Kendenup is a small town and locality in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, within the Shire of Plantagenet.

[4] The town was once the centre of a vast sheep station, and was, in the early years of the Western Australian colony, one of the largest farming enterprises so far established.

Alexander Collie led an expedition from King George's Sound (Albany) in April and May 1831 accompanied by the Noongar man Mokare.

[5][8] Running low on water, he stopped at King George Sound in Albany where he met with the Government Resident, Sir Richard Spencer who persuaded him to consider acquiring land in the vicinity.

Hassell ultimately purchased George Cheyne's Location 27 and after returning to Hobart and New South Wales, arrived back at Albany on 6 March 1840 in the China which he had chartered for the purpose.

His stock included 800 sheep, 12 cattle and 10 horses from New South Wales which he walked overland to establish a homestead and farm which he called "Kendenup".

[9] Hassell's partner and brother-in-law was Frederick Boucher who had established the British and Australian Bank in London in 1838.

Lieutenant Peter Belches was appointed as the bank's trustees agent to realise on Boucher's assets.

However, recoveries failed to live up to expectations and the battery crushed only ten tons of ore before being closed when the company went into voluntary liquidation on 5 June 1876.

While in Adelaide in July 1920, rural entrepreneur Jack De Garis had heard that the Kendenup property was for sale by the Hassell family executors for £47,325, or £1 per acre.

However, the project was under capitalised and lot sizes were considered to be too small to be fully viable and after a peak of about 350 families settling, debenture sales dried up.

In August 1922 De Garis travelled to the United States to raise urgently needed capital.

[15] "When railway revenue jumps from $250 to $50,000 in twelve months it is enough make people to take an interest in the cause of such a phenomenal effect", said C. J.

"We are most enthusiastic about our settlement of Kendenup, for those are the figures we can show for the last twelve months", said Mr De Garis.

"For eighty-two years it was a sheep ranch, a tract of land comprising about fifty thousand acres, with a total population of seven people.

It is now a model community of 200 houses, built of brick and concrete with tiled roofs, and the population has increased to 770 inhabitants.

[17] A second Royal Commission headed by barrister Ross McDonald was held to look into the difficulties faced by the settlers and possible assistance which could be offered.

McDonald later worked pro bono on the settlers' behalf to negotiate with creditors and the banks to enable them to purchase additional land and transfer the debentures to conventional mortgages.

[19] Businesses nearby and within the town include Ridge Brothers store (liquor store, bakery, gifts and general goods), the local Kendenup post office, scattered wineries and accommodation options such as a lodge and several bed and breakfast establishments.