The Water Tower

A Tank of First Light

This estate was first settled in the 1870s by the Scott family, Seventh Day Adventists from Scotland who arrived in the Southern Forests seeking a new life. It was here that they built the very first home in the entire Peerabeelup region from scratch, crafting the shelter from hand-sawn timber sourced directly from the estate. The Settler’s Cottage, still standing today, was their protection from the harsh unknowns of an unfamiliar land and a home for a family of over seven people.

In those early years, the Donnelly River would often dry to a creek during the summer months, making the need for a clean and reliable water source critical to survival. Using traditional water divining techniques, typically with forked sticks or metal rods, the family located a spring beneath this ridge. This site became the heart of the estate, a raised water tank constructed to capture and store the fresh spring water rising from below.

The tank was built with practical purpose. Its elevation created natural water pressure, allowing water to flow down to the cottage and surrounding barn without the need for pumps or electricity. Resting on four concrete legs, it remains a rare example of early rural infrastructure and a lifeline in a time when every precious drop of rainfall had to be sourced and stored manually.

For decades, this tank supplied water for drinking, cooking, washing, livestock, and crops. In winter, rainfall replenished the supply; in summer, rationing was essential. Electricity and piped water would not reach the area until the mid-20th century, making this structure vital to the estate’s continued survival.

In 2021, the Settlers Cottage was carefully restored using traditional materials sourced from our estate and transformed into a home once more. The tank remains unchanged and stands today as a tangible reminder of the estate’s earliest days, and of the resilience, ingenuity, and deep respect for the land that defined its first owners.