Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
AVON VALLEY
The lush green Avon Valley - with its atmospheric homesteads featuring big verandahs,
rickety wooden wagons and moss-covered rocks - was 'discovered' by European settlers in
early 1830 after food shortages forced Governor Stirling to dispatch Ensign Dale to search
the Darling Range for arable land. What he found was the upper reaches of the Swan River,
but he presumed it was a separate river - which is why its name changes from 'the Swan'
to 'the Avon' in Walyunga National Park. The valley was very soon settled, just a year after
Perth was founded, and many of the historic stone buildings still stand proudly in the towns
and countryside in the area.
This country traditionally belongs to the Balardung, another of the Noongar peoples.
