John Forrest National Park
Encyclopedia
John Forrest National Park is a national park
in the Darling Scarp
, 24 km east of Perth
, Western Australia
. It was the first national park in Western Australia and the second in Australia after Royal National Park
.
, the first Premier of Western Australia
.
east of Perth
, north of the Great Eastern Highway
.
The suburb to the west is known as Swan View
with Pechey Road as a natural western boundary. To the south of the Great Eastern Highway the suburbs adjacent are Darlington
and Glen Forrest
. To the east Hovea
is the adjacent suburb.
route.
The alignment through the Swan View Tunnel
and through the park was commonly known as the 'National Park' railway line.
During the Great Depression
of the 1930s many features near the main park buildings were built as part of relief employment. Some have been restored. It also has a tavern.
It was a very popular railway excursion location while the railway was in existence (1890s to 1960s). Initially Hovea was the nearest railway station but in 1936 the National Park railway station was built. Also often photographed were National Park Falls, and the Hovea Falls.
After the railway line was closed and removed the formation became part of the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail
vested in the Mundaring Shire Council
. The section within the park is now known as the John Forrest Heritage Trail. There are also the Glen Brook Walk Trail and the Eagle View Walk Trail within the park.
s remain, significant populations of smaller marsupials have been decimated by fox
es, feral cats and dogs in this park.
Also drought and dieback
have affected the jarrah forest within the park. At the edges of the park, introduced species of weed, and problematic vegetation threaten the integrity of the park.
Also with rationalising of staff within the Department of Environment and Conservation management, earlier levels of staffing on parks such as this one has been reduced to minimal levels.
Significant damaging bushfires occurred in the western and northern sections of the park in the 1990s and early 2000s. In November 2010 a bushfire, believed to have been deliberately lit, damaged a significant area of the park including part of the Eagle's View trail.
Access to the tavern and facilities area requires payment, whereas the scenic drive through the park remains free.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in the Darling Scarp
Darling Scarp
The Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north-south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia...
, 24 km east of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It was the first national park in Western Australia and the second in Australia after Royal National Park
Royal National Park
Royal National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 29 km south of Sydney CBD.Founded by Sir John Robertson, Acting Premier of New South Wales, and formally proclaimed on 26 April 1879, it is the world's second oldest purposed national park, the first usage of the term...
.
Name
As early as 1898, the land was reserved for conservation and recreation. Two years later it was named Greenmount National Park and several years later the name was changed to commemorate Sir John ForrestJohn Forrest
Sir John Forrest GCMG was an Australian explorer, the first Premier of Western Australia and a cabinet minister in Australia's first federal parliament....
, the first Premier of Western Australia
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
.
Location
The park is on the edge of the Darling ScarpDarling Scarp
The Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north-south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia...
east of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, north of the Great Eastern Highway
Great Eastern Highway
The Great Eastern Highway is a major road between the Western Australian cities of Perth and Kalgoorlie. It is a key route for vehicles accessing the eastern wheatbelt and the eastern goldfields...
.
The suburb to the west is known as Swan View
Swan View, Western Australia
Swan View is an eastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Areas are the City of Swan and the Shire of Mundaring, and it is located from Perth in an area known as the Perth Hills on the edge of the Darling Scarp, just to the west of the John Forrest National Park, east of Roe...
with Pechey Road as a natural western boundary. To the south of the Great Eastern Highway the suburbs adjacent are Darlington
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 :...
and Glen Forrest
Glen Forrest, Western Australia
Glen Forrest is a suburb within the Shire of Mundaring, south of John Forrest National Park, west of Mahogany Creek, east of Darlington, and north of the Helena River...
. To the east Hovea
Hovea, Western Australia
Hovea is a suburb in the Shire of Mundaring in Western Australia. It is bordered by the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail to the North, and Glen Forrest and the Great Eastern Highway to the south. The western boundary of this locality is the John Forrest National Park....
is the adjacent suburb.
History
It was dissected by the Eastern Railway when it was constructed in the 1890s and rail traffic passed through until 1966, when the line was closed due to the opening of the Avon ValleyAvon Valley, Western Australia
Avon Valley may refer to:* the fertile land in the catchment of the Avon River * the Avon Valley National Park* the final Eastern Railway route through the valley* Avon Valley School...
route.
The alignment through the Swan View Tunnel
Swan View Tunnel
The Swan View Tunnel is a 340 m railway tunnel located on the southern side of the Jane Brook valley at Swan View, Western Australia on the edge of the Darling Scarp. Currently inactive, due to its location within the John Forrest National Park, the tunnel and its adjacent landscape exist...
and through the park was commonly known as the 'National Park' railway line.
During the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 1930s many features near the main park buildings were built as part of relief employment. Some have been restored. It also has a tavern.
It was a very popular railway excursion location while the railway was in existence (1890s to 1960s). Initially Hovea was the nearest railway station but in 1936 the National Park railway station was built. Also often photographed were National Park Falls, and the Hovea Falls.
After the railway line was closed and removed the formation became part of the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail
Railway Reserve Heritage Trail
Railway Reserves Heritage Trail, also on some maps as Rail reserve heritage trail or Rail reserves historical trail - and frequently referred to locally as the 'Bridle Trail' or 'Bridle Track' , is within the Shire of Mundaring in Western Australia....
vested in the Mundaring Shire Council
Shire of Mundaring
The Shire of Mundaring is a Local Government Area on the eastern fringe of metropolitan Perth, the capital of Western Australia. The Shire covers an area of and has a population of 35,097 .-History:...
. The section within the park is now known as the John Forrest Heritage Trail. There are also the Glen Brook Walk Trail and the Eagle View Walk Trail within the park.
Current conditions
While larger kangarooKangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
s remain, significant populations of smaller marsupials have been decimated by fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es, feral cats and dogs in this park.
Also drought and dieback
Phytophthora cinnamomi
Phytophthora cinnamomi is a soil-borne water mould that produces an infection which causes a condition in plants called root rot or dieback. The plant pathogen is one of the world's most invasive species and is present in over 70 countries from around the world.- Life cycle and effects on plants :P...
have affected the jarrah forest within the park. At the edges of the park, introduced species of weed, and problematic vegetation threaten the integrity of the park.
Also with rationalising of staff within the Department of Environment and Conservation management, earlier levels of staffing on parks such as this one has been reduced to minimal levels.
Significant damaging bushfires occurred in the western and northern sections of the park in the 1990s and early 2000s. In November 2010 a bushfire, believed to have been deliberately lit, damaged a significant area of the park including part of the Eagle's View trail.
Access to the tavern and facilities area requires payment, whereas the scenic drive through the park remains free.
Further reading
- (1939) Beautiful National Park : Darling Range, Western Australia. issued by the State Gardens Board, Perth, Western Australia.