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Fred Jacoby Park is off Mundaring Road and is a pleasant picnic area with some walk trails that are wheelchair accessible.
The park is named after Fred Jacoby who originally developed the site. After Fred died in 1954, his daughter, Elfreda, donated the land to the
people of Western Australia and it is now managed by DPaW.
Fred was also involved in the building of the Goldfields Weir Hotel (now the Mundaring Hotel).
The landscaped gardens are dotted with trees from around the world and include what might be the largest English oak tree in the state.
The park is a popular site for weddings, especially the board-walk beneath the old oak tree. The tree is listed by the State Heritage Office.
A plaque was placed near the oka tree in 1989 and contains the following information"
"Quercus robur planted c.1870, height 29 metres, spread 30 metres, girth 4.95 metres".
Development of the site dates from 1882 and a number of smaller blocks were amalgamated by the first owners, Walter Jeck and John Allpike.
Fred and Mathieson Jacoby (brothers) purchased the property about 1898 and named it 'Portagabra'. They developed it as a vineyard and orchard.
During 1957-8 a variety of plants from the Hamel and Dryandra nurseries (as well as from Canberra) were planted in the park.
A plant nursery was developed in the park and ran for about 6 years. Although there aren't any signs of it today, a nine hole golf course was
operated in the park in the 1960s with the old house (now gone) used as the club room.
The golf course closed near the end of the 1960s and was relocated to the outskirts of Mundaring.
Sadly the old house was not looked after and it was badly vandalised. It was demolished sometime in the early 1970s.
Not far from Fred Jacoby Park is the Perth Hills Discovery Centre on Allen Road.
Best time to visit:
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