How it began
In 2026, the Snooke, the Laurence and the Yuen families came together with a shared dream of bringing a piece of Guildford's heritage back to life. Guildford Farm is a treasured heritage site ingrained in history and the local community. Guildford Grammar School, or GGS, held the land for decades before selling it to the three families in 2026. The transition feels especially fitting since each family has ties to GGS through their children. The Snooke family's connection runs particularly deep, with their children marking the fifth generation to attend the school.
A property with deep roots
The farm sits on 9 hectares of the Swan River floodplains in Guildford, one of Western Australia's oldest European settlements established in 1829. The land has been shaped by the floods and seasons, by the Whadjuk Noongar people who have known it for tens of thousands of years and by the generations of settlers who have farmed, grazed, and built here. The land and the heritage buildings — the stable, the dairy shed, the dairy store, the cottage — hold the traces of this history.
"Guildford is one of the oldest European settlements in Western Australia. The farm has been part of that story from the beginning."
The property advertised for sale in 1901 (then known as Garden Hill) before it passed to Guildford Grammar School and, eventually, to us.
Bigger than three families
We didn't want to restore the property just for ourselves. From the very beginning, the idea was bigger than us. It was about creating a place where the wider Guildford community could gather, learn, and grow together across generations. There's also room for the farm to grow into something school families can share in — perhaps, over time, offering a place to keep and care for a horse close to school. Beyond that, we envision working bees and community bonfires, kids exploring the wildlife, elders passing on what they know and neighbours becoming friends.
Stewardship
We hold this land in trust — for the community, for the wildlife and for the generations who will come after us.
Heritage
The buildings and the landscape carry a history worth preserving. We are committed to restoration, not renovation.
Community
A property like this belongs to more than its owners. We want Guildford Farm to be a gathering place for the whole community.
Country
We acknowledge the Whadjuk Noongar people as the traditional custodians of this land, and we are guided by that responsibility.
Where we are headed
We are in the early stages of a long restoration. The buildings and the wetlands are waiting and full of potential, history and the work that lies ahead. Each structure carries its own story and its own needs. The wetlands that have been long neglected are ready to come alive again with the native plants and wildlife. Restoration is slow work and we're doing it deliberately, not rushing to finish it. We want to bring the place back: one paddock, one building, one season at a time.
This site will grow alongside the farm. Soon, it'll be at a place where you can join us — for open days, working bees, and everything still to come.
— The Snooke, Laurence, and Yuen families