Guilderton is a small coastal town north of
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
, Western Australia at the mouth of the
Moore River in the
Shire of Gingin.
It was originally known as ''
Gabbadah'', an Aboriginal term meaning "mouthful of water" until its gazetting as a town in 1951. The river mouth regularly opens and closes depending on the seasons, and alternates between a closed lagoon and a tidal estuary.
The town is a popular holiday destination for Perth residents, who commonly refer to it as ''Moore River''.
History
The area has been used as a camping and recreation spot since 1905 when the residents of nearby Gingin petitioned for a road to be constructed to the area. The area was declared as a recreation area in 1907.
In 1931, 40 silver
guilder coins from the 17th century were found in the sandhills near the entrance to the Moore River – thus the name ''Guilderton''. The coins were thought to be from the wreck of the Dutch ship, ''
Vergulde Draeck
The ''Vergulde Draeck'' (), also spelled ''Vergulde Draak'' and ''Vergulde Draek'', was a , ship constructed in 1653 by the Dutch East India Company ( nl, Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, commonly abbreviated to VOC).
The wrecking of the ''V ...
'' (''Gilt Dragon'') that had foundered on a reef north of the river-mouth near
Ledge Point
Ledge or Ledges may refer to:
* Ridge, a geological feature
* Reef, an underwater feature
* Stratum, a layer of rock
* A narrow, flat area with cliff faces or steep slopes both below and above, a one sided cut into a cliff or mountain side
* Slan ...
in 1656.
Soldiers used the area during
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 ...
both for rest and recreation and as a base for horseback beach patrols.
The township was gazetted and named Guilderton on 28 November 1951; the area was known locally as Moore River until this time.
In 1983, the Federal Department of Transport established a lighthouse at Wreck Point, Guilderton near the river mouth at a cost of $240,000. This was the last brick tower style lighthouse built in Australia.
References
External links
*
{{Towns Wheatbelt South WA
Coastal towns in Western Australia
Shire of Gingin