Darlington, Western Australia

Darlington, Western Australia, is a locality in the Shire of Mundaring on the Darling Scarp, dissected by Nyaania Creek and north of the Helena River.

Location

About one kilometre to the west of Darlington and lower on the Darling Scarp lies the locality of Boya. Between Darlington and Boya there are two abandoned quarries: C. Y. O'Connor's 'Fremantle Harbour Works Quarry’, now known as 'Hudman Road Amphitheatre', and the Mountain Quarry which is also called Boya quarry. They are situated on the southern slope of Greenmount Hill which is defined by the Great Eastern Highway to the North, and the Helena River to the South. The boundary with Glen Forrest to the east has shifted a few times.

Geology

Being at the edge of the Darling Scarp and adjacent to the two quarries mentioned above, Darlington has a number of older stone houses constructed from locally quarried rock which includes granite and laterite. Additionally, a large number of properties in the area have retaining walls and borders built from these local materials.

History

Darlington developed as a locality from the Darlington Winery in the late nineteenth century. Unlike Glen Forrest and Greenmount Darlington was unplanned. Darlington Hall was originally the winery cellar building.

Darlington was dissected by the Eastern Railway [1890 - 1954 traffic ceased, 1965/1966 the line was closed and removed] which in later years of operation was known as the 'Mundaring Loop'. Now the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail or 'bridle trail', as it is known by locals, has become a popular walking and bike trail.

Darlington had extensive orchards during the First World War era. It has also, due to its cooler ‘hills climate', had a number of guest houses. D. H. Lawrence stayed in one for a short time during his visit to Australia. Guest houses were also used as convalescent homes during the Second World War period. In the mid twentieth century significant numbers of artists had lived in or been associated with the small community. By the late twentieth century subdivisions of land and the breakup of farms and orchards contributed to an increase in the local population.

Identity

Very early on, because of its altitude and separation from the Swan Coastal Plain, Darlington became established as a popular picnic area, country drive destination, and a place for holiday homes.

Writers, artists and others seeking to be separate from Perth's extensive suburban sand plain had sought the location for its natural surroundings. The artists gained the most publicity for their residence, while the writers and others tended to keep their privacy.

Some of the community groups are over 40 years old. For example, the Darlington Residents and Ratepayers Association evolved from the earlier Darlington Progress Association, the Darlington Arts Festival as well. The tennis, cricket and other sports clubs have similar heritage. A newer arrival, the Darlington Club, is less than two years old and is involved in sustaining community involvement and use of the Darlington Hall.

It is perhaps one of the few 'hills' communities to be served by several primary schools—the Darlington Primary School (State school), Tree-Tops Montessori School, and Helena College. The Darlington Arts Festival, an annual event, has been going for more than 40 years. It includes art exhibitions and other events on the Darlington oval.

The 2006 'Trek the Trail' event was organised on the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail and went from Mundaring to Darlington, and included events on the oval.

The Darlington Review is a monthly publication of some 50 years standing, featuring stories, news, advertisements and other material of local interest. It is one of the few of its kind to serve any hills community for such a long time and is delivered to each address in the locality.

The Mundaring shire council has defined the locality by placing 'Locality of Darlington' signs on its entrance roads at the administrative boundary.

Notable residents

• George Temple-Poole
• Robert Juniper
• Richard Woldendorp (now Glen Forrest)
• D. H. Lawrence - short term
• A. O. Neville

Gallery

See also

• Darlington Hall, Western Australia

Bibliography

• [Brief note on the history of the scouts in Darlington, the first group formed in 1923] Darlington review, Feb.1993, p 7.
• Elliott, I., Mundaring, A History of the Shire, Mundaring, 1983 ISBN 0-9592776-0-9
• Wiltshire, T., A Place in the Hills, Darlington's First Fifty Years, Darlington, 1997 ISBN 0-646-34251-7
• Snell, Ted Darlington and the Hills [videorecording] - in State Reference Library
• Spillman, K., Life was meant to be here, Mundaring, 2003. ISBN 0-9592776-3-3

External links

• Darlington Village website
• Mundaring and Hills Historical Society Website
• Darlington on Geoscience Australia