West Australian Vista - history of beverley

History of Beverley

In 1829 Ensign Dale made an excursion to the York/Beverley area looking for suitable agricultural lands and returned to Perth with glowing reports. Following Governor Stirling's excursion the following year, large tracts (expanse) of land were taken up. The first to take up land in the Beverley district was the Colonial Surgeon, Dr. Charles Simmons and he was granted 2,850 hectares. In 1886, Beverley's first electric telegraph line was built from York to Beverley followed the same year by the extension of the Southern rail link from Perth to Beverley. The "turning of the first sod" (laying of foundations) of the Great Southern Railway was performed by his Excellency Governor Broome on the 20th October, 1886. Prior to the railway, horse trams were the usual form of transport. Beverley became the terminus of the Government railway until 1902 when the connection to Albany was completed. All trains rested overnight and refreshment rooms were built to accommodate passengers. The goods room at the railway station also doubled as Anglican church and services were conducted by Mr Drake Brockman, the stationmaster. During the late 1800's and the early 1900's the water supply of Beverley came from wells and the Avon River.

Today, Beverley has a population of approximately 1600. The local farming community now grows a wide range of products from traditional wheat and wool to emus, deer, grapes and olives.

GlobeVista