 In the 1880s, the land was acquired by Walter Padbury, who employed his relative, Henry Hardwick, to manage it.In 1886 a homestead was built for him on what is now Memorial Avenue in the west of the suburb.After World War I, the Government decided to commence a soldier resettlement scheme in the Swan Valley region, and subdivided it into lots of about 10-50 acres which would be operated as small farms.