House System

The Houses

Leschenault

Jean Leschenault was a botanist with the French scientific expedition to Australia led by Nicholas Baudin. Baudin’s two ships, the Geographe and the Naturalise (under Captain Hamelin) spent much of the four years of the expedition between Cape Leeuwin and Shark Bay. They were later joined by Captain Freycinet in the Casuarina.

Leschenault was enthralled by the abundance of hitherto unknown plant species, and he would have undoubtedly spent much time examining plant life around the shore of the Leschenault Inlet. A species of plants has also been named after him – the beautiful Blue Leschenault flower.

Clifton

Marshall Waller Clifton was the Chief Commissioner of the Australind settlement of the Western Australia Company. He brought thirteen of his fifteen children with him to Australind and landed here on the 18th March 1841, in the “Parkfield”.

Although Upton House was originally built for Elizabeth Fry, a lady famous for her work in prison reform in England, it was bought by Marshall Clifton when Mrs Fry’s husband died in 1845. The house still standing in Upton Place in Australind, is the oldest privately owned house in Western Australia. It is still Owned by the Clifton family.

Belvedere

A map drawn in 1848 shows a Belvedere Homestead located on the Western side of the inlet. This homestead took its name from Belvedere House in Calcutta, India.

Kemerton

Kemerton now an industrial park set in the locality of Wellesley, was almost certainly the name of an early landowner in the area. However, up to date the school has been unable to trace any one by that name.