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Greenmount is a locality and a geographical feature in the
Shire of Mundaring
The Shire of Mundaring is a local government area in eastern metropolitan Perth, the capital of Western Australia. The Shire covers an area of and had a population of approximately 38,000 as at the 2016 Census.
History
The Greenmount Road ...
,
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
, on the edge of the
Darling Scarp
The Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north–south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia. The escarpment extends generally north of Bindoon, to t ...
. It is a vital point in the transport routes from the
Swan Coastal Plain
The Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature which contains the Swan River as it travels west to the Indian Ocean. The coastal plain continues well beyond the boundaries of the Swan River and its tributaries, as a geol ...
into the hinterland of
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
.
Early colonial history
Ensign
Robert Dale
Lieutenant Robert Dale (1810–20 July 1853) was the first European explorer to cross the Darling Range in Western Australia.
Robert Dale was born in Winchester, England in November 1810, son of Major Thurston Dale and Helen Matthews. Throug ...
reached the summit on 18 October 1829.
John Septimus Roe
John Septimus Roe (8 May 1797 – 28 May 1878) was the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia. He was a renowned explorer, a member of Western Australia's legislative and executive councils for nearly 40 years, but also a participant in t ...
communicated with Dale over the York Road he had used the name Green Mount.
In the era of the
Swan River Colony
The Swan River Colony, also known as the Swan River Settlement, or just Swan River, was a British colony established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. This initial settlement place on the Swan River was soon named Perth, and it ...
the name "Greenmount" was used for two points on the Darling Scarp. In the 1840s the
York Road was known as York Greenmount, and the road further north along the Scarp was known as Toodyay Greenmount. It is possible that these two locations might have had slightly different coloured foliage compared to the grey blue green colour of the Scarp.
During the convict era, in 1854 Edward Du Cane was the supervisor of the building of a convict depot on the slopes of the hill. In the 1870s a government bluestone quarry was developed on the western slope of the hill.
Chippers Leap
Chippers Leap
Chippers Leap, formerly known as Chipper's Leap, is a granite outcrop on Greenmount Hill in Perth, Western Australia. It is located at 31º54'S 116º04'E, on the northern side of Great Eastern Highway, near the border between the suburbs of Swan ...
is a memorial stone on the northern edge of the
Great Eastern Highway
Great Eastern Highway is a road that links the Western Australian capital of Perth with the city of Kalgoorlie. A key route for road vehicles accessing the eastern Wheatbelt and the Goldfields, it is the western portion of the main road link ...
between the two points where the Old York Road remains linking with the highway.
Highway
Greenmount Hill, either by
Old York Road
Old York Road (originally York Road, with reference to New York) is a roadway that was built during the 18th century to connect Philadelphia with New York City. Through New Jersey it was built along the Raritan (Unami tribe) "Naraticong Trail", ...
or
Great Eastern Highway
Great Eastern Highway is a road that links the Western Australian capital of Perth with the city of Kalgoorlie. A key route for road vehicles accessing the eastern Wheatbelt and the Goldfields, it is the western portion of the main road link ...
, is the main ascent to, or descent from the
Darling Scarp
The Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north–south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia. The escarpment extends generally north of Bindoon, to t ...
, and has been a regular site of vehicle breakdowns or accidents due to the slope.
Due to a large increase of heavy truck traffic using the hill, the
truck arrester bed located at the lower end of the hill has been in place since an accident in 1993.
Railway
On its western slopes and southern slopes the original
Eastern Railway route travelled. On its western slopes and just to the north the later National Park deviation ran. The current railway route still passes within a few kilometres to the west and north of the hill. Greenmount was a railway stopping place until 1954 when the Mundaring Loop was closed for passenger traffic, however trains continued to work on the line to the Mountain Quarry in
Boya Boya may refer to:
*Boya, Western Australia
*Boya, Nepal
*Boya people, an ethnic group in Sudan
*Boyar caste, Boyar caste of India
*Mireia Boya Busquet (born 1979), Spanish scientist and politician
*Pierre Boya (born 1984), Cameroonian footballer
* ...
until 1962.
Quarries
On its western slope and near its southern slope it has three unused
quarries
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envir ...
: Greenmount Quarry, Mountain Quarry, and Hudman Road Quarry. Greenmount Quarry was known as the "Blue Stone Quarry" in the 1870s, and was later associated in the late nineteenth century with
Alexander Forrest
Alexander Forrest CMG (22 September 1849 – 20 June 1901) was an explorer and surveyor of Western Australia, and later also a member of parliament.
As a government surveyor, Forrest explored many areas of remote Western Australia, particu ...
. Mountain Quarry was a working quarry from the 1920s until the early 1960s. It is now a dedicated
abseiling
Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling the person descending controls their own movement down the rope, in contrast to Bela ...
location, and is often designated as "Boya Quarry". Hudman Road Quarry has in the past been known as
Mr O'Connor's quarry, the Fremantle Harbour Works Darlington Quarry, the Public Works Quarry, and the Government Quarry.
Due to its visibility and lack of development on the hill, it has remained "green" since its naming in the 1820s. It has attracted the interest of some artists and photographers. The only spoiling is the front part of the hill (locally known as "Sugarloaf"), which was a pasture for over 60 years, and has a "green" that is not the endemic green of the
jarrah
''Eucalyptus marginata'', commonly known as jarrah, djarraly in Noongar language and historically as Swan River mahogany, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tree with roug ...
forest that once covered the hill. Also bisection by a
Western Power
The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania. line across the hill, which corresponds with the old border of the
Greenmount National Park
Greenmount National Park is a national park in the locality of Greenmount, Western Australia, 22 km east of Perth.
It is one of the smaller national parks along the Darling Scarp and is a component of the Darling Range Regional Park.
Due t ...
, has created an
eyesore
An eyesore is something that is largely considered to look unpleasant or ugly. Its technical usage is as an alternative perspective to the notion of landmark. Common examples include dilapidated buildings, graffiti, litter, polluted areas, and e ...
, as well as a serious point of erosion.
It has also been the site of
aircraft warning lights
Aviation obstruction lighting is used to enhance the visibility of structures or fixed obstacles which may conflict with the safe navigation of aircraft. Obstruction lighting is commonly installed on towers, buildings, and even fences located i ...
, since removed, and currently has a police communication tower on the western edge. It also has a
mobile telephone tower with
Optus
Singtel Optus Pty Limited (commonly referred to as Optus) is an Australian Telecommunications in Australia, telecommunications company headquartered in Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore, Si ...
and
Telstra
Telstra Group Limited is an Australian telecommunications company that builds and operates telecommunications networks and markets voice, mobile, internet access, pay television and other products and services. It is a member of the S&P/ASX 20 ...
equipment near Padbury Road. Road access through the Greenmount National Park has been closed due to vandalism, except where permission and keys have been obtained from the
Department of Environment and Conservation regional office in
Mundaring.
The Greenmount locality is bisected by the Great Eastern Highway and other important roads.
Undercliffe
![UndercliffeHouse BettySmith WALibrary 1994March](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/UndercliffeHouse_BettySmith_WALibrary_1994March.jpg)
Undercliffe estate, located at Coongan Ave, Greenmount is a
Western Australia Government
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
heritage listed site The original land parcel was south of the
York Road and near what is now Wortley Road. It sits on an elevated site looking south over the former railway reserve and towards
Helena Valley
Helena may refer to:
People
*Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name)
*Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer
*Helena, mother of Constantine I
Places
Greece
* Helena (island)
Guyana
* ...
. In 1897, the estate was owned by Edmund Gilyard Lacey, who also owned a nearby sawmill, brickworks and granite quarry. He later sold it to his son-in-law, Percy Ford Robinson. In 1902, Robinson built Undercliffe House, an example of Australian
Federation Queen Anne
Federation architecture is the architectural style in Australia that was prevalent from around 1890 to 1915. The name refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Australian colonies collectively became the Commonwealth of Au ...
architecture, using the bricks from his father-in-law's quarry. The front entry door is surrounded by stained glass and highlights, which incorporates the name "Undercliffe" into its design, and the side panels contain the initials of Robinson.
During the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, Undercliffe House was used as a parish
poorhouse
A poorhouse or workhouse is a government-run (usually by a county or municipality) facility to support and provide housing for the dependent or needy.
Workhouses
In England, Wales and Ireland (but not in Scotland), ‘workhouse’ has been the ...
eventually being donated to the Rev
John Bell in 1937, which he then converted into a convalescent home. In
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
it housed convalescing soldiers. After the war, it was used as a
nursing home
A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to in ...
, and continued in this capacity until 1981 when it was developed into a hospital. The facilities were upgraded and new buildings added for an additional nursing home, maternity wing and specialist consulting rooms.
In the early 20th century, the grounds and garden of the estate were an attraction to artists, train travellers and motorists. The substantial gardens remain in the large spaces between the buildings, together with some significant trees from the original garden. These include a large
Moreton Bay fig
''Ficus macrophylla'', commonly known as the Moreton Bay fig or Australian banyan, is a large evergreen banyan tree of the family Moraceae native to eastern Australia, from the Wide Bay–Burnett region in the north to the Illawarra in New So ...
tree, a Tree Society heritage-listed rare South American
cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
, a
Norfolk pine, and several old
date palms.
Mundaring Municipal Inventory
The Shire of Mundaring Municipal Inventory has Greenmount Hill as a landmark with high aesthetic, social, historic and scientific significance.
See also
*
Greenmount National Park
Greenmount National Park is a national park in the locality of Greenmount, Western Australia, 22 km east of Perth.
It is one of the smaller national parks along the Darling Scarp and is a component of the Darling Range Regional Park.
Due t ...
Notes
References
*
*
*
External links
Greenmounton
Geoscience Australia
Geoscience Australia is an agency of the Australian Government. It carries out geoscientific research. The agency is the government's technical adviser on all aspects of geoscience, and custodian of the geographic and geological data and knowl ...
{{Shire of Mundaring suburbs
Suburbs of Perth, Western Australia
Suburbs and localities in the Shire of Mundaring