Giles 1875 / Camel Lake Connection

Thanks Greg, this may call for an archival Battye search to satisfy my curiosity...

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the answer.

I did a bit of a prelimenary investigation today.
I rang the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority, Bold Park Administration. I was put on hold for a while but was told that a historian, who is affiliated with Cambridge Council, Joy Black, may have some advice. They also said they would try and get someone else to get back to me back in a while. They did ring me back and they said they could not provide anymore information on the issue, but to try the Battye Library.

A search of Cambridges Library website turned up this link:

Limekilns Estate Notes

Limekilns Estate was apparently the name of the area way back when.

A search for the book on Liswa's website showed they had a copy too: Limekilns Estate Notes by Joy Black and Honer Venning

I went to the Battye after work and had a look at the book. Then my pen decided to cark it so I couldn't write many notes.

It did have a few maps and some notes on the lake.
"In the natural bushland to the west of Perry Lakes is the area in which camels were watered and tethered at a temporary quarantine post, and the small lake became known as Camel Lake"

I could only write down minimal things because of my faulty pen. There was a reference in the book to another book: The Old North Road by WJ Deburgh

From page 37: After 2 months rest at, what was then known as Birchs Paddock, beside the lake with good pasture beneath they blue gums they (Giles) set off for Champion Bay (Geraldton).

A big big clue: Birchs Paddock.

Somers Birch was a previous landowner in the area.

I did find another reference from the Sunday Times which I have yet to follow up: Elsewhere: Perry Lakes and also a refence to the Inquirer Newspaper.

I had a bit of a look at the WA Times Newspaper:
Image Could Not Be Found

I continued at the library until my eyes started to hurt and my mind was spinning around and around.

Did you know you can now download all things you would normally photocopy straight to your USB flashdrive for free? My bet is that you did :))

As you can see I have opened up another can of worms and it will take more than one visit to the library to sort it out.

Cheers
Alan

Good work

RE your faulty pen - I find a digital camera is handy for on the spot "photocopying" - though understand some things arent allowed to be copied in such a manner though with no flash shouldnt be a problem. Last time I was in the BL they let me photograph pages out of an old book.

Cheers
Greg

Hi Alan,

You really having fun with this aren't you.

de Burgh's book has quite a few refs to Limekilns and Birch, it also has as follows
1. page 40 'there is still a little swamp or lake, half a mile or so to the SE of Reabold Hill,that is known as Camel Lake, a reminder of the days when part of the Limekilns estate was used as a camel paddock.
2. a 1898 map on page 73 shows commonage in the right area
3. there are a few refs to Birch - p38 'While the explorers (Giles) were feted in Perth the camels were taken out to Birch's paddocks near the Limekilns where they could rest and recuperate beside the lakes and graze on late spring pasture beneath shady blue gums...'
By the way WJ de Burgh is still alive and well and he is a member of the RWAHS. In case you want to ring him there is only one such person in the phone book - I won’t list his number here though. His book has two editions and both can be obtained via a inter library loan thru your local library – this will save you going to the Battye and give you more time at home to check things out.

I have checked out Geonoma and here is what it reveals about:

Bold Park.
"The names "Bold" & "Reabold" honour two men prominent in the council when the city bought the Limekilns Estate in 1917. The estate forms a big area of Bold Park & the suburb of Floreat Park. Bold commemorates the name of Perth's active, far-sighted Town Clerk, Mr W.E. Bold, who retired in September, 1944, after a record 44 year term of office. To him probably goes the greatest share of credit for early developments. Reabold, the park's well known hill, incorporates the name of a Perth mayor, Mr Frank Rea, who was mayor at the time of the limekilns purchase. He was active in town planning, but his term was short, and ended before the opening of a plank road to the beach - the celebrated "switchback" - in 1918." West Australian, July 5th 1974.Swan Loc. 1911, Perthshire Loc AK. Limekilns Estate of J. Perry.W.E. Bold was Perth City Council's Town Clerk from 1900 to 1944.Shown as "Park Lands" on early maps.T he name Bold Park was first shown on the 3rd Edition of the Street Directory in 1947.

Floreat
The area covered by the present suburb of FLOREAT comprises parts of Perthshire Locations Ak, Al and Am. These original parcels of land were granted to John Septimus Roe, Henry Trigg and James Gardener Austin respectively. The locations plus those adjoining were eventually gathered together and collectively referred to as the "Limekilns Estate", so named because of the limestone quarries and kilns located near the present day Reabold Hill. Limestone and lime from this site was used in the construction of many of Perth's early buildings. In 1902 the Perth City Council had received, as a result of the Government's split up of the vast Perth commonage along the ocean front, 2287 acres extending from the Indian Ocean to the then "Limekilns Estate". The purchase of the above estate from Mr. J. Perry by the Perth City Council in 1917 gave this Council a continuous tract of land from the old boundary of Leederville at Selby Street to the ocean. This area encompasses the present day suburbs of City Beach and Floreat. The two men mainly responsible for these far sighted acquisitions are commemorated in the names of Bold Park and Reabold Hill. Bold Park commemorates the name of Perth's active Town Clerk, Mr. W.E. Bold, who retired in 1944 after a 44 year term of office. To him probably goes the greatest share of credit for early developments and the laying of the foundations for the present day suburbs in the area...

Re the Inquirer ref of 24 11 1875 regarding Giles - de Burgh reprints it verbatim (p37) - there aren't any clues to shed like on Camel Lake in it.

Finally you could also try the State Records Office (on the ground floor of the same building as the Battye)
State Records Office of Western Australia; Search Room open 9.30am - 4.30pm, Monday-Friday. Search Room on ph. (08) 9427 3360http://www.sro.wa.gov.au/about/contact.asp.
They have a number of files on Reabold Hill, Building on Limekilns Estate. They have dozens of files on the Birch family. You never know what else they have. You can do some searches on line. Ring them they are a helpful crew and can and will do excellent searches for material. If you cant make the above hours then you can request that the item be delivered to the Battye for you to view on the weekend.

Good luck and keep up the good work

Phil
PS the new system at the Battye of downloading onto your flash drive is great isn't it, although if you have a lot to do its gets a bit slow

Hi Phil,

A good challenge is always fun.
Thanks for the great detailed response; it is appreciated.

Cheers for the heads up of on Mr. de Burgh - the next RWAHS meeting is tomorrow night I think.

Have checked out the SRO database,looks pretty good - I will investigate further.

and Greg - thanks for the tip, my lateral thinking is non-existent when I think to hard...lol.

Cheers
Alan

No worries - though maybe my comments re photographing books are out of date, havent been to Battye for ages - are all items in digital format (so you can copy to flash card) or is it just some?

Cheers
Greg

Hi Greg,

Sadly, only whats on microfilm is 'downloadable'.

Both the SRO and Battye allow digital photography of records. Depending on the age of the docs they may ask you to wear gloves and or place the doc on a pillow.

cheers

Phil