York, Western Australia
We drove through York once in 2010, but we had never gone back. Since it’s Historic, we thought it might be a nice Sunday afternoon outing. We went to church, we ate our lunch, and then we were off.
York is the oldest inland town in Western Australia, situated 97 kilometres (60 mi) east of Perth, and is the seat of the Shire of York. The York district and town taking its name from York County, Western Australia (in turn named after Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany), was first settled in 1831, two years after Perth was settled in 1829. A town was established in 1835 with the release of town allotments and the first buildings were erected in 1836.
York has so many important heritage buildings, some dating from the 1850s and 1860s, and many from the Gold Rush period (1885 to 1900), that the entire town site of York has been listed as an Historic Town on the Register of the National Estate of the Commonwealth of Australia.
York Town Hall
When completed in 1911 the Town Hall boasted the largest floor area of any such building in Western Australia, and what a beautiful jarrah floor it is!
The Castle Hotel was established in 1853 and was the first inland hotel established in Western Australia. Now over 150 years old, the Castle Hotel is the only pub still operating in York WA. Like a majority of the other buildings in York, the Castle Hotel has maintained its heritage by not changing the building’s exterior. In fact, the hotel looks the same from the outside today as it did 150 years ago.
A view of the main street.
Never know what else historic you might see in York!
Established in December 1979, the York Motor Museum is now recognized as one of the finest private collections of Veteran, Vintage, Classic and Racing Cars in Australia.
From the lofty grandeur of the court room to the stark confines of the prison cells, the York Courthouse Complex tells the intriguing story of country policing from the days of the first convicts to the late twentieth century. The sky shows you what kind of weather we had for our day.
The post office, complete with an old time mailing box outside. They’ve created a very modern apartment upstairs.
St Patrick’s Church
The present church’s foundation stone was laid on St Patrick’s day, 1875, and completed in 1886.
It features imported Italian windows. The original Catholic Church commenced in 1859 and dedicated to St. Patrick in 1860, still stands today is now used as the church hall.
Anzac Centenary
The York Roller Flour Mill, a major source of employment, at the entrance to York (1892).
Another view of the mill. (I thought I better put this photo up, since I convinced my husband to stop, turn the car around, and let me get this picture).
After wandering around town, we decided to cross the river…in this swing bridge.
The object of what prompted me to cross such a bridge.
There were many corellas in the trees.
They kept me entertained.
To my utter amazement, the same bridge that I nervously walked over earlier, I saw someone take their motor bike on it like it was nothing.
When it was time to go, we went up, to Mount Brown Lookout.
Zoomed in to York, from the lookout.
Then we went home….the long way, the road less traveled. 🙂
