including heritage walk trail maps historicthis trail passes through the historic meadow street...
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Established in 1829 and
classified as an historic town
by the National Trust of
Australia (WA).
HistoricIncluding Heritage Walk Trail Maps
Guildford visitor highlights Use this brochure to wander one of four heritage walk trails.
Visit the Cradle of the Colony Exhibition at the Swan Valley Visitor Centre.
Stop for lunch and a glass of Swan Valley wine at the Rose and Crown Hotel c.1841.
Browse the antique and home décor shops on James Street.
Grab a bite to eat from the wide range of cafes and restaurants.
View what life was like behind bars at the Guildford Gaol c.1841, located at Guildford Heritage Precinct and the historic workers’ cottage, Taylor’s Cottage. (Limited opening hours)
Find a treasure at the Guildford Markets.
Visit the impressive Woodbridge House c.1885 located on the banks of the Swan River in Woodbridge and today operated by The National Trust of Australia (WA).
View Padbury’s Stores and Residence. Built in 1869, it was originally one of Guildford’s main stores.
The history of Guildford & the Swan Valley
The traditional owners of this region are the Noongar people who have lived in the area for over 40,000 years. Sites of continuous human habitation at this time scale have not been found anywhere else in the world. Noongar creation stories tell of the giant serpent or crocodile like creature, the Waugyl, travelling from the hills in the east to the ocean in the west, creating the Swan River on its way. The Swan River is the Waugyl’s home and it continues to reside there today.
It was the fertile soil of the Swan Valley that led to the first European settlement at Guildford soon after the Swan River Colony was established by Captain James Stirling in 1829.
Blocks of land on both sides of the river were quickly assigned to eager settlers. When Guildford was surveyed at the end of 1829, 94 blocks were made available to soldiers, agriculturists, yeomen and servants released from their indentures.
Captain Stirling set aside 4,000 acres for his future ‘country retreat’ which he had named ‘Woodbridge’ during his exploratory journey up the river in 1827.
The Swan River quickly became the first highway through the region, and Guildford developed into a busy and important river port and market town until the 1880s.
Much of Guildford’s original town plan, including the central church square, subdivisions and general land use, remains as it was leaving a largely intact early 19th century English market town.
A visit provides a rare glimpse into early colonial settlement with many fine, well-preserved civic, commercial and private buildings dating from the 1840s to the 1920s and 1930s.
With its heritage buildings, early settlement and convict history, antique stores, character pubs and village charm, Guildford emits the feel of a bygone era.Guildford is one of only two towns in metropolitan Perth classified as a historic town by the National Trust of Australia (WA).
Welcome to
Historic
Guildford Heritage Walk Trails
Explore the history of our town – on foot!Established on what is virtually an island encircled by the Swan and Helena Rivers, Guildford is ideally suited to exploration on foot.
To assist you in discovering the numerous fascinating historical buildings, lively characters and wonderful stories of this ‘island village’, four self-guided heritage walk trails with 52 interpretive panels have been built.
The trails start and finish at the Old Guildford Courthouse (Swan Valley Visitor Centre).
Each trail is distinguished by coloured marker plates located on ‘heritage green’ coloured posts. The plates feature the original Town of Guildford crest.
The Guildford ‘crest’ carries the anchor (symbolising its inland port role), a sheaf of wheat (agriculture) and a bunch of grapes (viticulture).
This brochure includes maps that show the trail routes and locations of the 52 interpretive panels.
Swan River
StirlingSquare
Swan St
Stirling St
James St
Terrace Road Business Precinct
Barker’s Bridge
Victoria St
Sweeting St
Helena St
Swan St Swan St
James St
SpringReserve
James Street Antique StripTo Perth City
Guildford
Lilac Hill Park
To Perth
To Swan ValleyFood and Wine Trail
To Perth
To Midland andWoodbridge House
Piercy St
N
The Captain Stirling Walk (gold markers) 2250 metres, 60-75 minutes
The Town Walk (red markers) 1800 metres, 40-60 minutes
The River Ramble (blue markers) 1500 metres, 30-50 minutes
The Stirling Square Circuit (black markers) 450 metres, 20 minutes
Trail Interpretive Panel
Perth - Midland Railway
Public Toilets
Picnic Site
War Memorial
Guildford Heritage Walk Trails Legend
VISITOR CENTRE OPEN 7 DAYS TEL: 9207 8899
VISITOR CENTREOPEN 7 DAYSTEL: 9379 9400
Swan StSwan St Swan St
Swan River
Mea
dow
St
East
St
James St James St
Stirling St
Piercy St
Peel
St
Faun
tlero
y St
Allp
ike
St
Stat
ion
St
Way
len
St
Bert
ie S
t
Hugh
St
Te
rrace
Rd
Wes
t Sw
an R
oad
Stirling Square
Lilac Hill Park
Faun
tlero
yPa
rk
East G
uildfo
rd
Barker’sBridge
To Midland and Woodbridge House
James Street Antique Strip
Terrace RoadBusiness Precinct
HwyGreat Ea
stern To Swan Valley
Food and Wine Trail
To Perth City
Guild
ford
He
ritag
e Pr
ecin
ct C1 C2 C3
C4
C5
C6
C7
C8 C9C11
C10
C12C13
C14
C15C16
The Captain Stirling Walk (gold markers) l 2250 metres, 60-75 minutes
C1. Guildford CourthouseC2. Bell Bros, The YardC3. Rose & Crown HotelC4. Padbury’s StoreC5. Padbury’s CottageC6. 93 Terrace Road
C7. The Guildford ‘Toc H’C8. Woodbridge HouseC9. Guildford Grammar SchoolC10. Chapel of St Mary & St GeorgeC11. Old Guildford CemeteryC12. The Station Master’s Cottages
C13. Flemish Bond CottagesC14. The Old Agricultural ShowgroundsC15. The Worker’s CottagesC16. The Independent Chapel
The Captain Stirling Walk
A longer walk, featuring the gorgeous old buildings and mature plane trees of Guildford Grammar School.This trail meanders past the grounds of the former Bell Bros business, the beautifully restored Rose and Crown Hotel c.1841, Western Australia’s oldest continually operating pub, and Padbury’s Store c.1869. It passes a number of historic cottages, locations and streetscapes, and provides an expansive view out over what was Captain James Stirling’s beloved Woodbridge Estate on the Swan River floodplain.
A feature of the trail is the picturesque grounds, and London Plane tree streetscape, of Guildford Grammar School, founded by Charles Harper in 1896. This prestigious boys school provides an Australian interpretation of the traditional English Public School education system and many of its students have become prominent State and Australian citizens.
Located within the school grounds* is the imposing Chapel of St Mary and St George, consecrated in 1914, and today one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in Australia.
* Visitors to the Chapel must report to the Guildford Grammar administration building.
VISITOR CENTRE OPEN 7 DAYS TEL: 9207 8899
The Town Walk
This trail passes through the historic Meadow Street precinct and returns via the Guildford town centre.The Town Walk commences at the Guildford Heritage Precinct, one of the sites where, in 1829, Surveyor H.C. Sutherland set aside substantial land facing Stirling Square for civic and government buildings.
In 1841, the first government building was constructed within the precinct consisting of two prison cells and a constables room which doubled as the courtroom and post office. In 1852 a wooden convict depot building was erected and in 1866, convict work crews extended the gaol, built the Courthouse and an exercise yard for the prisoners.
The trail then heads south across the railway line to Helena Street, passing numerous historic buildings along the way including the art-deco style Guildford Town Hall c.1937.
It then traces a roughly circular route past Western Australia’s oldest continually operating primary school returning via the shopping precinct on James Street, where you can pause for a coffee or to browse the antique shops.
StirlingSquare
Swan St
Stirling St
James St
Terrace Road Business Precinct
Victoria St
Helena St
SpringReserve
James Street Antique StripTo Perth City
Guildford
To Perth
N To Swan ValleyFood and Wine Trail
West SwanRoad
T1
T2
T3
T4
T5
T8, T9
T11
T12T13T14T15
T16 T17, T18 T19 T20
T10
T6, T7
The Town Walk (red markers) l 1800 metres, 40-60 minutes
T1. Guildford CourthouseT2. Colonial GaolT3. Taylor’s CottageT4. Mechanics InstituteT5. Guildford Post OfficeT6. Wesley Chapel & ManseT7 Guildford Convict Depot
T8 Guildford Town HallT9. Stirling ArmsT10. Commissariat StoreT11. Du Cane’s HouseT12. Kings MeadowT13. Town BoreT14. Guildford Primary School
T15. The Two RiversT16. The RailwayT17. Vaudeville TheatreT18. Guildford HotelT19. Brockman’s HouseT20. Alfred’s Kitchen
VISITOR CENTRE OPEN 7 DAYS TEL: 9207 8899
Swan River
Victoria St
Swan St
Stirling St
James St
West SwanRoad
Terrace Road Business Precinct
To Swan ValleyFood and Wine Trail
James Street Antique StripTo Perth City
Guildford
StirlingSquare
N
R11
R10
R13
R12
R14
R1 R2 R3
R4R9
R8
R7
R5
R6
VISITOR CENTREOPEN 7 DAYSTEL: 9379 9400
R1. Guildford CourthouseR2. Bell Bros, The YardR3. Rose & Crown HotelR4. Padbury’s StoreR5. Barker & Gull’s Warehouse
R6. Garden HillR7. Moulton Landing & Barker’s BridgeR8. Moulton’s CottageR9. Riversleigh (Crossland’s House)R10. Two-storey House
R11. Gateway to the InlandR12. Spiritually RichR13. An Island VillageR14. Sugar Gums
The River Ramble (blue markers) l 1500 metres, 30-50 minutes
Disclaimer: While every care has bee taken in compiling the information in this publication, details may be subject to change without notice.
The River Ramble
This trail passes the grounds of the former Bell Bros business, the historic Rose and Crown Hotel c.1841 and Padbury’s Store c.1869, located in the Terrace Road business precinct.Walter Padbury is an important figure in the towns history. He was Guildford’s first mayor (in 1887) and one of early Western Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs - at one time,
the biggest landowner in the Colony!
Also en-route, Barker and Gull’s Warehouse is an example of the numerous retail and wholesale businesses that existed in Guildford during the height of the town’s importance as a port and market town to the Swan River Colony.
The trail also takes in Moulton’s Landing on the banks of the Swan River where you can learn about the tragic Abraham Moulton and the river’s role in early Guildford before returning via a series of heritage homes to picturesque Stirling Square and the Swan Valley Visitor Centre.
VISITOR CENTRE OPEN 7 DAYS TEL: 9207 8899
Swan St
Victoria St
Mea
dow
St
James St
Stirling St
Hugh
St
Stirling Square
James Street Antique Strip
To Swan ValleyFood and Wine Trail
West Swan Road
Terra
ce
Rd
To Perth
To Midland and Woodbridge House
To Perth City
Terrace RoadBusiness PrecinctVISITOR CENTRE
OPEN 7 DAYSTEL: 9379 9400
S1
S2
S3
S4S5S8
S9 S10
S11
S12
S7
Guild
ford
He
ritag
e Pr
ecin
ct
S6
The Stirling Square Circuit
A shorter walk for those with less time, this trail incorporates the best of the historic Meadow St precinct including the Guildford Gaol c.1841, the Courthouse c.1866 and Taylor’s Cottage. It passes the Mechanics Institute, established in 1865, to provide education for the working men of the town. The building has always had a strong connection with Guildford community life.
Today, as in the past, the institute continues to be utilised for entertainment and educational activities.
The trail then loops out into the lovely tree-lined parkland of Stirling Square. Here, there are many interpretive panels that provide visitors with a good insight into the core of old Guildford town.
Typical of English town planning during the colony period, impressive St Matthew’s Church is located in the exact centre of Guildford and within this village green. It is today one of Western Australia’s best examples of Gothic Revival architecture. The park is also a traditional Aboriginal meeting place.
S1. Guildford CourthouseS2. Colonial GaolS3. Taylor’s CottageS4. Mechanics Institute
S5. Stirling Square GunsS6. Gunners’ DayS7. Sugar GumsS8. An Island Village
S9. Spiritually RichS10. Gateway to the InlandS11. A Sought-after AddressS12. Barker & Gull’s Warehouse
The Stirling Square Circuit (black markers) l 450 metres, 20 minutes
This project has been made possible through the support of:
VISITOR CENTRE OPEN 7 DAYS TEL: 9207 8899
S6
Heritage Walk TrailsGuildford
Guildford Courthouse (c.1866)cnr Meadow and Swan Sts, Guildford
Open 7 days 9am-4pm (closed Christmas Day)
T: (+61 8) 9207 8899 E: [email protected] W: www.swanvalley.com.au
For visitor information, maps, souvenirs, accommodation and tour bookings contact
MPR
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