Significance:

Abraham Shannon arrived in South Australia from Northern Ireland in 1839. In 1851 he purchased land in the Duck Ponds area and in 1853 built an eleven roomed house, and a combined woolshed, barn and stables. This latter building is unusual for its pyramid shaped roof. In 1876 Abraham Shannon died and his widow Eliza erected a substantial mausoleum, designed to accommodate eighty internments. The mausoleum is an unusual twenty sided structure surmounted by a dome. The estate is of aesthetic and historic significance.

Threat:

The house and woolshed are abandoned and derelict and likely to be lost through decay and neglect. The mausoleum is in reasonable order. The mausoleum alone is on the State Heritage Register. The estate represents an important and unusual ensemble of buildings dating from South Australia’s early period of settlement. It would be most unfortunate, and indeed ironic, if only the structure built to house the dead survives.

Action Required:

The house and woolshed need to be made habitable and become usable again so they are properly maintained. This may require changes to local planning regulations in order to enable the house and ancillary buildings to be subdivided from the larger farm so that a purchaser can be found who wishes to repair them.