DESCRIPTION
This small town sits just west of the highway at the foot of the Darling Scarp. As it is just off the highway, it is often bypassed by many travellers
but if you have the time, it is still worth travelling a few extra kilometres to pay the town a visit.
There isn't much more than a post office and general store, a chemist, small medical centre and somewhere to grab a coffee and a bite to eat but
it is a lovely quiet little town and a look back in time to what most small towns were once like.
Sadly the Serpentine Hotel is no longer operating and this must have hurt the town's economy as it used to draw
many people in, especially on weekends. It appears that a renovation project has stalled and from what we can tell, the last work was done on
the building around May 2019.
The hotel was one of our favourite country pubs and was once a great place to have a relaxing lunch.
The Serpentine Vintage Tractors & Machinery Museum is located on Wellard Street (at the recreation ground) and is open on weekends. There is
a fine collection of tractors and other farming related items.
Turner's cottage sits by the bridge on the south bank of the Serpentine River.
The Turner's farmed the property from the mid-1850s and when Edward Turner died, aged just 41, his wife Elizabeth continued to operate the farm until she dies in 1902 when it passed to her son Harry. Harry died in 1945 and passed the property to his son Claude who leased it out.
The property fell into disrepair and at one stage was threatened with demolition. Reconstruction began in 1978 and was completed by 1980.
The buildings then became a museum and local community facility but once again the property is falling in to disrepair and currently the future for the property looks fairly bleak.
Nearby Serpentine National Park contains Serpentine Falls. This is a popular picnic and wildflower viewing area.
HISTORY
Settlement started here in 1891 when the government declared the Serpentine Agricultural Area open for selection.
The town site was gazetted in 1893. The name comes from a nearby river which snakes through the area.
It was one of the original railway stations opened on the Perth to Bunbury line in 1893.
The Old Bridge School building that stands near the bridge today was built in 1902. The site had been used for a school since 1858 and two other buildings preceded the current one.
The school remained open until 1954 when it was replaced by a new building in the relocated townsite.
The Bodhinyana Buddhist Monastery was established in the area in the 1980s.
TALL TALES AND TRUE
Nothing here yet. If you know a good yarn about Serpentine please let us know.
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OTHER INFORMATION
ATTRACTIONS
Serpentine Falls & Dam, Bodhinyana Monastery 216 Kingsbury Drive, Serpentine Vintage Tractors & Machinery Museum Wellard Street, Whitnish Cottage Jarrahdale Road.
BUILDINGS OF NOTE
Lowlands off Lowland Rd. 1840 Thomas Peel, Spencer's cottage 1850, Turner cottage 1856, Lefroy's cottage 1864.
ELECTORAL ZONES
State : Darling Range
Federal : Canning
OTHER INFO.
Postcode : 6125
Local Government : Shire of Serpentine / Jarrahdale
PHOTOS
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