Pinjarra Pinjarra is located 87km south of Perth and only 19km south-east of Mandurah
on the banks of the Murray River in Western Australia's
South-West agricultural region. The town is one of the
oldest in the State and began as a farming community. The
area later developed into a lucrative bauxite mining and
timber milling town. The town derived its name from the
local Aboriginal tribe known as Pindjarup (meaning 'Place
of a swamp').Pinjarra was shown on earlier maps as either
Pinjarrup or Pinjarrah however in 1880 the townsite was
gazetted as Pinjarra.
Brief history of Pinjarra Prior to the arrival of European settlers the
area was inhabited for thousands of years by the
Bindjareb Bilyidar (river) Nyungars. In 1830 (following
the establishment of the Swan River Colony in 1829)
Thomas Peel was granted a substantial area of land
(250,000 acres) from Cockburn Sound to the Murray River .
The area, now known as the Peel Region, was intend for
farming use, as all of the fertile land near the Swan
River Settlement had already been taken up. Included in
the Murray region was Pinjarra and in 1831 land for the
town site was reserved.  Unfortunately the town did not get off to a
very good start. Conflict between the new settlers and
the Nyungars slowly increased as tribal lands near the
river were taken up by the farmers. Cattle were speared
and so too some settlers. The area became a trecherous
and dangerous place to be. Apart from stock and both
settlers and Aborigines being killed or speared, some
crops and buildings were also destroyed (mainly by fire).
As unrest continued an incident involving the death of a
servant Hugh Nesbit brought the conflict between settlers
and Aboriginals to a head.  Stirling, along with John Septimus Roe,
Captain Ellis and a detachment of soldiers headed to the
banks of the Murray River to confront the Bindjareb
Bilyidar Nyungars. On October 28th, 1834, they surrounded
the Nyungars and opened fire on them. The Battle of
Pinjarra, otherwise known as the Pinjarra Massacre , would go down in
Western Australian history as one of the State's darkest
and bloodiest days. Ironically, in following years, the
farming families in Pinjarra praised the vital role the
Bindjareb Nyungars played in the community following the
massacre. Together they worked in clearing land and
working the farms. In 1836 Lieutenant Bunbury sent a
detachment of soldiers to be stationed at the new town of
Pinjarra. The following year it was allocated for
settlers. In the 1840's the first of five bridges was
built over the Murray River,even though transport via the
river was still the most popular mode of transport. In
1865 the town was surveyed and 6 years later the Murray
Roads Board was established. Pinjarra was shown on
earlier maps as either Pinjarrup or Pinjarrah however in
1880 the townsite was gazetted as Pinjarra.
Interesting Facts About Pinjarra The post code for Pinjarra is 6208.
During the 1840's a ghost known as Kate haunted the Pinjarra Bridge every anniversary of her death. The Hotham Valley Tourist Railway's Pinjarra Steam Ranger train service, which was suspended following the Dwellingup fire of January 2007, is back in full swing. You can once again experience the magical journey between Pinjarra and Dwellingup from May to October on Wednesdays and Sundays. Please contact the Hotham Valley Tourist Railway on 9221 4444 for more information. Things Are Looking Up in PinjarraThe architecture of Pinjarra is best explored through the heritage trail walk, where you can see fine examples of Colonial architecture. Many of the buildings were constructed by locals from locally made mud bricks. It is a lasting reminder of the pioneers who did well to survive the harsh conditions of the early years of settlement. Click here for a closer look at the Architecture of PinjarraImportant Links To PinjarraShire of Murray |
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