History of the Macpherson Homestead
The homestead was the home of Duncan and Mary Macpherson
who settled in Carnamah with their children in 1868. The Macpherson's established a
pastoral station named Carnamah, and during their 70-year residence
the dwelling was known as Carnamah House.
The northern
telegraph line to Champion Bay (Geraldton) was built
past the homestead as it was the only permanent residence in the
district. The last link that joined up the completed telegraph line
was connected in Carnamah on 5 June 1874. A telegraph
office was run from an outbuilding by
Duncan’s daughters for almost 40 years.
Following the deaths of Mary and Duncan Macpherson their unmarried
children George, Maggie, Donald and Bessie lived out the rest of
their lives at the homestead. Following Bessie's death in 1939
her grandnephew Malcolm J. C. Macpherson inherited the homestead, which
he leased and later sold to local farmer George S. Ferguson.
Over the years the homestead changed hands, became unoccupied and
rapidly deteriorated. From 1979 to 2004 the Carnamah
Apex Club, Carnamah Restoration Society and the Carnamah Historical
Society restored the homestead with locally raised funds and grants
from Lotterywest. In 1981 local farmers Glendon H. and Jennifer M.
A. Lane
donated ownership of the homestead and a parcel of surrounding land to the Shire
of Carnamah.
For a number of years the partially restored homestead was used each
week by
the Carnamah Brownies. Following the conclusion of restoration works
the homestead was furnished with donated items before being
officially opened on 23 October 2004 by Ian M.
Macpherson (son of Malcolm).
The Heritage Council of Western Australia assessed the homestead as
having "played an important and successful role in the development
and growth of the Carnamah district" and that “the place has particular structural interest, with its high walls and
steeply pitched roof and bush rafters." The homestead is a permanent
entry on the Heritage Council’s State Register of Heritage Places.




