HISTORIC Ellensbrook house's evolution room-by-room over the years mirrors the setbacks and successes of the pioneering Bussell family.
But while surfers, fisherman and tourists now enjoy easy road access to the nearby beach, Ellensbrook's idyllic coastal location was once a six-day journey from
Busselton.
The National Trust listed property has changed little in the 140 years since pioneer Alfred Bussell named a creek flowing through the valley after his wife Ellen, as they laid the foundation of the family's beef and dairying operations.
A walk through the
homestead and property today easily conjures images of what it was like to live in the hardship and isolation that the settlers endured, far from their homes in England.
But while the Bussell's named the area Ellensbrook, the local Nyungar Aborigines had always known it as Mokidup, a place which had been a traditional summer camping spot for thousands of years.
Just 500 metres away is the Meekadarribee waterfall -- the moon's bathing place, a special place surrounded by tall peppermint trees which gracefully arch over a
limestone cave behind the falls.
Ellensbrook House is open Saturday and Sunday and Monday public holidays from 10am to 4pm. Entry is $4 for adults, $3 for concession and $2 for children of $10 family . Ellensbrook House can be contacted on (08) 9755 5173