DESCRIPTION
Toodyay is a popular day trip from Perth (along with Northam and York) especially
during the spring and early summer months.
The town has many beautiful heritage buildings and is set in the Avon valley. There are many attractions in the area that has been recognised as having
great tourism potential since the 1920s.
Toodyay is classified as a historic town by the National Trust.
The area was, and remains, an important agricultural zone. Tourism is now also a major factor in the region's economy and there are a number of
farm stays and B and Bs dotted through the picturesque countryside.
There are several scenic drives but if you would like to leave your car at home, there is always the Avon-Link train that arrives from Perth.
HISTORY
The area was first explored by Ensign Robert Dale in 1831
and area for the townsite was set aside in 1836. Although the townsite was not formally surveyed until 1849, there were already a number of buildings
present including the police barracks that had been constructed in 1842.
A new townsite was surveyed in 1860 as the old site was found to be flood prone. The Aborigines were well aware of the flooding problems and it is
said that they joked that even kangaroos got bogged in the mud.
The new site was gazetted in 1861 and was named Newcastle in honour of the Secretary of State of the Colonies, the Duke of Newcastle.
The original site (still referred to as Toodyay) still contained a few buildings but by 1910 they had all been demolished.
There was some confusion between Newcastle in the eastern states and Newcastle in W.A. so finally in 1911 the new site was re-named Toodyay.
The name is thought to derive from the Aboriginal word 'duidgee' which means place of plenty. (Another possible source for the name is an
Aboriginal woman called Toodyeep who with her husband Coondebung accompanied Dale on his expedition in 1831.)
The Gaol once held Moondyne Joe, a bush-ranger of
some repute, who escaped captivity on a number of occasions. Other outlaws who haunted the district included James Lilly and Michael Nollan.
On the 8th of November 1860, Lilly's bushranging career came to an end and Houghton's Inn (this may be the same place Moondyne Joe was captured).
Lilly had come to the inn and threatened to inn keeper who sensibly did nothing to antagonise the armed criminal. Instead he plied him with alcohol until
Lilly passed out. The law was quickly summoned and after a short struggle Lilly was safely locked up.
The explorer Giles arrived in the town after an expedition
that crossed the Great Victoria Desert, he made the following note in his diary:
"We were received under a triumphal arch, and the chairman presented us with an address. We were then conducted to a sumptuous banquet.
Near the conclusion, the chairman rose to propose our healths, etc; he then gratified us by speaking disparagingly of us and our journey, he said
he didn't see what we wanted to come over here for, that they had plenty of explorers of their own etc. This was something like getting a hostile
native's spear stuck into one's body."
Relations between 'sand gropers' (West Australians) and Eastern Staters have always been a bit prickly but this was a bit much after such a journey.
After the spearing of Peter Chidlow and Edward Jones (See York for more information) their grant was taken up by J.T. Cooke.
The Aborigines who had murdered Chidlow and Jones were still in the area so a request was made for protection to be made available. Two troopers
were sent up from York but were not present when the Aborigines bailed up two shepherds who were in Waylen's employ. The Aborigines took some
wheat and then returned the following day in greater numbers. By this time the troopers had arrived, a melee ensued inside the shepherd's hut and
several natives were shot. Their bodies were buried near the doorway to the hut and due to the superstitious nature of the tribes, they stayed away
from the site from then on - much to the relief of the shepherds.
Toodyay was a difficult place to get to in the early years, especially in winter when rains closed the track to Midland and goods had to be transported
via York. This led to excessive freight charges that were said to rise up to 25 pounds a ton. This was an incredible amount as it was 800% more than
bringing freight from England to Australia. The result of this was that settlers who lived in the Toodyay area were forced to make items (especially
furniture) locally or to do without.
In the 1840s there was a world wide depression in trade goods and the prices of stock plummeted. Sheep that had sold for 6 pounds were now worth
only 6 shillings, cows had dropped from 30 to 5 pounds and horses had dropped from 100 to 20 pounds. People who had come to the colony with
capital and high hopes were now watching heir investments dwindle.
Sheep that had once been valued assets were now being boiled down to make tallow. Curing hides and pickling mutton were also tried as sidelines to
tallow making and some people (like Walter Padbury)
managed to make money while others floundered.
Over the Christmas - New Year period, settlers from the Avon Valley would usually try to be in Perth, both to take produce to market and to re-supply.
This was also one of the few times of the year that people got to socialise and relax.
When Northam was selected as the terminus for the railway to the goldfields, Toodyay went into a long period of decline. As early as 1885 businesses
had been closing up and moving away but as the goldfields developed there was a new surge of activity. Even so it was Northam that won the fight for
supremacy in the end and Toodyay slipped into a role as a quiet backwater.
Connor's Mill was built for Daniel Connor around 1870 by George Hassel. In 1917 the mill was converted into a power station for the town. After a fire in 1921
destroyed all internal machinery and a gas power plant was installed. The power house closed in 1955 and in 1975 the restoration of the building began.
The mill now demonstrates the milling process with working machinery.
TALL TALES AND TRUE
The tale of Moondyne Joe.
The display in Connor's Mill provides information on this interesting and larger-than-life character. Click the link above to read more about him.
Industrial sabotage.
The first wheat stripper brought into W.A. by Major Irwin was not initially successful as it was used on unripe crops. Later when tried on a fully ripe
crop it proved to be worth while as it stripped and threshed the wheat in one action. Farm workers saw this new fangled contraption as a threat and
the following season when it was brought out to strip a crop the 180 pound comb had 'mysteriously' vanished.
When George Whittfield brought another machine over in 1845 it was said that he slept beside it with a loaded gun.
Not a 'Fair Cop'.
Native Constable, James Betts, was bringing in an Aboriginal prisoner when he decided he needed to have a sleep. In order to make sure his prisoner
did not escape, Betts handcuffed the prisoner to him while he slept. Seeing his big chance to escape the prisoner picked up a rock, knocked Betts
unconscious and the searched his pockets for the key and escaped into the bush.
VIDEO
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Video available from October 4th 2023
OTHER INFORMATION
ATTRACTIONS
Avon National Park, Coorinja Winery - one of the state's oldest, Connor's mill, Brotherhood steam engine, Newcastle park, Old Gaol Museum,
Reservoir lookout, Duidgee park, Pecan hill, Gabidine Spring, Windmill Hill, Cartref Park, Pelham Reserve, Hoddywell archery park, Farmer's markets
(third Sunday of each month), Agricultural show (second Saturday in October), Fibre festival (June long weekend), Moondyne festival (first Sunday of May),
Space Place Observatory.
BUILDINGS OF NOTE
Old gaol, Clinton St. 1865. Old Mill, Stirling Tce. 1870. Freemanson's Hotel, Stirling Tce. 1891. St. Stephens church 1862. Unwin's store 1899. Ellery Arcade 1890s.
Memorial hall 1899. Post Office 1897. Victoria Hotel 1864. Mechanics Institute 1874. Newcastle Hotel 1863.
ELECTORAL ZONES
State : Moore
Federal : Pearce
OTHER INFO.
Postcode : 6566
Local Government : Shire of Toodyay
PHOTOS
Click on a thumbnail to see full sized picture.
