Episode: WA Garden Gurus Special - Summer Gardens
Presenter: Neville Passmore

Fresh water piped straight into our homes would have been a dream for Francis Bird, architect and timber mill owner when he built Woodloes Homestead in Cannington back in 1874.

The canning river provided water for the homestead as well as a means of transporting logs to Perth and Fremantle before the rail line was completed. Looking at historic properties like Woodloes can bring home lessons from our past when water and energy conservation were not just trendy but absolute necessities.

Thick rendered masonry walls, a steep pitched galvanized iron roof and wide verandahs helped to cool the home in our hot summer in an era well before energy hungry air conditioning.

Rainwater was gathered from the roof and stored in a tank. As the only source of fresh water through summer the level in the tank would have been a significant measure of true household assets.

Water wells were a common addition to resources. Today, bores are of real value in providing water for gardens and reducing the demand on scheme supplies.

Water used for washing and cleaning was quickly recycled back into fruit trees and veggies.

Using grey water for the garden is one of the great opportunities for home owners today to cut back on overall water consumption.

Growing your own fresh fruit, nuts and vegetables was one of life?s necessities in the pioneering times. It is becoming increasingly popular today as we strive for freshness and freedom from chemical additives in the food chain.

Shade from deciduous vines and trees plays an important role in cooling in summer and warming in winter. Verandahs also stopped the high summer suns rays from coming in contact with the walls of the home.

Next time you visit an historical home, look a bit further than the flowering replanted roses out front. Take in the time tested examples of water and energy conservation that we need to put into practice again to meet the needs of the 21^st Century.

Woodloes Homestead
Woodloes Street
Cannington 6107
Ph: 08 9451 8538

Open 2pm to 5pm on the first and third Sunday of the month.