene are the sons of the late Garth Hammond and Patricia Hammond (now of Floreat).
1933-36 Ting and his convertible at Yallingup campsites. Hammond family pics. Left: Ting at Canal Rocks campsite. Right: Ting at Yallingup hill campsite (near the late Steve Russo’s place on Valley Road).
Ting built their first family cottage on the undeveloped side of the valley in Yallingup in the 40s. Today only the remnants of the white cap rock chimney and a fruiting fig tree remain.
His wife Dorrie used figs from the fig tree to make fig jam for tourists visiting Yallingup. Initially tourist buses visited the ‘big house’ for refreshments, then in the 50s the Hammond Tea Rooms (Surfside) were built on the beach front at Yallingup. The tea rooms served food, Devonshire teas and petrol.
Dorrie and the hand cast copper pot used to make fig jam. Hammond family pics. Left: 1922 Dorrie Burkett age 19. Right: 1940s Dorrie’s fig jam pot.1940s unsealed Valley Road Yallingup. Hammond family pic.
From 1943 to 1947 Ting built rental cottages on the hill. He built 5 rental cottages on the high side of Elsegood Avenue. On the low side of Hammond Road he built the big house and two cottages (Laurie Schlueter’s cottage and the Savage Family’s “The Junction” cottage).
Ting’s private family house was called ‘the big house’. It was built on stumps and had an enclosed verandah covered in wooden slats.
The cottage on the corner of Hammond and Valley roads was called ‘The Junction’ because it was physically halfway between the pub and beach.
The Junction and its very old hedged tree fence can be found is at the end of the Ghost Track (also known affectionately as the Ghost Trail or Bridal Trail) when walking from the hotel to the beach.
1940’s the Hammond’s ‘big house’ on Hammond Road Yallingup. Hammond family pics. Left: Ting with his car meeting with guests and the cottage builders at the big house. Right: rental guests at the big house.1940s rental cottages being built on Elsegood Avenue. Hammond family pics. Left: Rental cottage with the big house and Tings car in the background. Right: Rental cottage with Ting’s car out the front.1947 Hammond cottages on Yallingup hill. Hammond family pics.1947 Hammond cottages and the big house on the hill with a clearing and a windmill in the foreground. Hammond family pic.1947 Hammond rental cottages with guest vehicles out the front and the big house on the right. Hammond family pic.1947 panorama of Hammond land on Yallingup Hill. Hammond family pic. L-R Hammond tea rooms, rental cottages, the big house and The Junction.1949 Ting watching Garth (age 7) climb a ladder to a water tank at the rental cottages on Yallingup hill. Hammond family pic.1946-47 Ting’s son Garth playing with a friend at Slippery Rocks Yallingup Beach. Hammond family pic. Note beach erosion at Rabbit Hill in the background.
Records show that circa 1952 to 1966 there were just the lower roads on Yallingup Hill. Then the development of Wardanup Crescent was undertaken by Alan Bond from Bond Corp and sold in and around the 1967 to 1972 era. Interestingly Wardanup Crescent is named after the Wardanup Ridge which is visible behind the Yallingup Hill town site. It’s also finds its name from the Wardani people, of the Noongar tribe of indigenous Australians.
Ting’s boys Jack and Garth attended Yallingup Primary School on the corner of Caves Road and Wildwood Road (now Steiner School). Hammond family pic.
1952 The Yallingup Primary School class of ’52 with Garth in front row 5th from right.
Ting’s car in the following photo is a 1954 Chevrolet BelAir 4 Door sedan. 235 cubic inch 6 cylinder with a three speed box. Evan recalls Garth saying there were some “adventurous” runs to Busselton when the old man was away. The car was very powerful for its day.
The number plate BSN 1991 on Ting’s Chev is still retained by the Hammond family and since Garth’s passing it is on Patricia’s car. Evan’s 1979 Range Rover has the number plate BSN 1881 and both these plates are the original family plates.
1955 Hammond family on Valley Road Yallingup with Ting’s Chevrolet sedan. Photo courtesy of photographer John Budge and Surfing Down South book. L-R. Ting’s sons Graham ‘Jack’ & William ‘Garth’, Mrs Silvia ‘Dorrie’ Hammond and Thomas ‘Ting’ Hammond.
Ting acquired the ship’s bell off the 1897 MV Helena.
MV Helena was built in England, dismantled, shipped to Perth then rebuilt at Coffee Point (South of Perth Yacht Club’s site) for Ting’s father William John Hammond and his business partner Alex Matherson as they developed what was known as Melville Waters Park Estate which is now called Applecross.
She would steam paddle back and forth from William Street Jetty Perth with supplies and materials for the company’s subdivision and development site.
An Exert from WA maritime registers has the following information on her;
No.12, 1898, HELENA, O/No.102216, 27.5 tons.
Paddle Steamship.
Dimensions, 65 x 12 x 5.25 feet.
Built by A.H.Grey at Coffee Point, during 1897.
Owner: Melville Waters Park Estates Ltd. of Perth.
This vessel was abandoned at Coffee Point, Swan River in 1905 and eventually sank at her moorings.
The ship’s bell subsequently found a home at Yallingup and is well known to a lot of kids on Yallingup hill.
From 1982-83 until recently, Garth Hammond would do up the ute, dress in a Father Christmas outfit along with some years Jack or Mick Mickle and ring the Helena bell to signify Santa was coming. His sons Dene & Evan and any other festive local ready to give a hand would throw out wrapped toffees to celebrate Xmas with the Yallingup Hill community. Very kindly these would be provided by Allens Sweets and organised by Peter Dyson as a gift to his Yallingup hill family.
Graham John Hammond (Uncle Jack) is of the belief that Ting hand built the wooden frame to house the bell he inherited from his father.
1897 MV Helena ship bell at Yallingup. Hammond family pic
Garth and Patricia Hammond’s son Dene still lives in Yallingup. Sadly Evan Hammond passed away 23 June 2018 (age 45).
A big thank you to the Hammond family for sharing their memorabilia.
In 1933 Thomas Garfield Hammond purchased circa 100 acres of land at Yallingup in front of the historic Caves House Hotel site owned then by that state government.
Thomas built rental cottages and grew oats on the land. 66% of the Hammond land was developed and 34 % was left as undeveloped.
Thomas ‘Ting’ Hammond and his wife Silvia ‘Dorrie’ Doreen (nee Burkett) bought up their sons William ‘Garth’ and Graham ‘Jack’ on Yallingup hill.
Ting was a Dental Surgeon and practiced out of Claremont and a surgery at the top end of St Georges Terrace in Perth. He also had an effective medical suite with dental surgery and denture manufacturing workshop at the big house on Yallingup Hill.
Thomas Hammond’s grandson the late Evan Hammond kindly provided this history of his family’s early years on Yallingup Hill. Evan was a 3rd generation Hammond family member living on Yallingup Hill. Evan and his elder brother Dene are the sons of the late Garth Hammond and Patricia Hammond (now of Floreat).
Left: Ting at Canal Rocks campsite.
Right: Ting at Yallingup hill campsite (near the late Steve Russo’s place on Valley Road).
Ting built their first family cottage on the undeveloped side of the valley in Yallingup in the 40s. Today only the remnants of the white cap rock chimney and a fruiting fig tree remain.
His wife Dorrie used figs from the fig tree to make fig jam for tourists visiting Yallingup. Initially tourist buses visited the ‘big house’ for refreshments, then in the 50s the Hammond Tea Rooms (Surfside) were built on the beach front at Yallingup. The tea rooms served food, Devonshire teas and petrol.
Left: 1922 Dorrie Burkett age 19.
Right: 1940s Dorrie’s fig jam pot.
From 1943 to 1947 Ting built rental cottages on the hill. He built 5 rental cottages on the high side of Elsegood Avenue. On the low side of Hammond Road he built the big house and two cottages (Laurie Schlueter’s cottage and the Savage Family’s “The Junction” cottage).
Ting’s private family house was called ‘the big house’. It was built on stumps and had an enclosed verandah covered in wooden slats.
The cottage on the corner of Hammond and Valley roads was called ‘The Junction’ because it was physically halfway between the pub and beach.
The Junction and its very old hedged tree fence can be found is at the end of the Ghost Track (also known affectionately as the Ghost Trail or Bridal Trail) when walking from the hotel to the beach.
Left: Ting with his car meeting with guests and the cottage builders at the big house.
Right: rental guests at the big house.
Left: Rental cottage with the big house and Tings car in the background.
Right: Rental cottage with Ting’s car out the front.
L-R Hammond tea rooms, rental cottages, the big house and The Junction.
Note beach erosion at Rabbit Hill in the background.
Records show that circa 1952 to 1966 there were just the lower roads on Yallingup Hill. Then the development of Wardanup Crescent was undertaken by Alan Bond from Bond Corp and sold in and around the 1967 to 1972 era. Interestingly Wardanup Crescent is named after the Wardanup Ridge which is visible behind the Yallingup Hill town site. It’s also finds its name from the Wardani people, of the Noongar tribe of indigenous Australians.
Ting’s boys Jack and Garth attended Yallingup Primary School on the corner of Caves Road and Wildwood Road (now Steiner School). Hammond family pic.
Ting’s car in the following photo is a 1954 Chevrolet BelAir 4 Door sedan. 235 cubic inch 6 cylinder with a three speed box. Evan recalls Garth saying there were some “adventurous” runs to Busselton when the old man was away. The car was very powerful for its day.
The number plate BSN 1991 on Ting’s Chev is still retained by the Hammond family and since Garth’s passing it is on Patricia’s car. Evan’s 1979 Range Rover has the number plate BSN 1881 and both these plates are the original family plates.
L-R. Ting’s sons Graham ‘Jack’ & William ‘Garth’, Mrs Silvia ‘Dorrie’ Hammond and Thomas ‘Ting’ Hammond.
Ting acquired the ship’s bell off the 1897 MV Helena.
MV Helena was built in England, dismantled, shipped to Perth then rebuilt at Coffee Point (South of Perth Yacht Club’s site) for Ting’s father William John Hammond and his business partner Alex Matherson as they developed what was known as Melville Waters Park Estate which is now called Applecross.
She would steam paddle back and forth from William Street Jetty Perth with supplies and materials for the company’s subdivision and development site.
An Exert from WA maritime registers has the following information on her;
No.12, 1898, HELENA, O/No.102216, 27.5 tons.
Paddle Steamship.
Dimensions, 65 x 12 x 5.25 feet.
Built by A.H.Grey at Coffee Point, during 1897.
Owner: Melville Waters Park Estates Ltd. of Perth.
This vessel was abandoned at Coffee Point, Swan River in 1905 and eventually sank at her moorings.
The ship’s bell subsequently found a home at Yallingup and is well known to a lot of kids on Yallingup hill.
From 1982-83 until recently, Garth Hammond would do up the ute, dress in a Father Christmas outfit along with some years Jack or Mick Mickle and ring the Helena bell to signify Santa was coming. His sons Dene & Evan and any other festive local ready to give a hand would throw out wrapped toffees to celebrate Xmas with the Yallingup Hill community. Very kindly these would be provided by Allens Sweets and organised by Peter Dyson as a gift to his Yallingup hill family.
Graham John Hammond (Uncle Jack) is of the belief that Ting hand built the wooden frame to house the bell he inherited from his father.
Garth and Patricia Hammond’s son Dene still lives in Yallingup. Sadly Evan Hammond passed away 23 June 2018 (age 45).
A big thank you to the Hammond family for sharing their memorabilia.
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