1886 - The Mundarrah Towers Trust

With the Heaton family having lived with Eliza at Mundarrah Towers after Samuel’s death, Rose appears to have had a closer attachment to the property than Eliza’s other children. In her Will, Eliza left the Mundarrah Towers Estate in trust for Rose as long as she occupied the Mundarrah Towers “homestead” as her principal residence. If Rose ceased occupancy, then occupancy passed to her eldest son John Heaton for life. On John’s death, the estate was to be sold and the proceeds distributed equally to the four children, Rose, Alfred, Frank & Christopher.

Despite frequent visits to Australia, Rose and her family never resumed occupancy. Their son John also remained in England and never took up residence. Having been assured that the family would not be returning, Eliza’s Executors put the property on the market. The proceeds of the sale remained in trust (the Mundarrah Towers Fund), with John receiving the interest during his lifetime. In 1963, John, by then Sir John Henniker-Heaton, Bt. died (he had inherited the Baronetcy from his father and adopted the hyphenated surname by Deed Poll), and the Trust was finally distributed.