Mundaring
A village steeped in history, Mundaring is a commercial centre for the region. It is closely linked to the numerous settlements along Great Eastern Highway by the old Eastern Railway line that is now the wonderful Railway Reserves Heritage Trail stretching some 59 kms through the Mundaring shire. It is one of the best walking and riding trails in the Perth region. Mundaring s Kookaburra Outdoor Cinema hosts movie screenings under the stars with spectacular state forest providing a dramatic background to the on-screen entertainment. The season runs from November to the beginning of April.
The town lies within the Mundaring-Kalamunda Important Bird Area, so identified by BirdLife International because of its importance as a non-breeding season roost site and foraging base for Long-billed Black Cockatoos.
Mundaring was the location of a Bureau of Mineral Resources Geophysical Observatory from 1959 to April 2000. The annual reports from the Observatory constituted the seismic record of the state of Western Australia for that period of time as well as reports and summaries of activity.
The town's name is taken from the Aboriginal name for a native camp nearby. Originally pronounced 'Mun-dah-ring', meaning 'high place', it was first recorded by M. H. Jacoby who, in 1893 purchased a vineyard here and named his business The Mundaring Vineyard Company.
The only railway line current in the Mundaring Shire is the third route of the Eastern Railway which passes through Bellevue and Swan View. The railway routes mentioned below first route and second route are no longer operational and constitute sections of the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail. The Eastern Railway passed through Mundaring on its first route through to Chidlow. Mundaring railway station, and the branch railway leading from it the Mundaring Weir Branch Railway were significant locations for the construction of the Mundaring Weir.
Following the construction of the second route of the Eastern Railway, the Mundaring line served as an alternative to the second route at the time of accidents and derailments, until its closing to traffic in 1954. The line through Mundaring was known as the Mundaring Loop to railway administration in its later years of operation, while in earlier years it was known as Smiths Mill Branch (the earlier name for Glen Forrest). The paths of the old railway lines through the area are now riding and walking trails.
Location: Mundaring Weir is south of Mundaring on Mundaring Weir Rd; between Kalamunda and Helena Valley on the Bibbulmun Walking Track.
Mundaring Weir was built across the Helena River in the the Darling Ranges near Perth at the end of the 19th century as part of a daring engineering scheme to catch water in the Darling Ranges and pump it to the Kalgoorlie goldfields 530 km away. The No. 1 pumping station, at the foot of the dam wall, houses the CY O Connor Museum, which tells the stories of the dam s construction and the engineer who made it a reality.
A visit to the weir and museum make for a pleasant half or full-day drive through the Darling Ranges via the semi-rural townships of Mundaring and Kalamunda. Facilities include toilets; picnic tables; dam wall walk.
The South Ledge picnic area is the location of the Golden View, a viewing platform from which walkers can enjoy views over Mundaring Weir and Lake O Connor.
For many centuries black truffles have been growing wild in certain parts of Europe, particularly in France and Italy. The rarity and scarcity of these 'black diamonds' makes them very expensive. Retailing at around $3000 per kilogram, they continue to be one of the world's most expensive edible commodities.
The Mundaring Truffle Festival aims to celebrate the prized French black truffle, grown in Western Australia and produced in larger quantities here than anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere. The festival runs at the height of the West Australian truffle-growing season. The festival is held annually in July.
In 2014 the Mundaring Arts Centre (MAC) celebrated 35 years of providing arts and cultural services to the community. Formed in 1979 by a group of dedicated volunteers passionate about providing a focus for arts and culture in the Perth hills, MAC has remained true to its origins.
Location: 7190 Great Estern Highway, Mundaring, WA. Ph (08) 9295 3991.
Parkerville was one of the first stations to be constructed on the railway line that once ran between Bellevue and Mount Helena, opening for traffic in 1896. The town was named in honour of Stephen Henry Parker whose country home, now the Old Mahogany Inn, was situated there. Parker was a prominent member of Perth's legal fraternity, and was one of the colonial delegates who lobbied for Western Australia gaining Responsible Government in 1890. He became a member of the first Legislative assemble under Responsible Government. The area was opened for selection in 1895 with the advent of the deviation railway line into the area.
In 1966 the railway line was closed as part of a change of route to the Avon Valley. The railway route has become the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail as a bridle and walking path. Jane Brook flows through Parkerville on its way down to the Swan River through John Forrest National Park. The Parkerville Amphitheatre became the site for a number of 1970s concerts. This and other nearby locations have been used for filming children's television series.
A small community to the north of Mundaring, the bushland suburb is named after Sir Albert Edward Stone, who was Chief Justice of Western Australia when the place was named in 1905. The name was chosen by the local residents who were developing the district for fruit growing. Stoneville was also one of the stations on the railway line that once ran between Bellevue and Mount Helena, though the station was first called Dowie Siding, after an early settler.
The Heart of the Hills Wine Trail will lead you through the forests and gullies of Darlington, Glen Forrest, Mt Helena and Wooroloo to some of the oldest wineries in the region and continuing further south, the Bickley-Carmel Valley Wine Trail touts seven world class wineries including some fine examples of sparkling wine made in the French tradition. Cellar doors are open most weekends and public holidays and you can set your tastebuds dancing with good selection of wine varieties.
