Rose.Įlectricity was supplied by local generator. Original Balingup Progress Association was formed.įirst meeting of the Balingup Tennis Club. Original Balingup school opened (15 students).ĥ00-600 men were employed to construct the railway from Donnybrook to Bridgetown. Jacob Hawter established a large fruit tree nursery and first commercial orchard. Walter Padbury took up a 40,000 acre Pastoral lease, which included 'Brooklands' and 'Ferndale'. This holding prospered and grew to 28,000 acres at the turn of the century. Richard Jones took up 10 acres and built a mudbrick homestead and named it 'Southampton'. The first white explorers, on an expedition to find a route from Albany to Vasse, came across the Blackwood River at Southampton and Wrights Bridge. The shopping complex was formerly a stock and station store The Tinderbox was previously a General Store Many of the old homes and businesses have been restored and are used for other purposes such as: The cattle and pig selling complex also closed down. The Cheese Factory was converted into a major Arts and Crafts Centre for the South West and the Packing Sheds were put to alternative uses. When it was found that there were no prospective buyers, the Forestry Department, now Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM), began to buy the farms for pine plantations. However, the dairy quota system for the period, coupled with the steep terrain, made dairy farming non viable and many farmers sold their land and left the district.

Very little is known about the Aboriginal history of the area, other than that the name 'Balingup' is an alleged corruption of an Aboriginal name - Balingan, a noted native warrior who is said to have been born here.Īt the height of prosperity in 1959, Balingup boasted a population of 1347.Īt this time, Balingup was a thriving farming community boasting its own Shire Council, cheese factory and commercial infrastructure. The Exhibition is located in the Packing Shed in the centre of town and is open 7 days a week between 9am – 4pm.

Displays include the history of four significant homesteads, a war exhibition (including a World War 1 uniform) and individual photographs and stories of the people who made Balingup into the great community it is today. Opened in 2012, the Heritage Exhibition tells the story of Balingup between 18.

Golden valley orchard and farm supply