In 1863, Mr Gerald DeCourcey Lefroy chose this hilltop area to start his pioneer cattle station. He cleared and ploughed 23 acres of land and built a home nearby.

He planted a wheat crop in this area with mixed results and a flour mill was established on the nearby Lefroy Brook. However it was discovered that when the mill was needed the water in the Lefroy Brook did not flow fast enough to turn the water wheel that ran the mill. The mill was abandoned in 1875 and was later destroyed by a bushfire.

In 1875 the property was purchased by Jesse Giblett. Soon after a bushfire scorched the nearby karri trees, causing them to drop their seed. Some of these seeds fell on the cleared wheat field and the 100 Year Forest was born.