Heavenly Beverley : Avondale Rising

Saturday 8 June 2019

Avondale Rising

Avondale Farm is located just six kilometres outside Heavenly Beverley on the quaintly named Waterhatch Road. As a place of cultural and historical significance, Avondale should be on the radar of all visitors to the Avon Valley.

The farm was first developed in the 1830s as a pastoral property, one of the earliest in the area. Over the next hundred years, Avondale's infrastructure grew to include (in order of age), the Georgian Victorian homestead, the stables, the imposing silo, the laboratory and the workers' cottages. The farm was the site of valuable research into a sheep disease in the 1930s and in the gathering of agricultural education. Avondale showcases early rural settlement and the lives of the inhabitants.

The Avondale Agricultural Museum was opened by Prince Charles in 1979 and is a must-see for vintage machinery enthusiasts. The Museum opens on the third weekend of each month and is managed by a team of crazy volunteers. They also continue the farm's traditions of being a working environment, along with all the other attractions of this remarkable site.

New volunteers are embraced with open arms and may have difficulty leaving...

A band of innovative and passionate supporters have been quietly working behind the scenes to ensure Avondale's ongoing presence. New initiatives include -

the refurbishment of three cottages to accommodate short term stays in a beautifully peaceful location only ninety-minutes from Perth
informative signage for the site, including the Ballardong names for plants and animals, and a welcome in language
updated brochure
community days to see the fantastic progress at Avondale
invitations to community groups and tours to visit
local involvement in the understanding of Avondale's history, current activities and future plans.

The next item on the agenda is the Avondale Farm Bush Reserve Busy Bee, which will involve enhancement of the bush and planting of native gardens around the cottages. This event's details are -

where - Avondale Farm, 550 Waterhatch Road Beverley

when - Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 June 9.30 am - 4 pm (refreshments, lunch and accommodation options provided).

This is a marvellous opportunity for volunteers to be part of Avondale's revitalisation programmes, now and into the future.

The houses will be ready for accommodation in the next couple of months, just in time for the colourful blast of spring to blanket the stunning location. They will be open for families, groups, artists and others to revel in the quiet majesty of Avondale Farm.

So, don't just sit there...!

for booking bus tours for an Avondale experience, call the National Trust on 9321 6088
for local groups wishing to visit, call Mandy McLean on 0428 464 010
for registering to attend the Busy Bee on 22/23 June, call the National Trust on 9321 6088 or rsvp@ntwa.com.au
for volunteering at the Agricultural Museum, call the Shire of Beverley on 9646 1200 or Dee Ridgway on 0428 464 007 (or just turn up at Avondale on the third weekend of every month)...

Stay tuned for more exciting news!