Established 1933 LGA(s) Shire of Manjimup Federal Division(s) O'Connor Population 321 (2006 census) | Postcode(s) 6398 State electorate(s) Blackwood-Stirling Postal code 6398 | |
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Location 423 km (263 mi) SSE of Perth
66 km (41 mi) W of Denmark
120 km (75 mi) S of Manjimup Weather 14°C, Wind W at 8 km/h, 91% Humidity Points of interest Giant Tingle Tree, Coalmine Beach, Rest Point Road | ||
Walpole is a town in the south-western region of Western Australia, located approximately 430 kilometres (270 mi) south southeast of Perth and 66 kilometres (41 mi) west of Denmark.
Contents
Map of Walpole WA 6398, Australia
Location and description
Walpole lies very close to the northern point of the 100-hectare (250-acre) Walpole Inlet, from which it takes its name.
The inlet in turn is named for the Walpole River, discovered in 1831 by Captain Thomas Bannister, and named by Governor Stirling for Captain W. Walpole, with whom he had served aboard HMS Warspite in 1808.
The first European settlers to arrive in the area were Pierre Bellanger and his family in 1909. They travelled aboard the Grace Darling from Albany to take up 4,000 acres (16 km2) of land.
Land in the Walpole area was reserved for a national park in 1910, and the area subsequently became a popular holiday destination. Major development began to occur in the 1930s as part of the land settlement scheme. The railway reached Nornalup in 1929, and the Walpole town site was gazetted in 1933.
Name
Walpole was always the preferred name, but it was believed this was already in use in Tasmania. So the newly gazetted township was officially named Nornalup, but this caused confusion with the railway terminus 13 kilometres (8 mi) east. Eventually the Post Office advised that there was no Walpole in Tasmania, and in 1934 the town reverted to its original name of Walpole.
Walpole is one of the few towns through which the Bibbulmun Track passes.
The area is famous for the giant tingle and karri trees of old growth forest. Another attraction is the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk in the Walpole-Nornalup National Park.