Karragullen
Karragullen is an agricultural area predominantly known as orchard country. Many of the orchards were developed by Italian migrants in the 1930s and 1940s and these have subsequently been taken over by their 1st and 2nd generation Australian descendants. Prior to 1949 it was a stopping place on the Upper Darling Range Railway.
The was a branch railway from Midland Junction that rose up the southern side of the Helena Valley and on to the Darling Scarp via the 'Kalamunda Zig Zag section' through Gooseberry Hill. The Karragullen area borders the Canning Dam reservoir zone and borders the start of bushland in the East-South-East direction from Perth. It neighbours Pickering Brook to the east and Roleystone to the west.
Once a year Karragullen hosts a field day that showcases the local industries and its practises. The event has been running for over 20 years.
The town's name is of aboriginal origin. in the local dialect, it means red gully - karra - red tree (possibly a reference to the red mahogany, or jarrah tree); gullen - gully.
Stinton Cascades Nature Reserve is actually three nature reserves all located in Karragullen, about an hours drive from Perth. Two are just bush reserves but the third had the cascades in it. A steep 800 metre track winds down a hillside to the cascades with farmlets on one side and forest and bush on the other. A longer way round is less steep. There is plenty of birdlife here, and wildflowers in spring.
Korung National Park is popular for bushwalking. The Munda Biddi Bike Trail and the Kattamorda Heritage Trail run through parts of the park. There are no picnic facilities located within the Park, however the Water Corporation manage the picnic facilities at New Victoria Dam, which can be accessed off Canning Road.
Back in 1929, the Young Australia League saw the potential of a unique deep forested valley near Roleystone as an ideal site for a tranquil holiday resort. The valley's rich, loamy soils and high rainfall made it the perfect location to create the magnificent, culturally significant terraced gardens, timber and stone structures, water features surrouned by mature trees that form the basis of what is today Araluen Botanic Park.
Popular in spring for its tulips and other magnificent spring blooms, Araluen comprises a tranquil botanic garden of both natural and developed beauty, providing four seasons of relaxing activity that holds great attraction for weddings, photography, bird-watching and family get-togethers. Whatever time you visit Araluen, you will find the streams flowing, plenty of grassy areas on which to enjoy a barbeque or picnic and many delightful bush walks.
The Canning River has supplied water to Perth since 1924 when a pipehead dam was built near Araluen, 6km downstream from the present Canning Dam. Canning Dam was the State's biggest public works project during the 1930s depression. It was a vast undertaking that provided desperately needed work for 500 men and a valuable boost for local industry. The dam was completd in 1940. At the western end of the valley, downstream from the dam wall, the workforce lived in their own township complete with post office, general store, recreation hall and school house. The only thing missing from a typical bush town was a hotel. In the 1970s, the Canning Tunnel was blasted through solid granite from Canning Dam to Roleystone to boost the water flow from the dam.
Picnic facilities, barbecue areas and walking trails are provided for visitors. Access by road via Brookton Highway to Roleystone. Coming from Karragullen, turn left ino Croydon Road, follow the signs directly to Canning Dam, around 9km further.
