Lake Clifton, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Lake Clifton is a small town located on the east side of the lake of the same name in the Peel region of Western Australia
just off the Old Coast Road
, between Mandurah
and Bunbury
at the north end of the Yalgorup National Park
. At the 2006 census
, Lake Clifton had a population of 441.
(1787-1861), who originally arrived in Western Australia to manage the settlement scheme at Australind
, and was later a member of the Legislative Council
.
Explorers Dr Alexander Collie
and Lieutenant William Preston RN first came across what are now Lakes Preston and Clifton while exploring the coastline between Mandurah and Bunbury in 1829. After the introduction of convicts to the Swan River Colony
in the 1850s, the "Old Coast Road" south of Mandurah was rebuilt. For most of its length, the road went through well-timbered, sandy limestone country of little value to agriculture. The area's first European settler was John Fouracre, who built a house in this area in 1852 and had established a wayside inn and changing station at Wellington Location 205 in 1854.
The townsite of Lake Clifton was developed in 1920 as a result of the W A Portland Cement Co. seeking to mine a lime deposit there. A railway to Waroona
was built and the local Progress Association sought the declaration of a townsite for the Company's employees. The town was initially gazetted as Leschenault in 1921, but this name was seen as too confusing because of the name's connection with Bunbury. It was then renamed Garbanup, but the Railway Department complained as this was too similar to Dardanup, so in 1923 it changed again to Lake Clifton. For a short period it was a busy company town, but the mine closed at the end of 1923 and the railway was removed and transported to Lake Grace, Western Australia
for use in a railway to Newdegate
.
The Yalgorup National Park
was established in the 1970s to protect the coastal lakes, swamps and tuart
woodland in the area. The area is also central to waterbird migration patterns. At the edge of Lake Clifton, rock-like structures called thrombolite
s (similar to stromatolites) can be seen, built by tiny micro-organisms believed to resemble the earliest forms of life on Earth. Scientists have suggested their presence here may be due to upwellings of fresh groundwater high in calcium carbonate. An observation walkway has been constructed to allow visitors to view these fragile structures.
An action has been started to list Lake Clifton as a World Heritage Site by the french artists "Art Orienté objet" in 2011 .
(Highway 1; Mandurah to Bunbury). Perth-Bunbury buses operated by TransWA under the Public Transport Authority also stop here. It is also the terminus of the new Forrest Highway
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...
just off the Old Coast Road
Old Coast Road
Old Coast Road is a Western Australian highway linking Mandurah, WA's second-largest city located 75 km south of Perth, with Bunbury, WA's third-largest city. It is signed as Route 1 for most of its length and is long.-Overview:...
, between Mandurah
Mandurah, Western Australia
Mandurah is the second-largest city in Western Australia and is located approximately south of the state capital, Perth.The city attracts a large number of tourists, including many international visitors...
and Bunbury
Bunbury, Western Australia
The port city of Bunbury is the third largest city in Western Australia after the State Capital Perth and Mandurah. It is situated south of Perth's central business district...
at the north end of the Yalgorup National Park
Yalgorup National Park
Yalgorup National Park is a national park in Western Australia , 105 km south of Perth, and directly south of MandurahThe park is located on the western edge of the Swan Coastal Plain and contains a chain of about ten lakes, the name rises from the two Noongar words Yalgor meaning lake and up...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Lake Clifton had a population of 441.
History
Lake Clifton is named for Marshall CliftonMarshall Clifton
Marshall Waller Clifton was born 1 November 1787 at Alverstoke, near Gosport, Hampshire, England, to Rev. Francis Clifton and Rebekah Katherine ....
(1787-1861), who originally arrived in Western Australia to manage the settlement scheme at Australind
Australind, Western Australia
Australind is a satellite town and outer northern suburb of Bunbury, Western Australia, and is located 12 km north-east of Bunbury's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Harvey. At the 2006 census, Australind had a population of 8,717. -History:Prior to European...
, and was later a member of the Legislative Council
Western Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state...
.
Explorers Dr Alexander Collie
Alexander Collie
Dr Alexander Collie was a Scottish surgeon and botanist who journeyed to Western Australia in 1829, where he was an explorer and Colonial Surgeon.-Early life:...
and Lieutenant William Preston RN first came across what are now Lakes Preston and Clifton while exploring the coastline between Mandurah and Bunbury in 1829. After the introduction of convicts to the Swan River Colony
Swan River Colony
The Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. The name was a pars pro toto for Western Australia. In 1832, the colony was officially renamed Western Australia, when the colony's founding Lieutenant-Governor, Captain James Stirling,...
in the 1850s, the "Old Coast Road" south of Mandurah was rebuilt. For most of its length, the road went through well-timbered, sandy limestone country of little value to agriculture. The area's first European settler was John Fouracre, who built a house in this area in 1852 and had established a wayside inn and changing station at Wellington Location 205 in 1854.
The townsite of Lake Clifton was developed in 1920 as a result of the W A Portland Cement Co. seeking to mine a lime deposit there. A railway to Waroona
Waroona, Western Australia
Waroona is a town located in the Peel region of Western Australia along the South Western Highway, between Pinjarra and Harvey. The town is the seat of the Shire of Waroona. At the 2006 census, Waroona had a population of 1,864.-History:...
was built and the local Progress Association sought the declaration of a townsite for the Company's employees. The town was initially gazetted as Leschenault in 1921, but this name was seen as too confusing because of the name's connection with Bunbury. It was then renamed Garbanup, but the Railway Department complained as this was too similar to Dardanup, so in 1923 it changed again to Lake Clifton. For a short period it was a busy company town, but the mine closed at the end of 1923 and the railway was removed and transported to Lake Grace, Western Australia
Lake Grace, Western Australia
-Natural disasters:In late 2005 and early 2006, Lake Grace experienced two natural disasters. The first was a hail storm on 16 October 2005, which destroyed 500 hectares of wheat and barley crop and damaged a further 5,500 hectares, with some farmers reporting fields covered by up to...
for use in a railway to Newdegate
Newdegate, Western Australia
Newdegate is a townsite in the great southern agricultural region, 399 km south-east of Perth and 52 km east of Lake Grace in Western Australia. The townsite was gazetted in 1925 and honours Sir Francis Newdegate, the Governor of Western Australia from 1920 to 1924...
.
Present day
Lake Clifton contains basic accommodation and shopping, and a community hall offering a range of activities. A couple of roadhouses for passing trucks and motorists are located on Old Coast Road, while rural residential estates have sprung up at Tuart Grove.The Yalgorup National Park
Yalgorup National Park
Yalgorup National Park is a national park in Western Australia , 105 km south of Perth, and directly south of MandurahThe park is located on the western edge of the Swan Coastal Plain and contains a chain of about ten lakes, the name rises from the two Noongar words Yalgor meaning lake and up...
was established in the 1970s to protect the coastal lakes, swamps and tuart
Eucalyptus gomphocephala
Eucalyptus gomphocephala is a species of tree, also known as Tuart, in the genus Eucalyptus. Native to the southwest of Western Australia the tree grows to over 35m tall. As a durable hardwood the timber is sought after for scantlings, structural timber, the construction of railway carriages, and...
woodland in the area. The area is also central to waterbird migration patterns. At the edge of Lake Clifton, rock-like structures called thrombolite
Thrombolite
Thrombolites are clotted accretionary structures formed in shallow water by the trapping, binding, and cementation of sedimentary grains by biofilms of microorganisms, especially cyanobacteria . Stromatolites are similar but consist of layered accretions.-External links:*...
s (similar to stromatolites) can be seen, built by tiny micro-organisms believed to resemble the earliest forms of life on Earth. Scientists have suggested their presence here may be due to upwellings of fresh groundwater high in calcium carbonate. An observation walkway has been constructed to allow visitors to view these fragile structures.
An action has been started to list Lake Clifton as a World Heritage Site by the french artists "Art Orienté objet" in 2011 .
Transport
The main road route through the area is the Old Coast RoadOld Coast Road
Old Coast Road is a Western Australian highway linking Mandurah, WA's second-largest city located 75 km south of Perth, with Bunbury, WA's third-largest city. It is signed as Route 1 for most of its length and is long.-Overview:...
(Highway 1; Mandurah to Bunbury). Perth-Bunbury buses operated by TransWA under the Public Transport Authority also stop here. It is also the terminus of the new Forrest Highway
Further reading
- Kent, Melissa. Living fossils a link to the beginning of life. (Feature on the lake's 7 km thrombolite reef), South Western Times, 17 August 2000, p. 16,
External links
- Lake Clifton Progress Association - pictures, facilities etc.