Geography:

Hillgrove Farm is a 100 acre (40 hectare) property in the Greenough Flats area of the Batavia Coast district of the Mid West region of Western Australia. It is 35 kilometres South of the City of Geraldton, 30 kilometres North of the town of Dongara and 390 km (250 miles) North of the City of Perth, the Capital city of Western Australia.

History:

Many of the small properties on the Greenough Flats were originally soldier settler land grants, the forerunner to a decent superannuation scheme!

The first owner of the property was one Bill Broome. I was given his name by a Mr. George Knapp, now deceased, and have confirmed the details with the help of the Battye Library and the local history section of the Geraldton / Greenough Library and Information Service. The Knapp family owned the property from the late nineteenth century until we (the Morris family) bought it in 1991. The Knapp's family home was shown as Knapp's Cottage on old shire records, and was demolished in the mid 1980's, when the present house was built over the same site. The 800 metre gravel road from Brand Highway to Hillgrove Farm is named Knapps Road.

I would be very grateful for any information anyone can provide about William (Bill) Broome. I spent a lot of time tracking down information on William Bone, and then found out that he was not the original owner. Back to the drawing board!

The Farm:

The farm comprises about 10 acres of flat arable land at the front (north-eastern end) and about 90 acres of scrub - covered limestone ridges stepping down to the coast at the rear. It has mains power and telephone but no public water supply. Water is supplied from our ground water bore and our rain water from a 10,000 gallon tank filled by roof catchment. The annual rainfall is 20 inches or 500mm and is very reliable. Almost all our rain falls between March and September, the main wildflower season.

Local Links:

While you are in the area, why don't you visit our local hotel, the Hampton Arms Inn? It is a charming hotel, built in 1863, and still going strong. Drop in for a drink, a meal or for a stay. Next best thing, click here! There is also accommodation available at the  Greenough River Resort and the Greenough Rivermouth Caravan Park.

Hillgrove Farm also operate the Hounds Hilton Boarding Kennels. Drop in and have a look around.