Ten years after the Swan Location 83 (where we are located today) was first allocated to new settlers in 1831, Lionel Samson purchased the title for the grand sum of 10 pounds. Samson began farming the land and it wasn’t long before people started calling it “Samson’s Paddock”. With the land being perfectly positioned and Samson being quite the entrepreneur, Samson’s Paddock soon became a popular watering hole for both horseman and horse. Whilst their horses rested and took in some water, the men would pop in for a refreshing beverage (or two) before continuing their journey.
1881 saw the completion of the Fremantle to Midland train line and by 1894, when the Mosman Park train station was opened, fewer and fewer horseman were stopping at the watering hole. This marked the beginning of the end for Samson’s Paddock and was left in the hands of the infamous convict caretaker Mad Bob. Mad Bob was extremely introverted and lived in the dark stone cottage on the hill. He vigorously maintained his privacy by riding his horse directly at anyone who dared to trespass on "his" land. Mad Bob lived there until 1912 when the stone cottage was knocked down and Samson’s Paddock was sold and subdivided into the suburb we now know as Mosman Park. Although the ghost of Mad Bob has long moved on, and the stone cottage exists only in the history books, Samson’s Paddock lives on. So next time you’re travelling between Fremantle and Perth, pop in for a bite and a refreshing beverage (or two).
