DARDANUP | Western Australia | www.wanowandthen.com

DESCRIPTION

Dardanup is located on the Boyanup-Picton Road, 15km South East of Bunbury. The Ferguson River passes to the North of the township and the Darling Scarp lies North-South approximately 3km East of the township.

The location and topographic characteristics give the area a mild temperate climate. The hottest months are January and February when the mean maximum temperature is 30 C and the coldest month is July when the mean minimum temperature drops to 4 C. Wellington Mills receives the highest rainfall of 1143mm, with June being the wettest month.

Apart from the beautiful Ferguson Valley, one of the main tourist attractions in the area is Gnomesville. To find out more about this remarkable place visit our Boyanup page for information and photos.

Local industries include, agriculture, tourism, timber and a brickworks.

HIGHLY RECCOMENDED : Do yourself a favour and drop in to the local bakery if you are in town. Their pies are huge and delicious and everything they make is reasonably priced and top quality.

Dardanup Heritage Park

A very interesting collection of working machinery and heritage memorabilia housed in large sheds.

The collection was started by Gary Brookes (founder of Brookes Transport) and the machines have been restored to working order and can be seen on Sundays or Wednesdays between 9:30am and 4pm.

There is also an on site cafe which we have been told is very reasonably priced.

See the Dardanup Heritage Park website for more information.

(Thanks to John L. for letting us know about this local attraction. )

HISTORY

There are no confirmed origins of the town's name. Explanations vary from "a place of swamp reed" to "burial ground by the water" and "watering place". The present name Dardanup is derived from the name 'Dudginup' which was used by the original Aboriginal inhabitants of the area.

The first settlers arrived in the 1840's, mostly Irish immigrants who received land grants from the government with the prospects of farming the land. However, prior to this in the late 1830's, Charles Princep, the Advocate General for the East India Company at Calcutta, purchased land to establish a horse breeding and sleeper cutting enterprise for export to India. Thomas Little built a homestead he called Dardanup Park in 1852, but the town site was not gazetted until 1923. (The Little family was not so little. A census in 1856 showed that of 111 residents in the area, 76 were Littles.)

TALL TALES AND TRUE

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OTHER INFORMATION

ATTRACTIONS

Historic Heritage Trail, Gnomesville, Seaview Farm, Wellington Discovery Forest, Mt Lennard Mountain Bike Trail System, Ferguson Valley, Wellington National Park, Wineries, Dardanup Equestrian Centre, Crooked Brook Forest, Dardanup Heritage Park, Wellington Mill Disc Golf.

BUILDINGS OF NOTE

St. Mary's Anglican Church 1906, Dardanup Shop 1902, Post Office 1895, Old Mercy Convent 1922, Thomas Little Hall 1854, Don Hewison Centre 1896, The Rodger's House 1897, Dardanup Hotel 1905.

FAMOUS SONS AND DAUGHTERS

Premier James Mitchell

ELECTORAL ZONES

State : Collie-Preston

Federal : Forrest

OTHER INFO.

Postcode : 6236

Local Government : Shire of Dardanup

PHOTOS

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