Western Australia tour

This evening meet with your programme leader and other tour members at our Perth hotel. Tonight we enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

This morning we take a guided city tour of historic Perth. Our tour will include a visit to the new Perth Museum and conclude with a visit to the Mint Museum. Opened in 1899, the Perth Mint now operates as a museum offering a glimpse into the history of the discovery of gold in Western Australia.

The rest of the day you will have free to explore some of the other attractions of the city. Perhaps you’d like to visit the art gallery or simply wander along the new waterfront precinct at Elizabeth Quay.

Perth has many grand Victorian buildings, one of these, Government House, was completed in grand Jacobean Revival style in 1864.

This morning we head out of the city for a tour through the historic Avon Valley visiting towns such as Beverley, York, Northam and Toodyay.

York, the first European inland town, was established in 1831, and is of particular interest. Visitors to York can enjoy lovingly preserved buildings and sites providing charm and character to the town. There are a couple of fine churches and many other historic buildings such as the Town Hall which houses the tourist information centre. The York Residency Museum, Old Gaol & Courthouse and York Motor Museum are all well worth a visit.

In the afternoon we return to our Perth hotel for the evening.

In the afternoon we return to our Perth hotel for the evening.

Today we cruise the Swan River to Fremantle where we take a guided tour of the historic centre and visit one of the world’s best preserved examples of a 19th century port streetscape. Fremantle boasts Western Australia’s largest collection of heritage listed buildings and possesses a depth of character seldom replicated elsewhere. In the afternoon we return to Perth by train.

While in Fremantle we’ll visit the WA Shipwrecks Museum to discover more about the history of the first Europeans to land on our shores. The museum is recognised as the foremost maritime archaeology museum in the southern hemisphere.

The Museum is housed in an 1850s-era Commissariat building that has been restored to its historic glory. Steeped in history, the galleries house hundreds of relics from ships wrecked along WA’s treacherous coastline, including the original timbers from Batavia (wrecked in 1629), the de Vlamingh Dish, and also countless artefacts from the Dutch shipwrecks Zuytdorp, Zeewijk and Vergulde Draeck.

The story of the sinking of the Batavia and its aftermath, told in the museum, is a particularly gruesome but fascinating one.

The remains of the ship were discovered in the 1970s, recovered and reconstructed in the museum’s main gallery.

This morning you have free time to continue your exploration of the city before we head out in the early afternoon to visit the National Trust properties of Peninsula Farm followed by the grand Woodbridge mansion.

Peninsula Farm at Wu‐rut Woorat is a place of great historical importance to the state of Western Australia. It offers us a unique opportunity to explore the first years of European settlement in Western Australia and reflect on a landscape offering a tantalising glimpse into the past.

Constructed by Joseph Hardey in 1839, it was the third house he had built on Peninsula Farm, a property originally granted to him in 1830. Over the years the house was added to, expanded outwards and upwards. At the same time, the farm itself became smaller and smaller.

Peninsula Farm remained in the Hardey family until 1913. Joseph Hardey and his son Richard, who took over management of the property in the late 1860s, were highly influential in the religious, business and political activities of the colony. Peninsula Farm, however, tells more than just their stories. It also tells of their wives and daughters, the women and servants who ran the house and the workers who ran the farm. It tells of farming, and how families and the young colony sustained themselves.

Woodbridge is another significant historic property in the region. Captain James Stirling took up land near Guildford (at what became Woodbridge) in 1829. He named his property ‘Woodbridge’ as it reminded him of the area around the home of his wife’s family in Surrey, England. Stirling had a small cottage built but spent little time there. At the end of his term as Governor in 1839, Stirling left the colony and leased the property to various tenants.

Charles Harper married Fanny de Burgh in 1879 and the following year took up a lease at Woodbridge. In 1883 land was purchased and the Harpers began the construction of a large family home. Two years later, Charles, Fanny, their three sons and one daughter moved into the completed house. Over the following decade three more boys and three girls were born. The family was supported by live in staff and others who came in for specific tasks.

Woodbridge supported extensive orchards of apples, pears, peaches and table grapes and there was a commercial nursery mainly stocking fruit trees and vines. Charles worked on the development of various wheat varieties, pioneered the use of artesian water for agricultural purposes, developed an inexpensive fencing system and improved pastures through the use of clover and superphosphate. Additionally, he served as a parliamentarian, was part owner of The West Australian newspaper and started The Western Mail.

In 1895 Charles established a school in the house for his children and those of neighbours. A small single storied school building was erected in 1900. It was purchased a decade later by the Church of England and went on to become what is now Guildford Grammar School. For twenty years from 1921 the house operated as Woodbridge House School. During World War II it was used as the Old Women’s Home before its conversion in 1964 to an annexe for Governor Stirling Senior High School. Woodbridge was vested in the National Trust in 1968.

This morning we leave Perth and drive north to New Norcia before continuing to the Pinnacles/Cervantes region where we spend the next two nights.

The monastery at New Norcia was founded by Spanish Benedictine Monks in 1847. This unusual monastic town, the only one in Australia, has primarily Spanish architecture. We will have time for lunch and to take a guided tour of its many historic buildings.

The monastery now houses just nine monks, and the four boarding schools are closed, but the remaining buildings and the museum provide a fascinating insight into the town and the interaction between the monastery and the original Nyoongar inhabitants.

This morning we take a trip to Lake Thetis to view the ancient stromatolites. Stromatolites, now found in very few places in the world, are living fossils, the oldest living life forms on the planet.

Lake Thetis is one of only five sites in Western Australia that features thrombolites, which are closely related to stromatolites – the oldest ‘living’ fossil in the world at 3.5 billion years old; the Lake Thetis thrombolites are believed to be over 3,000 years old.

From Lake Thetis we spend time exploring the Nambung National Park and the Pinnacles Desert region.

The Pinnacles are amazing natural limestone structures, formed approximately 25,000 to 30,000 years ago after the sea receded and left deposits of sea shells. Over time, coastal winds removed the surrounding sand, leaving the pillars exposed to the elements. The Pinnacles range in height and dimension – some stand as high as 3.5m!

In the afternoon we return to our hotel in the Cervantes region.

Today’s journey takes us north along the coast road to Jurien Bay and Green Head before we turn east and head towards the town of Dalwallinu where we spend the next two nights.

We’ll take a leisurely drive north along the coast and through Lesueur National Park. There will be time to stop and admire the scenery. Lesueur National Park is recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot and is one of the most significant reserves for flora conservation in Western Australia. Ten percent of the State’s known flora is found here, and several species which grow in Lesueur National Park cannot be found anywhere else in the world and have been included on an endangered list. The National Park is also home to over 100 species of birds that rely on the flora for their survival.

Jurien Bay and Green Head provide us with the opportunity to admire magnificent beaches and, if we are lucky, catch a glimpse of the endangered Australian Sea Lions.

This evening we stay the night at Dalwallinu in the northern wheatbelt.

Today we drive north from Dalwallinu through Wubin to the Mt Gibson/Lake Moore region.

The Wheatbin Museum in Wubin will add to our understanding of early European farming techniques in the region. Here we find a rich repository of farming artefacts, vintage machinery and photographic displays telling the stories of local farmers and town folk over the past century. The museum is housed in a heritage classified wheat bin, built in 1939, with working displays and models charting the changing industrial nature of agriculture in the area.

In the Mt Gibson/Lake Moore region we have the opportunity to meet with a traditional custodian of the region for an introduction to country.

In the afternoon we return to Dalwallinu.

This morning we leave Dalwallinu and drive south to Goomalling and then east to Merredin, where we stop for the night.

Goomalling is another of the northern wheat towns. We stop here to visit the historic Slater Homestead and the local museum. In 1854 George Slater was the first European settler and his homestead became a stopover for explorers and those heading to the gold fields in the 1880s. The homestead has been restored and refurbished to reflect the pioneering days of the 1880s. The School House Museum offers a further glimpse into local history.

From Goomalling we follow the Pioneer’s Pathway to Merredin though small towns including Dowerin, Wyalkatchem and Nungarin. On the way we stop, time permitting, to visit the National Trust owned property of Mangowine. Mangowine Homestead, near Nungarin, has long been a place of hospitality, a necessary stop for people travelling through the region. The original cottage was built in c1876 for Charles and Jane Adams, a home from which to manage their pastoral leases. In c1889, a second, adjacent building was erected as an inn.

Today we devote to exploring Kalgoorlie/Boulder. Kalgoorlie’s thriving days of glory began in 1893 when Irish prospectors Paddy Hannan, Tom Flanagan and Daniel Shea, travelling through the region, were forced to stop when one of their horses cast a shoe. During the halt in their journey, the men found 100 ounces of alluvial nuggets that led to one Australia’s greatest gold rushes. `

We begin with a guided bus/walk tour of the main attractions of the two cities. We’ll visit the two historic Town Halls, as well as the Government Buildings complex on Hannan Street. The complex was built between 1896 and 1899, at a cost of £22,000. When built it housed the Warden’s Court, Court of Justice, Mines Department and Post & Telegraph Office. The buildings are dominated by an impressive clock which was formally started by Warden Finnerty in 1900.

After our guided tour we’ll visit the WA Mining Museum. One of the most distinctive buildings on Hannan Street (it can be seen the entire length of the street) is the Ivanhoe Head-frame at the WA Museum. It is both a museum and a viewing platform with the top of the Head-frame being accessible by both lift and stairs. It is an ideal way to discover the history of the Eastern Goldfields and particularly Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Among the permanent exhibits are the largest collection of gold bars and nuggets in Western Australia; a detailed history of the prospectors who searched for the precious minerals; and interesting insights into the lives of the families of the miners. The permanent exhibitions include an authentic Miner’s Cottage, a botanic garden, the offices of mining officials, the first West Australian bank and artefacts made from local timber.

The rest of the day will be free for you to continue your exploration of Kalgoorlie/Boulder.

Today we head north to explore some of the ghost towns left behind after the gold ran out.

On our way to Leonora/Gwalia we’ll detour, weather conditions permitting, to Lake Ballard to visit the Anthony Gormley statues.World renowned British artist, Antony Gormley, has fused nature and art in a striking display of 51 stark black steel sculptures scattered across seven square kilometres of the vast, flat salt lake. As you approach, the sculptures appear ghostlike on the horizon, shimmering like mirages in the heat.

The little settlement of Gwalia that grew up around the Sons of Gwalia Mine in the late 1890s thrived until the final whistle blew on 28 December 1963, closing the mine and putting 250 men out of work. Gwalia’s 1200-strong population fell to just 40 in less than three weeks. Today, the abandoned homes and businesses of Gwalia create a tangible snapshot of a vanished era and way of life.

It is possible to step inside the quaint cottages built of corrugated iron, timber and whitewashed hessian and imagine a miner’s wife cooking dinner on the cast iron range, while her husband toils far underground to support his family, and their children recite their lessons in the State school. We can look through the windows of Mazza’s Store, where the shopper could buy everything from two pounds of flour for the day’s baking to a length of fabric to make a frock for a dance at the State Hotel – or wander through Patroni’s Guest Home next door, for decades a home from home for single men employed at the Sons of Gwalia Mine.

Once one of the largest gold mines in Australia, the Sons of Gwalia Ltd operated from 1897 to 1963. Its first mine manager was a young American mining engineer named Herbert Hoover, who later became the 31st President of the United States. The mine manager’s house Hoover designed, and which bears his name, stands on the summit of “Staff Hill” in the Museum Complex.

Nearby, the old mine administration buildings in the shadow of Australia’s only surviving timber incline head-frame now house the Gwalia Museum’s extensive collection of objects, documents and photographs which sketch the history of the mine and showcase the diverse cultures and commercial and domestic life that created Gwalia’s enduring legacy.

We spend the night in Leonora, close to Gwalia Ghost Town.

This morning we head back to Kalgoorlie with a number of stops along the way. Conditions permitting, we’ll visit Morapoi Station, Niagara Dam and the town of Kookynie, before returning to Kalgoorlie/Boulder for one more night.

The country around Morapoi station has been home to the Wangkatha people for thousands of years. Morapoi Indigenous Station offers visitors the opportunity to experience this fascinating part of Australia through the cultural heritage of the Wangkatha people.

Niagara Dam was named for the the once booming gold town of Niagara. It was built in 1898, during the gold rush, to provide water for a railway between Kalgoorlie and Menzies. After a difficult and expensive period of construction, involving transporting cement from Coolgardie via camel train, the dam quickly became obsolete when plentiful groundwater was discovered in nearby Kookynie.

In its gold rush heyday, following the discovery of gold in 1895, the booming hub of Kookynie had 1,500 residents, six hotels, a public baths and brewery. Today, Kookynie is practically a ghost town with just 13 permanent residents, but there are a number of buildings that bear testament to Kookynie’s heritage, including the Grand Hotel, where you can enjoy a cold beer or a hearty meal in the outback ambience.

This morning we head south to Esperance on the coast. Our journey takes us through Norseman where we’ll stop for a break.Norseman was a gold town though the original gold find in the shire was at Dundas, about 22km south of Norseman. However, it was a chance find that started the real gold activity for Norseman. In 1894 Laurie Sinclair was camping in the area when his horse uncovered a gold nugget while pawing at the ground. The horse’s name was, of course, Norseman!

Today Norseman’s main claim to fame is that it marks the beginning (or end, depending which direction you’re heading) of the Eyre Highway, which takes you 1,675 kilometres across the Nullarbor.

This afternoon we’ll continue to Esperance where we’ll spend the next two nights.

Today we spend a leisurely day in the Esperance region.

Esperance Bay was named by the French navigator Antoine Raymond Joseph de Bruni d’Entrecasteaux in 1792 as his two ships took shelter near Observatory Island during a storm. European settlement, however, did not occur until 1864, when the pioneering Dempster Brothers drove sheep, cattle and horses from Northam to establish the Esperance Bay Pastoral Station.

The town site of Esperance was Gazetted in 1893 after the discovery of gold in the Eastern Goldfields, and seemingly overnight, the little town experienced an incredible transformation as fortune seekers from all over Australia and around the world flooded the once sleepy little port on their way to the Goldfields.

In September of 1895, Esperance was declared a Municipality, however in the years following the district saw great population fluctuations as it endured the good times and the bad until the 1960’s when the Esperance sand-plain began to emerge as a major agricultural region.

After breakfast we head to Cape Le Grand National Park where we’ll explore some of the magnificent white beaches including the one at Lucky Bay where kangaroos are said to regularly sunbathe.

We return to Esperance in the afternoon with time to stroll along the foreshore, visit the museum or drop in at one of the local art galleries.

We spend a second night at our accommodation in Esperance.

This morning we take a walk through historic Albany, the first European settlement in WA and visit the National Trust property Strawberry Hill.

The Albany area was inhabited by the Minang Nyoongar people for some 18,000 years before it was first encountered by Europeans. During the summer they lived along the coast, where they caught fish with stone traps in the naturally broad, deep, sheltered harbour, and in winter they moved inland. The harbour was visited and charted by George Vancouver in 1791. In 1826 the first European settlement in the state, a penal colony called Frederickstown (for Frederick Augustus, duke of York and Albany), was established there by the British.

Known as Albany by 1832, it became an important whaling base during the 1840s. Until its closure in 1978, the base was the last surviving shore-based whaling enterprise in the Southern Hemisphere.

In 1914 the first and second ANZAC convoys left from Albany. These convoys consisted of troop ships from Australia and New Zealand, and included the flagship of the China Station and a Japanese battle cruiser as part of the naval escort. The convoy left Albany for Egypt, where the troops would train before being landed at Gallipoli.

In the afternoon we take a scenic tour around the area before returning for some free time.

This morning we leave Albany and continue west to Cape Leeuwin, the most south-westerly tip of Australia, before continuing to the Margaret River region. Our journey west takes us along the coast road through Denmark and Walpole.

The powerful Indian and Southern Oceans converge at Cape Leeuwin and here we find the historic, one hundred year old lighthouse. The lighthouse is still in use and remains an important collection point for meteorological data.

From Cape Leeuwin we drive the relatively short distance to Margaret River where we spend the next two nights. Margaret River is renowned for its vineyards and fine food experiences and we’ll take the opportunity to sample some of this fine fare.

Today we spend in the Margaret River region, mixing history with a little of what Margaret River is most famous for…wine.

After a leisurely breakfast we begin with history. Ellenbrook at Mokidup near Margaret River is a National Trust property dating back to 1857.

It is entirely fitting that Ellensbrook should be named after a woman, as it was women who played a major role in the development and management of the place. In 1857 Ellen and Alfred Bussell chose the site of their new home. Sheltered from the winter storms, the site had access to fresh water and was surrounded by fertile soil.

Over the decades the house was built in stages by ticket-of-leave convicts, deserting seamen and local Noongars. The Ellensbrook venture was successful, with income derived from the sale of beef, butter and cheese. Much of the success was due to the practical skills, energy and sound management of Ellen. Between 1871 and 1877 Ellensbrook was managed, and the homestead extended, by the eldest of their five daughters, Fanny. Later, the second daughter Edith made Ellensbrook her permanent home. In 1899 she established the Ellensbrook Farm Home for Aboriginal Children. The Home continued for 17 years during which time Edith continued the tradition of extending the main building.

After visiting Ellensbrook we’ll get down to the serious business of the day with a visit to a local winery for a wine tasting and a long lunch.

We return to our accommodation in the afternoon with perhaps a visit to the chocolate or ice cream factory along the way…for those who still have any appetite.

Today we head back to Perth but with time to continue our adventures along the way with stops in Busselton, Bunbury and Yalgorup National Park.

Heritage protected Busselton Jetty which extends for 1.8 kilometres over the protected waters of Geographe Bay, is the longest wooden piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. We’ll stop for photographs and for a short walk along a very long pier!

There’s plenty to see in Bunbury from street art to historic hotels and churches. We’ll have time to explore the historic centre of the town and visit the Heritage Museum for a glimpse into the areas’s past.

For those who are interested it is possible to take a stroll along the Mangrove Boardwalk to catch a glimpse of Australia’s southern most mangroves, or you might prefer to visit the local dolphins in Koombana Bay.

Our final stop for the day will be in the Yalgorup National Park where we’ll attempt to catch a glimpse of the living-breathing 2000 year old rock like thrombolites at Lake Clifton.

From Lake Clifton we’ll return to our Perth hotel for the final night of our tour.

Our farewell dinner will be in a local restaurant.

Our tour concludes this morning after breakfast.