HISTORY OF GIDGEGANNUP
History of Gidgegannup
Little is known of the Aboriginal groups inhabiting the Hills region now known as Gidgegannup. However it seems that, according to newspaper reports of the early 1830s, a “Hills Tribe” was often in conflict with the “Weeips Tribe” of the upper Swan area. It is certain to have been a good area for hunting kangaroo and other native animals.
In 1836 a direct route for travellers to Toodyay was surveyed. This road went through the southern part of the present Gidgegannup area. At that time it took at least two days travel on horseback to reach Toodyay from Guildford, and consequently a wayside inn was built at Bailup, the approximate halfway mark between the two towns.
In the 1850s when transported convicts were brought to Western Australia, ticket-of-leave men were deployed from the Guildford Depot to road maintenance on the Toodyay Road. A road station was developed at Greenmount, now known as Red Hill.
There was little settlement in the area apart from small timber cutters until 1886 when a large parcel of Crown land was exchanged for the building of a railway line between Guildford and Walkaway. The bankers family named Copley purchased this land and later sold part of it to the Bunning Brothers Sawmilling Company. The jarrah timber from this area supported the Lion Mill in Mount Helena and later Smiths Mill on Toodyay Road, which remained in operation until the 1960s. During this time the district gradually developed into an area for mixed farming.
In the years between the two World Wars the district was named Hampstead Hills. Later, in 1946, it was changed to Gidgegannup, after the Gidgegannup Brook which runs through the area.
From then on Gidgegannup has made steady progress. The creation of sub-divisions on land re-zoned to “special rural” has boosted population numbers. With population growth opportunities arose for new businesses, and community services like a primary school, a sports oval and other recreational facilities became feasible. Now for many Gidgegannup is the ideal place to live; a semi-rural community in a beautiful natural setting, yet close enough to Perth CBD and other metropolitan facilities.
Origins of the Name "Gidgegannup"
The indigenous people knew the area as Gidjeejarnup, meaning, as far as we can ascertain, “the place where spears are made”. However, usage by the white man has changed it over the years to its present spelling, i.e. 1850 Gidjejarnup, 1852 Gidjegarnup, 1873 Gijegannup, later Gidgegannup.
Grass Tree
Early White Settlement
During the early years of white settlement of W.A. there came a need for a railway connection from Guildford in the south to Geraldton on the coast to the north. To this end the W.A. Government, being short of ready cash to pay for such a project, contracted an English company to construct same, the payment for such a venture was made by the grant of land 40 miles (64 kms.) either side of the rail line, to be allocated when each 20 miles (32 kms.) of track was completed. The rail was to be laid commencing from each end of the track simultaneously.
It eventuated that the Gidgie area was the first to be granted, to the South and East of the line to become Swan Location No. 1317, a total of 19,425 hectares, in the name of The Midland Railway Company, based in London. Later, the land was sold on to The Perth Jarrah Milling Company, which then commenced a lucrative business in the harvesting of timber cut from the eucalypt forests. Most of this timber, mostly of the red Jarrah, was shipped to England where it was highly prized. It was also used as sleepers for the rail line.
(compiled and written by George Beamish)
Timber Industry
To gather the timber there were a number of mills, the first, the Lyons Mill in what is now Mount Helena (at this time Gidgie was included in that area). Initially, the timber was carted by a rail link from Gidgegannup to Mt. Helena.
Naturally, to fell the trees a large labour force was required as the cutting was by crosscut saws, with a man on either end pulling, later by the Widow Maker, a self propelled circular saw, which, as the name implies, was a dangerous occupation. Many of these trees were quite large, some of the butts over two metres in diameter.
There were various mills opened later, some driven by steam, others by diesel, with the connecting rail lines in almost every direction to the mills. One section of an old line bed may be seen on the south side of Toodyay Road, just behind the local fire station.
During this period, the timber workers began to set up camps for their families, a lot were rather primitive but enabled them to have their families with them. Children, of course, were also here. As there was no school in Gidgegannup, they were transported to Mt. Helena where a school had been established. Some of the time, on the timber trains and later, as the timber became too scarce for the rail run to the mill in Mt. Helena, on the horse drawn dray and later an old petrol driven truck, following the route of the old rail line. Along which a road was later constructed to become Bunning Road.
(compiled and written by George Beamish)
Charlie Miles with “whim” used to transport logs
Convict Labour
About this time, the hinterland became of interest, following the opening up land for farming just north of the established York area. This led the settlers around Toodyay to seek a shorter route to the new lands when farming commenced around there. To service that demand, a road was deemed necessary and construction was commenced from Midland, up Red Hill, through Gidgegannup to the town site of Newcastle.
On the old maps there are two closely adjacent townsites: one Newcastle, the other Toodyay. So the road was originally named The Newcastle Road, later to become Toodyay Road, and was built by convict labour. The large team was required to build its own overnight accommodation along the route. Apparently, there were eight such camps constructed, the remains of the only one left is on the Northern side of Toodyay Road halfway up Red Hill and is now a Heritage Remnant. (Very close to the road edge, just west of the second sign indicating a passing lane eastbound).
The camp was a fairly solid structure with stone foundations, mud walls and we believe, corrugated iron roofing. The latter, no doubt retrieved and moved on to the next site for roofing, as the road extended. From what we are able to ascertain, there were about four fairly large buildings on the Red Hill site, and we have no reason to believe that the other sites were any the less in size.
As, in those days transport was usually horsedrawn, so provision was made for a water supply en route to Newcastle. The 12 Mile well was dug on the side of the road, just about where Talbot Road enters the main road.
Unfortunately, the well was covered during a reconstruction of Toodyay Road. Various watering points from creeks were available further along, but were unreliable as they usually dried up during summer. An overnight stop was usually made at the Wirrilloo Brook (later Woorooloo Brook) at Noble Falls. Unfortunately, this brook also dries up now during summer due to damming upstream. When in flow the brook runs into the Catta River then the Avon River about the north-east boundary of the Ward.
(compiled and written by George Beamish)
Remains of convict road camp
12 Mile Well
Birth of a Show
Because of the improved access, Gidgegannup became more populated as the area was surveyed and lots became available for purchase. To expedite the sales, the developers, The Perth Jarrah Mills, registered the name of its subdivision as Hampstead Hills.
The newcomers provided for themselves and they formed a fairly closeknit community with much in common as living was hard. Some started up small mills, cutting the timbers, not cut out previously, by hand. Some cut in the form of railway sleepers, other for fruit cases. A sleeper hewn by hand using a crosscut saw and an adze for shaping, brought in the princely sum of sixpence in the earlier times, later rising to two shillings and sixpence. (i.e. five and twenty five cents respectively).
The new residents, being on either side of the main road, took to displaying their produce on a regular basis for sale to the travellers as they passed by, and to one another. Mainly the ladies of the district grew the produce. This, of course, instigated some friendly rivalry, which led to a group who decided to form a Progress Association to hold such events to be sited on the side of the road. This was registered as the Hampstead Hills Progress Association, on the 12th March 1946. Forty eight days later, the Perth Jarrah Mills donated a block of land to the Association on which to hold their Agricultural Shows. This was a great boost to the Association, for soon after an old house was also donated and after it was dismantled and transported to the new grounds, it was modified and re-erected as the Hampstead Hills Hall. A great asset to the growing community.
Soon after, it was decided that an Agricultural Society be formed to run the displays and, as the name of Hampstead Hills did not go down too well with the ladies, six of them proceeded to the Nomenclature Committee in the city and had the name changed back to the original Gidgegannup. This society was then registered as the Gidgegannup Agricultural Society. This occurred on the 14th April 1946. The first Gidgegannup Agricultural Show was held on the grounds in 1946 and continues to this day, on the last Saturday of October each year.
growth of a show
Over the years, the hall was modified, expanded, painted, a new sprung dancing floor installed. Then with donations from all directions, the hall was completely rebuilt. The furnishing of the grounds was undertaken with a bar, stockyards, horse shoeing pavilion, fowl pens, external seating. In all, everything needed to stage a large agricultural show, various horse events and every once in a while, a ball in the hall. Square dancing is still popular. With the recent acquisition of extra land our shows will be bigger and better in the future. The Pony Club has regular meetings on the oval.
During the early years it was realised that the Progress Association and the Agricultural Society committees were the same group of people, sitting on different nights. Therefore, it was decided to combine the meetings under the one committee. This was a very successful arrangement until 1990, when the load became too great for the one committee and then they separated and are now operating in their own right. Both Associations are strong and healthy and doing their own thing very successfully. The Agricultural Shows have been improving and becoming bigger and better with each passing year.
(compiled and written by George Beamish)
Builders of the 1946 Hall (Source: Hills Gazette, 23/10/1989)
Opening of the first Show in 1946
by the Minister of Lands. Mr Thorn
Visitors at a recent Gidge Show
Present-day Gidgegannup
The Toodyay Road has been widened, straightened, sealed, levelled, etc. and is now a main road, so we are only about 25 minutes from Midland and 50 minutes from Perth CBD.
There are some 16 or more organisations in the area, ranging from football clubs to pre-schoolers. Some years ago, a Commonwealth Reserve along
the southern side of Toodyay Road adjacent to the village, was invested in the Swan Shire – this was leased to the Gidgegannup Recreational Club, who, through volunteer work and donations again, created an oval and clubhouse which now supports many sporting clubs.
A church has also been built by the community and we have a school which is thriving. We have our own fire station and volunteer fire brigades.
There is a small shopping centre and a restaurant, a newsagency, operating as a post office. And several other shops including our extremely efficient local ISP. We breed horses, cattle, goats, sheep, deer, emus, alpacas, donkeys, even cats and dogs. Olives and citrus fruit are grown and we have a world famous goat cheese produced locally. For keen gardeners, we have our own nursery, which also carries hardware. Something of interest to anyone, along with someone to help you, in any field. We publish our own paper, the Gidgegram, each month, full of items applicable to our area.
Gidgegannup is a thriving community with diverse interests, magnificent scenery and a wonderful lifestyle. We love living here and welcome newcomers.
(compiled and written by George Beamish)
John Laurie
Retroman Leaves Future Legacy
A lot of highflyers have touched down in Gidgegannup but John Laurie is one who stayed and left his mark on the local community. Ninety-one year old John’s association with Gidgegannup started when he was 15 – driving up from Inglewood in a Citroën roadster to shoot rabbits on Bailup Farm.
“This was during the war years”, said John, “15 year olds were allowed to drive and it took us the best part of a day as the road was really rough.”
Petrol rationing and war-time ammunition restrictions put an end to John’s excursions but his interest in the district remained. Leaving school at 14, John completed a radio technician apprenticeship and quickly realised that there was a better living to be made in business management.
Studying both the then new medium of television and business at Perth Technical College exposed him to a series of mentors who set John on the road to becoming a real estate investor and state director of Retravision which started here in 1960 as Five Star Cooperative.
Local landholder John Ffarington’s father was then “top dog at the tech” according to John. “He was a brilliant lecturer and expected us to have answers in 30 seconds – and, he had gold teeth.” The class “couldn’t believe it” that in 1941 “Mr Ffarington had secured 10,000 acres (4046ha) of bushland for just 10 shillings ($1) an acre (.4ha).
By the time John secured his own slice of Gidgegannup in Clenton Road in 1965 he paid 20 pounds ($34) an acre. “I bought the most expensive land in the Glenroyd Estate because of the streams and the mineral rights that were attached to the land,” said John who, to this day opposes local mining and lists his address as Glenroyd and not Gidgegannup.
Pat, John’s wife of 69 years, brought their four kids to live in a railway carriage on the property in 1970. This was no ordinary carriage but a 12-cabin job from the Kalgoorlie run.
As the WA director of Retravision John was running the growing local franchise and jetting to interstate board meetings. “I was working – and how!” By 52, the high-stress lifestyle landed John in hospital for six months with double pneumonia and it was time to evaluate his lifestyle. “The pressure got to me in the end and it was a really tough time for Pat but she coped really well,” said John.
Retravision’s loss was Gidgegannup’s gain as John and Pat threw themselves into co-founding the Pony Club and donated land to build the non-denominational Community Church.
John and Pat’s involvement with the Agricultural Society eventually led to John’s four-year presidency from 1980-1984 where he says “he pulled the reins tight which was not always appreciated by the locals”.
Apart from using his considerable business contacts to lobby for the primary school, John also started and named Gidgegram to disseminate local news. Learning from an American shareholder that long-winded reports were a waste of time John initiated the Retrogram, Retravision’s memo-style reporting system which he applied to the early editions of the one-page Gidgegram.
“Never worry about money”, said John “if it’s a worthwhile cause the money will come but you do need faith, planning and discipline”. A lifetime of advice, and all for free, in your local Gidgegram.
(written by Ieva Tomsons)
John Laurie’s Citroen roadster
John and Pat Laurie
Reen Road Bridge
When Jeanette Perry was 18 years of age in 1955, her father Mr Arthur Perry was given the job of building the bridge on Reen Road Gidgegannup. The Bridge is located near the junction with Reserve Road. The Perry family owned a block adjacent to the Wooroloo Brook and they were set up with a caravan.
The whole family helped with the construction of the original bridge.
All the large logs were cut with an Adze by Arthur and he had the help of a “bloke” with a truck and crane to place the logs in position (his name not known).
In 2022, Cheryl Palm took her Mum Jeanette (now 85 years old) back to see the existing bridge and they both felt sure some of the wooden poles may have been the ones Arthur Perry originally installed in 1955.
Jeanette always talks about building the bridge with the fondest of memories and it was a real treat for her to stand by the bridge in 2022.
(compiled by Cheryl Palm with the help of Jeanette Jones (nee Perry))
Perry family camp 1955
Dorothy Perry on the Gidgegannup block
Building the bridge in 1955
Jeanette Perry in red
Cutting the logs to size
The truck with crane used to build the bridge
The bridge supports in 2022
Jeanette Jones (nee Perry) at the bridge in 2022
Newspaper article April 1994
Gidgegannup’s history
Hampstead Hills
Originally known as Hampstead Hills, the name was changed in 1946 in reaction to the English derived name.
Gidgegannup Is an aboriginal word meaning “spear in the tree in the water.” “I have been told that a tree exists with a spear through it and that is where the name comes from” Mr Beamish said. It’s alleged that Gidgegannup was one of the first places English convicts were sent to work.
Convicts built the Toodyay Road from Midland Junction to Newcastle, which is now known as Toodyay. They built small mud huts along the road side to live in while building the road.
Still standing along the road side part of the original Toodyay Road is the telephone/telegraph line constructed in 1871. It’s the original line that connected Western Australia to the Eastern States.
The timber was used for house building throughout Perth and Guildford, bridge construction and even coffin boards.
“Many small railway lines were built throughout Gidgegannup to transport the logs and some lines can still be seen” Mr Beamish said.
Lake Leschenaultia, originally named Chidlow Well was a man-made source of water used for steam engines, which transported timber in Gidgegannup and Mt Helena.
Smith’s Mill closed in 1954 when the price of land boomed and sub division became more profitable than timber milling.
The first farm in Gidgegannup was Balup Farm which was also a coach stop for travellers en route to Toodyay. Allegedly the inn was also a site for dispensing sly grog and was the home of several notorious riots.
Land sales began around 1927 but it wasn’t until the early 1940’s that a farming community was firmly established. “Conditional purchase applied when you brought land so that 10 per cent of the purchase price was spent each year on improving the land” Mr Beamish said.
Two community society’s began in 1946 and have remained an important part of the Gidgegannup community. The Hamstead Hills Progress Association and the Gidgegannup Agricultural Society were developed to promote the welfare of the citizens and land of Gidgegannup. Land and cash was donated by a timber company to establish a home for the two societies. Locals spent several busy bees building a hall which remains today as the home for the societies. Dances were a popular event in the hall where music was supplied either by an orchestra or an electric gramophone.
It’s alleged that the notorious WA bushranger Moondyne Joe was a regular visitor throughout the Gidgegannup area. Arriving as a convict from England in 1853 Moondyne Joe roamed the Darling Ranges after a conditional pardon in 1855. Moondyne Joe had many run-ins with the for stealing and prison breaking. “I don’t know if it’s “true that Moondyne Joe came to Gidgegannup as ‘many places in the state are named after him” Mr Beamish said.
Many features around Gidgegannup bear the name of Moondyne Joe, including a hill, spring, tree and brook.
The above article was from a Newspaper (likely to have been the West Australian) written in April 1994 including an interview with long time Gidgegannup resident George Beamish. The article had been cut out and pasted into a farm diary kept by Mrs Christa Zimmel, whose family owns a property in O’Brien Road.