HISTORY OF THE MURRAY

THE MURRAY RIVER In search of suitable land for agriculture as part of early European settlement, the Region’s rich soils and river system ensured its identification as a place that gave hope for farming. The Murray River was given its European name at this time and the land was granted to Thomas Peel.

PINJARRA SETTLEMENT Pinjarra was established as one of the State’s first colonial settlements and became a thriving town servicing the region and travellers commuting between Perth and the South-West

1829 1834 1836 1843

PINJARRA MASSACRE

Unrest between the Bindjareb people and colonial settlers reached flash point resulting in one of the State’s and Region’s darkest periods in history and the significant loss of Aboriginal lives along with a Colonial Soldier.

PREMIER HOTEL

1897 1893 1898

INTRODUCTION OF THE FISHERIES ACT

1908

OPENING OF RAILWAY LINE FROM PERTH TO PINJARRA

1910

SOUTH AND NORTH YUNDERUP The islands at the mouths of the Serpentine and Murray Rivers (Delta Island area) were surveyed in 1897 and called “Yundurup” after the Pindjarup term for the area “Yoondooroop”.

1912 1920

RAILWAY LINE WORK FROM PINJARRA TO WILLIAMS DWELLINGUP ESTABLISHED

Dwellingup had been a stock run leased from the

Government by the Cooper family, in 1910 the South

West Timber Hewers Cooperative Society Limited leased 20,000 acres and based operations in Holyoake. Dwellingup was established at the same time.

FAIRBRIDGE FARM & VILLAGE Kingsley Fairbridge started the farm school for orphaned children established near Blythewood.

1974 1969

HOTHAM VALLEY RAILWAY (WA) Inc. origins RAVENSWOOD RACEWAY OPENED (closed 1999)

1961

DWELLINGUP BUSH FIRE

1960s

COLLAPSE OF THE TIMBER INDUSTRY, EMERGENCE OF BAUXITE MINING From the 1960s, there was a general push to reduce the area available for milling, to conserve the remaining jarrah and karri forests along the Darling Scarp.

The Murray Region has been the ancestral home of the Bindjareb people of the Noongar Nation for many thousands of years. As the traditional custodians of the land, the Murray region’s identity and sense of place is strongly linked to its rich indigenous history.

FIRST ESTATE - CREATON ESTATE

Construction of the main house began around 1856, Fourteen other houses were also later built on the 20,000 acre [8,000 hectares] land grant... In time a school was established and a hotel was built. The road to Mandurah passed through the property

ST JOHNS CHURCH

(deconsecrated 2020)

& BLYTHEWOOD HOMESTEAD RAVENSWOOD HOTEL

Captain John Thomas and his family moved to the Ravenswood area in the early 1860s. After a large flood in 1862, Thomas built a large stately home on the eastern bank of the Murray River; known as “Ravenswood Hall”, now known as the iconic Ravenswood Hotel.

1856 1860 1861

FIRST PINJARRA BRIDGE CONSTRUCTED

1862

CONSTRUCTION OF THE EXCHANGE HOTEL

1888 1866

EDENVALE HOMESTEAD

The historic Edenvale Homestead was constructed by Edward McLarty, who purchased the Liveringa homestead in Pinjarra upon his marriage to Mary Campbell in 1873 and constructed Edenvale in 1888. Edward went onto became a parliamentarian, being a member of the Upper House from 1894 to 1916 and his son Ross McLarty later became Premier of WA.

1930s 1942 1943

THE COPPER KETTLE TEAROOMS constructed

Construction of the Murray Airfield after the bombing of Broome

NO 16 PoW CAMP - DWELLINGUP

The No. 16 PoW camp was constructed in August 1943 as part of the Rural Employment Without Guards Scheme to alleviate labour shortages. This camp was the headquarters of the Scheme in WA and was responsible for the allocation/ relocation of internees to other parts of the SouthWest. Most were Italian or German. After the war many, particularly the Italians, chose to remain in the district.

1947 1945 1945

Sir Duncan Ross McLarty became Premier of Western Australia PINJARRA FLOOD

POST WWII

After WWII food production declined, though beef cattle, dairying and horse breeding came to the forefront of farming production in the district. Pinjarra also became an important regional centre for horse racing and pacing. VISITOR GUIDE | 39 | Information in this timeline is attributed to the ‘Local Heritage Survey’, March 2020