The Poli Family Market Garden – A Forgotten Chapter Near Herdsman Lake
- Editor
- Jun 5
- 5 min read
Updated: 13 hours ago
Long before the modern homes, roads and parklands of Churchlands and Floreat Waters, the land surrounding Herdsman Lake was home to market gardens, small farms and migrant families who helped feed Perth.
For almost 30 years, Alberto and Iole Poli operated a market garden on the edge of Herdsman Lake at 85 Pearson Street, Woodlands. Their story provides a fascinating glimpse into a time when much of the land that now forms Churchlands and Floreat Waters was still farmland.
The Poli Family
Alberto and Iole Poli were part of the local market gardening community that helped supply Perth with fresh produce.
Iole Poli arrived in Australia from Italy in 1939 as a proxy bride and soon settled into life with her husband Alberto. Together, they built a life on the swampy lands surrounding Herdsman Lake, cultivating their property for almost 30 years.
Their market garden produced a wide variety of crops, including onions, rhubarb, cauliflowers, cabbages, beans and carrots. In the wetter, lower-lying parts of the property, the family also grew sweet potatoes, pumpkins, rock melons and honeydew melons during the warmer months.
Farming on the Edge of Herdsman Lake
The land around Herdsman Lake was highly seasonal. During winter, parts of the area would return to swamp, but by around September the land would dry enough for planting.
This meant the farming year followed the rhythm of the lake itself. Crops were planted as the ground dried out and harvested before the winter rains returned. It was a practical and demanding way of farming, shaped by the local environment.
A photograph taken in September 1968 shows Mrs Iole Poli standing among the family’s onion crop. At the time, the surrounding landscape was still open and rural, with rows of vegetables stretching across land that would later become part of suburban Churchlands and Floreat Waters.
The End of an Era
By the mid-1960s, the area was beginning to change.
The Poli family’s property had been sold to developers, although Alberto and Iole remained on the land for several more years and continued to cultivate it. The onion crop photographed in 1968 is believed to have been one of the final crops grown on the site before the family relocated in 1969 to a newly built home in nearby Woodlands.
It is remarkable to think that, within living memory, this part of Churchlands was still active farmland.
Where Was 85 Pearson Street?
Today, the exact location of 85 Pearson Street is not easy to identify with complete certainty.
Google Maps places the historic address on the eastern side of Pearson Street, close to what is now Floreat Waters. This location appears to align closely with historical descriptions of the Poli property being situated on the swampy land surrounding Herdsman Lake.
A 1965 aerial photograph of the area also shows several small buildings and cultivated plots along Pearson Street. One of these buildings may have been the former Poli family farmhouse, although this cannot be confirmed without further historical records such as rate books, land titles or subdivision plans.
Still, the available evidence suggests that the Poli market garden was located in this general area – on land that has since been transformed into residential streets, parkland and lakeside open space.
A New Life in Woodlands
When the Poli family left their market garden in 1969, they did not move far.
Alberto and Iole relocated to a newly built home on Willow Road in the emerging suburb of Woodlands. From their home, located opposite what is now Willow Way, Iole enjoyed uninterrupted views across Jackadder Lake.
A photograph taken around 1972 shows Alberto and Iole feeding swans at the lake's edge, only a few years after leaving their market garden behind. The image captures a very different Woodlands from today, with relatively few homes visible around the lake and much of the surrounding area still developing.
Jackadder Lake quickly became a central part of Iole's daily life. Family members recall that she visited the lake almost every day, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s. Like many residents of the era, she enjoyed feeding the local waterbirds and spending time walking around the shoreline.
Iole remained in her Willow Road home until her death in 2013 at the age of 99. Although the market gardens had disappeared, her connection to the local area endured for more than four decades.
Today, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren continue to enjoy Jackadder Lake and the surrounding neighbourhood, carrying forward a family connection to the area that stretches back to the early days of market gardening around Herdsman Lake.
From Market Garden to Modern Suburb
The story of the Poli family offers a fascinating glimpse into the history of Churchlands, Woodlands and the wider Herdsman Lake area.
Before the suburb became known for its homes, schools, parks and lakeside estates, it was a working landscape. Families like the Polis lived on the land, grew produce, and contributed to Perth’s food supply.
Today, little visible evidence remains of the old market gardens. Yet beneath the modern streets and houses lies a rich local history of migration, hard work, seasonal farming and community life.
The Poli family's story mirrors the transformation of the wider Churchlands and Woodlands area. Within a single generation, they witnessed the change from market gardens and seasonal wetlands to modern suburban neighbourhoods. Their story provides a valuable link between the area's rural past and the community that exists today.
References
City of Stirling Art and History Collection.
City of Stirling Intramaps.
Google Maps.
Airview Online historical aerial imagery.
History and Heritage Awards 2018, City of Stirling.
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