York (Western Australia)

York
State :  Australia State : Western Australia Founded : 1831
Coordinates : 31 ° 54 ′  S , 116 ° 46 ′  E Coordinates: 31 ° 54 ′  S , 116 ° 46 ′  E Height : 179  m
Residents : 2,548 (2016)
Time zone : AWST (UTC + 8) Postal code : 6302 LGA : Shire of York
York

York (founded in 1831) is the oldest European inland settlement in Western Australia . It is located about 100 kilometers east of the coastal city of Perth . The small town with over 2500 inhabitants is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area Shire of York .

Location, geography and nature

Eucalyptus flower in Centennial Park

York lies in the middle of the Western Australian Wheat Belt on the Avon River , which in its extension becomes the Swan River 70 km from its mouth in the Indian Ocean .

The urban area is surrounded by parks and leisure facilities with picnic and barbecue areas in the river landscape with endless pastures and wheat fields. Recreational areas are the Mount Brown viewpoint and the hiking area through the eucalyptus forests at Mount Observation approx. 20 km west of the city. The main season is the flowering of wildflowers, orchids and kangaroo paws (a Haemodoraceae species) from September to November; Occasionally the wedge-tailed eagle is observed, and many other species of birds ( honey-eaters , flycatchers , prickly-fries , wrens ) occur year-round.

history

Robert Dale , a 21-year-old officer of the 63rd Regiment, was given the task of providing land suitable for growing grain and sheep from James Stirling , the founder of the Swan River Colony in 1829 with the settlements of Perth, Fremantle and Guildford in 1830 identify the population in the colony. His expedition through the Darling Range selected the land on the Avon River that the Aborigines called Balladong ; the first British settlers arrived on September 15, 1831. They named the branch after the city of York , as the gently rolling green landscape evoked associations with their home region of Yorkshire .

The city did not appear administratively until 1836, when an army barracks was built there. Gold prospectors came towards the end of the 19th century; At this time, the historical buildings were essentially built on the main street, which is now marketed as a tourist backdrop. 146 buildings are under local, 23 under state monuments, and the city is one of 7 registered historical towns in Western Australia.

The traditional economic basis of the Western Australian Heartlands southeast of Perth is wheat and sheep farming. Due to climatic changes and a creeping salinization of the soil in some areas of the wheat belt, however, the yield is declining; the population in the provincial cities is shrinking, which also affects the infrastructure.

In York, tourism, as a new economic factor, has counteracted this degenerative development since the end of the 20th century. The prerequisite was extensive restoration work on the Victorian building fabric after it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1968.

In 2006 the 175th anniversary celebration took place with numerous events (horse races, art exhibitions, concerts). On a continent whose source-critical documented history only began in the 19th century, reaching this age in a small town is considered something special.

Attractions

Imperial Hotel (1886)

The following restored buildings in Victorian colonial style are located on York's main street ( Avon Terrace ), which has been prepared for tourists :

• The Rathaus ( Town Hall ) from 1911 is a representative example of this style, with its neoclassical facade with pilasters, columns, balustrades and richly ornamented gable above the entrance.
• The Imperial Hotel (1886) is a two-story building with a wrought-iron ornament and porch. Similar are the M. Craic Building (hotel) and the elongated Central Building (1907; shop gallery)
• The Old York Gaol and Courthouse, dating from the 1940s, includes two courtrooms, a police station and cells.

Churches

St. Patrick's Church (1886)

• The Uniting Church is the oldest church building in the city (built in 1854); it is used today by the Salvation Army, the Church of Christ and Jehovah's Witnesses.
• The Anglican Stained Glass Holy Trinity Church by Robert Juniper was consecrated in 1858.
• The Catholic St. Patrick's Church was built in 1886 in neo-Gothic style and fitted with glass windows imported from Italy.

Museums

• The Municipal Museum ( Residency Museum ) with information about the city's history is located in the oldest building of York (1840).
• The Automobile Museum ( York Motor Museum ) established in 1979 shows a collection of vintage cars (from 1906 to the end of the 20th century) and accessories (signs, posters).

Infrastructure

In York, the Great Southern Highway coming from the west , which connects Perth with Albany , bends south together with the course of the Avon River. A railway line also runs along the river through York.

York has a kindergarten and high school, hospital, and library. There are a number of hotels, backpacker accommodations, cafes and restaurants, retail stores, service providers and art galleries on the main street .

Outside the city center, a few cottages from the early settler period have been preserved, which have been restored and converted into holiday apartments or bed and breakfasts.

Sports

York claims two historical superlatives in organized club sport in Western Australia, namely the oldest jockey club (1843) and the oldest croquet club (1909).

Other club sports in York include skydiving , ballooning , horse riding, bowling and tennis. An 18-hole golf course with a wide panorama of the Avon Valley - but with sand greens - is also available.

literature

• Günther, Janine / Mohr, Jens: Western Australia and the Top End, Verlag 360 °, 1st edition 2005, ISBN 3-9809763-0-0

Web links

Commons : York, Western Australia  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Shire of York
• Map ( Memento from February 4, 2014 in the Internet Archive )

Individual evidence

1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics : York (Urban Center / Locality) ( English ) In: 2016 Census QuickStats . June 27, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2020.