Upton House

Built in 1844, for Mrs Elizabeth (Betsy) Fry, Upton House is a rare example of an 1840s house in Western Australia demonstrating a sophisticated use of Georgian symmetry and simplicity.

Elizabeth was an English prison reformer, social reformer, philanthropist and Quaker. Her nephew, Pearce Clifton, built Upton, but she passed away before venturing to Australia. Ownership transferred to Pearce's father, Marshall Waller Clifton, Chief Commissioner of the Western Australian Land Company and remains in the Clifton family.

The original building bricks are believed to have been cargo or ballast on the "Trusty" during her second voyage to Australind in 1844. On the right of the house is a stone section known as the "Honey Room," as the Cliftons kept bees. They extended and restored the house in the 1960s.

Upton House is a very important piece of the region's history, standing as a reminder of our pioneers and the Australind settlement.

CLOSED: Private residence (not open to the public). Drive past only.