Guildford
Guildford is one of three towns established in 1829, the first year of European settlement in Western Australia, and its plan was based on the model of an English country town. The earliest town plan was prepared by H.C. Sutherland in 1829, the original town layout is still evident today.
The townsite is enclosed on a peninsula, formed by the Swan and Helena Rivers and was named by Captain James Stirling after his father-in-law's lectorate in Surrey, England. Kings Meadow is one of three areas designated King s Meadow on the original town plan for Guildford prepared by Sutherland. The other sites were to the north of the town and south of the Fish Market Reserve. King s Meadow abuts the confluence of the swan and Helena Rivers.
Originally transport was by river and the town centre was located near the river port at Moulton s Landing/ barker s bridge. After the Fremantle to Guildford railway was opened in1881, rail became the predominant transport mode. In the early twentieth century, Guildford was eclipsed as a major trade centre by the development of Midland Junction, after the relocated government railway workshops commenced operations there in 1904.
Guildford is today a place where history lives on in quaint colonial buildings, where the influence of the English gentry is still played out on the polo field and where Devonshire Tea is served with a shameless disregard for cholesterol levels. Much of Guildford s original town plan, including the central church square, subdivisions and general land use, remains as it was, leaving a largely intact early 19th century English market town (apart from the railway line which disects it). Guildford was declared a Historic Town in 1984 and four heritage trails run through its streets and parks. Its historical buildings, rich heritage and proximity to the Swan Valley, continue to charm the thousands of tourists who visit the area each year. The high street is dotted with antiques and thrift stores and old-fashioned tearooms that serve Devonshire tea with a choice of different flavoured handmade scones.
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A Western Australian landmark, the stately Rose & Crown commands a prominent position among the variety of shops and cafes gracing leafy Swan Street in Guildford. Built in 1841, this historic hotel is the oldest licenced hotel in Western Australia, and has provided a welcome resting place for travellers and visitors for more than 170 years. Registered with the National Trust, the Rose & Crown has stood the test of time and today is a popular attraction among locals and tourists alike.
The bend in the river below Success Hill Reserve was known to be a haunt of the Waughal, and was known as an Aboriginal camping site through the early to mid-twentieth century. Success Hill was probably named by Lieutenant William Preston, who was a member of James Stirling s 1827 expedition. The ship which brought them here was HMS Success. Preston was granted land adjacent in 1829. The area was included in the boundary of West Guildford when the new Road Board was formed in 1901. Success Hill Reserve provides both open grassed areas and tree shaded areas. Right on the Swan River it is a popular spot in summer where the Heritage Trail and Cycle Path begins. Success Hill is the location of local events such as carols by candlelight.
Located on the banks of the Swan River in West Guildford, the hotel was built as Lockeridge Hotel in 1896. Built specifically to attract picnic boating parties popular on the swan River in the 1890s, rapid changes of ownership suggest that the hotel did not prosper. The building changed roles in 1904 when it was occupied by the Guildford Girls High School. Between 1912-14, the building became Lockridge Private Hospital, and after World War I the Salvation Army took over the building and converted into a men s home. From the 1960s, the building has been used as a private hospital by various organizations.
Location: Success Hill Lodge, River Street, Bassendean, WA.
The site originally formed part of Sir James Stirling s Woodbridge Estate. Stirling, WA's first governor, was granted the property within a year of establishing the Swn River Colony. Stirling s house that was described as a cottage ornee, was located in the grounds of the adjacent Governor Stirling High school, which also occupies part of stirling s original grant. in c. 1883, Charles Harper purchased the portion of the estate known as the Woodbridge Farm , which had been developed for agricultural use, including wheat growing.
From the 1880s to early 1920s, the property was the centre of the diverse business and agricultural operations of the Harper family, who built the substantial two storey residence designed by architect J.W. Wright in 1884. The building was subsequently used as a preparatory school under Cecil Priestley, a government home for aged women, and for special high school classes. The building is today a museum operated by the National Trust. Its furnishings and displays reflect an aspect of life in the late Victorian era.
Location: Ford St. West Midland (behind Gov. James Stirling High School). Entry fees apply. Contact: (08) 9321 6088
The current Guildford Road bridge was constructed in 1937. the bridge was the third constructed in this location after the first two fell into disrepair. The 1829 plan for Guildford showed a proposed bridge at the end of bridge street, however in 1831, a ferry was established across the river at West Guildford, and in 1834 a horse ferry was built adjacent to the Cleikum Inn.
The first bridge on the site was built in 1885/6. This was replaced in 1905. By 1928, a further replacement was planned due to the rising cost of continuous repairs. The new bridge, of timber construction, was built in 1937, and bituminized in 1945. Proposals to duplicate the bridge in the late 1970s-early 80s were opposed by the City of Swan and the community, and in 1994, the bridge was widened. Recycled timbers were used to preserve the bridge's historical appearance.
Riversleigh is a beautiful old home on Swan Street. Also known as Crosslands House, it was built in 1896 at a time when Guildford was a fashionable outer suburb of Perth for many wealthy and prominent citizens. Originally built for Charles Crossland who was a surveyor and land agent in Perth. He was known during the 1890 s for his work laying out the railway line to Midland. He wanted to live somewhere peaceful and more rural and Perth and chose Guildford. The house is complete with cellar and servants quarters and has a lovely art nouveau turret which really sets it off. The house is not open for inspection.
The property known as "Bebo Moro" was originally owned and developed from the 1830s by merchant and ship owner Captain Pratt, who settled there and opened a store. A cottage on the site is believed to have been one of the places where the Spanish Benedictines were sheltered when they were driven out of New Norcia by Vicar-General Dominic Urquhart. The early buildings have been integrated into St Vincent's Hostel, a private aged care facility. Location: St Vincents Hostel, 184 Swan Street, Guildford, WA.
Moulton's Landing, the port for the town of Guildford, was located on the southern bank of the Swan River. Here produce from the hinterland was loaded for transport down the river to Perth and Fremantle. Circa 1841, Moulton built a store and residence 'Rose Cottage' nearby at 27 Meadow Street. This remains as Guildford s oldest private dwelling. Moulton was murdered by a mutinying crew while conveying a shipload of sandalwood to Hong Kong in 1846. In 1851, Moulton s store was taken over by samuel barker. in 1854, barker relocated the store to the corner of Meadow and swan streets where he built a large two storey house. this house was demolished but one of the warehouses remains on the site.
Rose Cottage, Junction of Meadow Street and West Swan Rd, Guildford, WA.
By 1838, Garden Hill - the site of St Charles Seminary - had been purchased by Alfred Waylen. His son, also Alfred Waylen, became the Colonial Surgeon in charge of the Colonial Hospital in Perth in the 1870s. Dr Waylen planted vines on the Guildford property, and wine from Garden Hill received an honourable mention at the Paris Exhibition in 1878.
St Charles Seminary, Meadow st, Guildford, WA.
The present day Barkers Bridge was built in 1950 and is the most recent of several replacements of the original bridge that was designed by Lieut. DuCane of the Royal engineers. It was completed by convict labour in 1854. Remnants of the earthworks from the original bridge remain, together with some rose bushes believed to have been planted by DuCane on the road reserve. The current structure crosses a wide stretch of floodplain on the Caversham side. The piles are whole Jarrah trunks and the roadway is also carried on whole tree trunks. Some of the piles on the floodplain have been replaced by steel posts. The earthworks of earlier bridges (probably dating back to the original bridge) remain adjacent to the present bridge.
The Guildford Grammar School Chapel, also known as the Chapel of St. Mary and St. George, is one of the three latest Revival styles in Australia - the Gothic Perpendicular Revival. It was designed in 1912 by English architect Sir Walter Tapper. Many skilled tradesmen helped in the completion of the building, including some who were employed from the United Kingdom.
The original town plan for Guildford, prepared by H.C. sutherland in 1829, showed a market on the site of Fish Market Reserve, on the opposite side of the river to Success Hill. Later, the area was found to be susceptible to floods and not suitable for market use. Today it is one of the popular riverside parks for families and picnickers. There are wood bbq facilities, picnic tables and a boat ramp which is suitable for launching canoes or small boats. It is also a good fishing site.
Welbourne House was built c.1840, by John Welbourne, a prominent citizen of Guildford who built many of the town's early buildings. Together with 'bebo Moro', it is believed to have been one of the places where the Spanish Benedictine monks sheltered when they were driven out of New Norcia by Vicar-General Dominic Urquhart.
Location: Market Street, Guildford, WA
Charles Smith constructed the Federation Queen Anne style residence Fairholme in the first decade of the twentieth century. The adjacent building, old Fairholme, is believed to have been constructed in the mid to late nineteenth century. In 1950, the Child Welfare Department purchased the property previously owned by Charles Smith, and the Nathaniel Harper Home was opened in 1952, to provide residential accommodation for intellectually disabled children. Fairholme was adapted for residential purposes and old Fairholme was adapted to provide classrooms. In 1964, the state purchased Welbourne House, which also has been used by the Disability Services Commission.
Location: Market Street, Guildford, WA
The best way to explore Guildford and appreciate the history of the town on foot. Established on what's virtually an island encircled by the Swan and Helena Rivers, Guildford s ideally suited to explore on foot. To assist you in discovering the numerous fascinating historic buildings, lively characters and wonderful stores of this 'island village', three new heritage walk trails, with 35 interpretive panels, have been created.
The Town Walk: 1,800 metres, 40-60 minutes, red markers
The River Ramble: 1,500 metres, 30-50 minutes, blue markers
The Stirling Square Circuit: 450 metres, 20 minutes, black markers
Each trail starts and finishes at the Old Guildford Courthouse (Visitor Centre). The route markers carry the original Town of Guildford crest, with the trails distinguished by different colour marker plates.
During Captain Stirling's exploration for a suitable site to establish a colony on the western side of the Australian continent in the late 1820s, the exploration party of boats found a fresh water stream across the river from the site of Guildford which they called Success Hill. Stirling remembered Success Hill when he returned in 1829, and established the settlement of Guildford there.
As the furthest navigable point on the Swan River, Guildford became an inland port, providing the main link between Perth and the country districts. Guildford was primarily the centre of the Swan River Colony before Perth succeeded in being the dominant location on the Swan Coastal Plain. In 1851 it became a convict ticket-of-leave hiring depot and steamboats made their debut in 1857. Guildford became a thriving market town and commercial centre. The town was declared a municipality in 1871 and granted its own crest of anchor, sheaf and grapes.
Guildford's status changed dramatically with the establishment of the railways in the 1880s. River transport declined rapidly and with the rise of Midland Junction in the 1890s, Guildford's commercial importance eroded. Many of the stately Sugar Gum trees that still line the streets of Guildford were planted in the late 1890s, in part as a celebration of Queen Victoria's Jubilee in 1897.
Guildford was the home of well-known businessman Lew Whiteman and his family. The Whiteman family were responsible for the establishment of various industries. The Whiteman family established Mussel Pool as a picnic area for their employees. This land and the purchase of surrounding land by the State Government in 1978 was used to create Whiteman Park. The original home of the Whiteman family is now Tea rooms; the house is one of the oldest standing homes in Western Australia.
