Childlow
The Perth Hills settlement of Chidlow began in 1883 when it became known that Chidlow's Well was to be the terminus of the second section of the Eastern Railway. The Chidlow after which the well was named was William Chidlow, who arrived in Western Australia aboard the Eliza in March 1831, and gained employment as a servant to John Morrell at Northam. He later obtained his own property in the area. A well commemorating Mr Chidlow as a founding father, was erected on the site of the old school, and greets new travellers as they enter the roundabout of the Childow town site.
The railway station and yard were of significance in the operation of the Eastern Railway from the 1880s to the 1960s. Lake Leschenaultia was originally constructed to provide water for the steam trains. Since the closure of the railway in February 1966, the Chidlow community has adjusted from being an important transport location to more of a rural retreat location. Various proposals have been put forward to rebuild the railway to Midland especially due to the restricted nature of public transport to the Chidlow area but thus far nothing has eventuated.
Railway Reserve Heritage Trail
Chidlow is on the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail. This trail retraces the 70 kilometres of the old Eastern Railway which was constructed from Fremantle to York in the 1880s. This railway line would later continue to the Goldfields of Kalgoorlie by 1897 in answer to the new gold rush era of WA's history. The Trail has become one of the major recreational facilities in the Shire of Mundaring, and is suitable for walking, cycling and horse riding. It passes through quaint Hills towns, covering a wide range of terrains with scenic views and numerous points of historical and natural significance. The Trail spans from Bellevue to Wooroloo and can be joined at various access points. It can be travelled in half a day to day sections or over several days and is well signposted with distances and elevation charts.
Lake Leschenaultia
Lake Leschenaultia is a man-made lake constructed c.1897 as key infrastructure for the Western Australian Government Railways. It is the largest reservoir constructed on the Eastern Railway line and supplied water to steam trains for almost 50 years. Since 1949 it has been used as a recreation area for both locals, interstate and overseas visitors. Many locals learned to swim at the Lake, especially before the 1960s when there were no public swimming pools available locally. In 2005, Lake Leschenaultia gained a heritage listing based on the railway history, recreational significance and other factors. Since early in 2007, Lake Leschenaultia has been the venue for the monthly local market.
Lake Leschenaultia is popular for picnics; physical activities such as bushwalking, canoeing and swimming; and viewing the native flora and fauna. Facilities include a cafe, toilets, playground, barbecues, picnic areas, grassed areas and walking trails.
The lake takes its name from the leschenaultia plant, which in turn was named for the botanist attached to Nicolas Baudin's French expedition to Australia in 1801, Jean Baptiste Leschenault de la Tour. It is believed he was the first to identify the plant.
Chidlow is home to Karakamia Sanctuary. It was Australia s first private sector Sanctuary , founded to re-establish threatened mammal populations. The sanctuary is set in Jarrah forest around Cookes Brook, a permanently flowing stream dissecting the sanctuary. On the sanctuary s bush tracks you are likely to see a number of nocturnal animals including Woylies, Tammar Wallabies, & Quenda (Southern Brown Bandicoots).
