__NOTOC__
The Swan Valley is a region in the upper reaches of the
Swan River between
Guildford
Guildford ()
is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...
and Bells Rapids,
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 ...
. It is bordered to the east by 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 th ...
. Both
Ellenbrook and
Jane Brook
Jane may refer to:
* Jane (given name), a feminine given name
* Jane (surname), related to the given name
Film and television
* ''Jane'' (1915 film), a silent comedy film directed by Frank Lloyd
* ''Jane'' (2016 film), a South Korean drama fi ...
lie within the region and discharge into the Swan River. There are seven suburbs within the region:
Baskerville
Baskerville is a serif typeface designed in the 1750s by John Baskerville (1706–1775) in Birmingham, England, and cut into metal by punchcutter John Handy. Baskerville is classified as a Serif#Transitional, transitional typeface, intended as a ...
,
Belhus,
Caversham,
Henley Brook
Henley may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Henley, Dorset, a List of United Kingdom locations: Hen-Hh#Hen, location
* Henley, Gloucestershire, a List of United Kingdom locations: Hen-Hh#Hen, location
* Henley-on-Thames, a town in South Oxfords ...
,
Herne Hill
Herne Hill is a district in South London, approximately four miles from Charing Cross and bordered by Brixton, Camberwell, Dulwich, and Tulse Hill. It sits to the north and east of Brockwell Park and straddles the boundary between the boroughs ...
,
Millendon and
West Swan
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...
. It is part of the
City of Swan
The City of Swan is a local government area of Western Australia. It is in the eastern metropolitan region of Perth and includes the Swan Valley and 42 suburbs. It is centred approximately 20 km north-east of the Perth central business d ...
local government area.
The Swan Valley
Australian Geographical Indication
A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...
is a sub-region of the larger Swan District wine region. Swan Valley was registered on 6 January 2003 following Swan District being registered on 10 December 1998.
History
The indigenous heritage of the region is over 40,000 years old. The Noongar Aboriginal people of the Wadjuk tribe, who are the traditional landowners of the Swan Valley, lived here before the colonial invasion began. As per the beliefs of the native people, the Swan Valley was created by a serpent named Wagyl who is still believed to be living under the Swan River.
The area was explored in 1827 by Captain
James Stirling later to become governor of the
James Stirling (Australian governor)">James Stirling later to become governor of the Swan River Colony. Stirling was so impressed with the area that he wrote in his diary:
Explorers' Diaries of Western Australia
/ref>
When Stirling returned to establish the colony in 1829 he created three settlements: Fremantle
Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...
as the port; Perth, Western Australia">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 ...
as the major commercial and political centre; and Guildford on the southern end of the Swan Valley region. Descendants of many of the early families still reside within the shire. Within the first ten years, two of Perth's oldest churches had been built there: the first wa
St. Mary's Churchin Middle Swan, followed by All Saints Church, Henley Brook built at the site of Stirling's 1827 camp. St. Mary's was rebuilt in 1869 but All Saints still retains its original structure and is thus Perth's oldest standing church.
Attractions
The Swan Valley is noted for its fertile soil, uncommon in the Perth region, and tourism-based destinations. These include numerous
wineries
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, b ...
such as the huge complex at what was once known as
Houghton Houghton may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Houghton, South Australia, a town near Adelaide
* Houghton Highway, the longest bridge in Australia, between Redcliffe and Brisbane in Queensland
* Houghton Island (Queensland)
Canada
* Houghton Townshi ...
, the state's biggest producer, and
Sandalford and also many small family-owned concerns. There are also several
microbreweries
Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...
and
rum
Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Phili ...
and
gin
Gin () is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its flavour from juniper berries (''Juniperus communis'').
Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe, particularly in southern Italy, Flanders and the Ne ...
distilleries. The Swan Valley is served by roadside local-produce stalls which sell seasonal produce throughout the year. Grapes, melons, asparagus, stone fruits, citrus and strawberries are grown and sold in the Swan Valley.
Swan Valley has a food element in the form of a chocolate factory, coffee roasters, several beekeepers, a lavender farm, olive groves, a goat farm, cheese farms, dried-fruit producers, restaurants and cafes.
During October for many years the annual "Spring in the Valley" weekend took place; it was one of Australia's largest wine and food festivals. This community event ceased around 2009 due to excessive anti-social behaviour of some participants. However some of the smaller wineries in the area have banded together and still present some small scale events in the valley during spring.
The
West Australian Reptile Park is located in the valley at
Henley Brook
Henley may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Henley, Dorset, a List of United Kingdom locations: Hen-Hh#Hen, location
* Henley, Gloucestershire, a List of United Kingdom locations: Hen-Hh#Hen, location
* Henley-on-Thames, a town in South Oxfords ...
.
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
External links
Swan Valley Tourist Information
{{Wine Regions of Western Australia
Swan River (Western Australia)
Wine regions of Western Australia
Tourist attractions in Perth, Western Australia