During my recent trip to Western Australia, we came across three small towns with histories dating back to the 19th century. These towns also have another thing in common: their names sound European, namely Denmark, Northam and York.
Stopover in charming old towns with magnificent attractions
Denmark
Situated in the southern part of Western Australia, some 423 km from the state capital of Perth, this coastal town was a stopover for us along our trip to Albany.
The shops on both sides of the main street in this pristine little town are mostly single-storey. It is a peaceful and relaxing town with light traffic and no traffic lights.
Albeit the name, this town actually has nothing to do with the country of Denmark in Europe. I was told that this Western Australian town was established by Europeans in 1895 as a timber mill town. The first European explorer to discover a settlement was Dr Thomas Braidwood Wilson, a surgeon. He named the town after his esteemed colleague, Dr Alexander Denmark.
After the timber resources dwindled, dairy farming, fruit and vegetable growing, and fishing became the main economic activities. Tourism and winemaking are now the main industries.
We came across the Denmark Bakery, which happened to be one of the top bakeries in the town and specialises in pies, breads and cakes. We had our lunch of pies and cappuccinos.
The chefs of the bakery have won numerous gold and silver awards in bakery competitions nationwide for the past decade, since 2012.
It also won five gold and four silver awards in different categories in the bakery competition in the 2018–2019 Official Great Aussie Pie Competition, which brought fame to the town and made Denmark Bakery an icon of the town.
Northam
When I sent my photo taken at the Northam Visitor Centre to my friends, several of them thought that I was in England, but in fact I was in Australia, in a town with the same name.
It is an inland town some 97 km north-east of Perth, at the confluence of the Avon and Mortlock Rivers. According to the 2016 population census, it has a population of 6,548. It has an area of 1,443 square kilometres.
It is one of Western Australia’s oldest settlements, founded in 1833.
At the Northam Visitor Centre, the friendly staff introduced to us the various places of interest in the town.
We took a leisurely stroll in Bernard Park, located along the bank of the Avon River that flows through the town, enjoying the scenery and the cool, fresh air. From here, we could see various types of birds flying in the air above the river, the swans and ducks swimming in the river, or resting by the river bank.
We then walk across the suspension bridge, which spans across the Avon River in the centre of the town. Built in 1975 and made of wood, steel, and cables, with a length of about 100m, it is the longest suspension bridge in Australia.
Northam’s tourist attractions include the historically significant buildings in and around the town.
The most unique activity here is hot air ballooning, which we were not prepared to take part in as our main aim was sight-seeing only.
We also drove up to the Mount Ommaney Lookout Point, where we could get a panoramic view of the town.
York
About one and a half hours drive from Perth, we reach York, which is the oldest inland town in Western Australia, located by the side of the Avon River, 97 kilometres east of Perth.
The name of the town was suggested by JS Clarkson during an expedition in October 1830 because of its similarity to his own country, England.
Among the attractions in the town, I was most fascinated by the well-preserved historic architecture of the heritage buildings. According to the information brochure, there are a total of 51 historical sites to be explored in the town.
The most magnificent is the York Town Hall building, built in 1911; this important landmark of the town is located on one of the main streets of the town, Avon Terrace. It is an Edwardian opulence style architecture with its columns and ornate facade with a large Fanlight window and a clock face on top. This elaborately designed building reflects the town’s prosperity during the gold rushes of the 1890s.
It was the first building in my exploration of the town, as the Visitor Information Centre of the town is housed on the ground floor of this building, where I obtained information and travel brochures to guide me around the town.
Other historical buildings that I visited included the Imperial Hotel, Old Council Chambers/Fire Station, York Art Space and Glass Company, St. Patrick’s Church, and York Post Office, just to name a few.
Later, we also visited the John Forrest National Park to have a close encounter with the friendly kangaroos.
