Guildford heritage walk trails

There is no better time than now to be a tourist in areas frequented most of your life and support local businesses. Recently I took advantage of the stunning winter days that Perth does so well and took a little daycation to play tourist in my own city and enjoyed exploring the Guildford Heritage walk trails.

I put on my walking shoes and spent an enjoyable day in the quaint little area of Guildford, a Perth suburb on the Swan River. Only 12km from the city, it is a hub of history, wholesome dining, and vintage shopping, known for its colonial architecture. Strolling the streets of Guildford gives a feeling of stepping back in time to a charming little village where history lives on.

Most have heard of the Swan Valley in WA, but not many have heard of the historic town of Guildford despite it being only 12km from the city centre. The quaint village charm and the feel of a bygone era resonate the English country town the area was modelled on when it was established back in 1829. Captain Stirling’s wife Ellen is said to have chosen the name Guildford after the town in Surrey, England where she came from.

History of Guildford

Guildford was founded in 1829, one of three towns formed when Western Australia first settled. Fremantle was established as the Port town, an administrative centre founded in Perth, and Guildford created as the rural centre. Located at the upper limit of navigation on the Swan River, central to the Swan and Helena Rivers, the good clay loam soil was ideal to establish and sustain agriculture.

Known as the gateway to the Swan Valley, WA’s oldest wine region, Guildford is brimming with historical stories and colonial buildings. The area’s history dates back to 1827 when Governor Darling of NSW despatched Captain James Stirling to explore the West Coast of Australia.

Considered so important to the country’s colonial past, Guildford is one of only two towns in Perth on the National Trust Register. Those with a nose for history will enjoy time on one of the heritage walks to see how the other half lived in the 19^th century. Guildford’s collection of antique shops, cafes and European settlement buildings dating back to 1830s all make the area a worthwhile place to visit.

Guildford emits the feel of a bygone era and the influence of the English gentry can be evidenced by the polo field and central church square. The main street is dotted with many tearooms to indulge in an old fashioned Devonshire Tea. Fitting with the old world charm, James Street is known as the antique strip, dotted with vintage and second hand stores. You’ll never know what you are going to find as you spend hours scouring the shops for antiques, restorations and a fascinating range of lovely old collectibles. Looking through these shops is like rummaging around at Grandma’s place, full of memorabilia, and retro, vintage clutter.

The best way to explore Guildford is on foot and for those with inquiring minds there are interpretive panels along the four heritage walk trails. But be prepared to be distracted and soak up the atmosphere as you fossick through the treasures in the antique stores, enjoy a delicious Devonshire Tea, knock back a frothie in an historical pub, or picnic by the river, as these are all pastimes enjoyed in this well preserved area.

Heritage Walk Trails

The trails are The Captain Stirling Walk, The Town Walk, The River Ramble, and The Stirling Square Circuit which all have original examples of European settlement buildings dating from 1920’s and 1930’s.

All four trails start and finish at the Old Guildford Courthouse, now the Visitor centre. Make your way there and pick up maps to begin the historic walk which encompasses a number of important sites and buildings.

Meadow Street Heritage Precinct

The Swan Valley Visitor centre operates from the old Guildford Courthouse and houses some displays. One that was featured when I visited was Walking Through History 100 Years of the Wedding Dress, a display put together by the Swan Guildford Historical Society Inc.

The Old Courthouse and Goal

With three hotels in Guildford resulting with many locals being charged with drunken behaviour offenses within the first decade of settlement, it was evident the area was in need of a goal. In 1841 the Guildford Gaol opened, and in its time, locked up WA’s most famous bushranger Moondyne Joe, after he’d been on the run for over 2 years, following his escape from Fremantle Prison. The goal operated until 1969 and is now part of the Swan Valley Visitor Centre.

To see some early architecture constructed by convict labour head to the Old Courthouse and Colonial Goal. Built on Meadow Street in four stages from 1841 to 1867, the story of Guildford and the Swan District’s law and order is told here. The Old Gaol was the first Government building in WA and used as a police station until 1969, today visitors are the only ones to walk inside the gaol cells.

Taylor’s Cottage

The home of Edward and Emma Taylor is a perfectly preserved weatherboard building, accessible from the Old Gaol is Taylor’s Cottage. The building from 1880’s is a great example of how a family of 13 lived in this tiny modest home, was dismantled from its original site and relocated. The worker’s cottage has furniture built from packing cases, an open fireplace used for cooking and a metal trough for the family washing. Outside there is a horse trough was made by a company called Arnold in Beaufort Street, Perth. As well as the cottage, there is a wood shed, weatherboard wash house and outhouse. Life would have been so different back then.

Guildford ANZAC Trail

Along the walks you will see houses with little brass plaques with a red poppy at the front of some homes. These signify the homes or place of residence where a WWI soldier or nurse resided before serving during 1914-1918.These are a combination of where over 100 serving men and women from Guildford grew up, boarded for school or a family member on their enlistment papers or place of residence of their wife or widow at the end of the war. To see all the plaques along the ANZAC trail shows the impact World War I would have had on the community.

Captain Stirling Walk

The Captain Stirling Walk takes you to the 1841 Rose & Crown Hotel, 1869 Padbury’s Store, to the grounds of Guildford Grammar School, founded in 1896, and the mature plane trees outside the 1914 finest example of Gothic architecture, the imposing Chapel of St Mary and St George. The trail also provides a view out to Captain James Stirling’s beloved Woodbridge Estate on the Swan River floodplan.

Rose and Crown Hotel

The Rose & Crown is the oldest hotel in WA and third oldest licenced pub in Australia. Two restaurants are in the 1841 built Georgian building and planted in the beer garden is WA’s oldest rose bush. Enjoy a beer at the stylish Posh Convict Bar on a cosy sofa near the elegant fireplace, or cool things down out on the covered deck on a warm day. Under the 160 year old floor is a tunnel leading to the river where there is a well where fresh water was pumped to produce the hotel’s beer.

Padbury’s Store

The Padbury buildings are one of the oldest surviving commercial and residential buildings in Guildford. Built in 1869 in Terrace Road, the two storey store and residence has been lovingly restored, retaining its Georgian façade, elegant detailing and historic character.

Walter Padbury, the first Mayor of Guildford, had an extraordinary life. Orphaned at age 10, a year after arriving in the colony in 1830, he began his career as a shepherd. Hard work saw him earn enough to purchase a farm and by 1844 he had opened a shop and in 1865 Guildford’s first store. He was one of the first settlers in the North West of Australia and by 1863 had his own fleet of ships, sending stock to Carnarvon. Throughout his life he owned a range of buildings, in Forrest Place, Bassendean, Midland, Moora and Toodyay. Unfortunately the Padbury Stores went into liquidation due to the cost of establishing the Forrest Place building.

Padbury was a member of the Legislative Council in 1872, Guildford’s first Mayor in 1887 and having been orphaned himself, became a benefactor of the Swan Boys Orphanage in 1875 and contributed generously to the Parkerville Children’s Home. He later founded the successful Peerless Flour Mill in 1898 which at its peak was exporting fine quality flour to Egypt and England. Walter Padbury financed the Thornlie Park farm established in 1884 by his niece, and Padbury, a northern suburb of Perth, was named after Walter Padbury in 1971.

Walter Padbury died in Perth in 1907, and with no heirs left large sums of money to various charitable institutions including St George’s Cathedral, the Lunatic Asylum, and Poor Houses. Through hard work and dedication Walter became the first millionaire in the Colony, and the biggest philanthropist in Australia, and WA’s greatest agricultural pioneer.

The Town Walk

The Town Walk passes through the Meadow Street Heritage precinct passing the Woodbridge Hotel, the first government buildings, the Councl Chambers constructed in 1841, the Art Deco 1937 Guildford Town Hall costing 2,500 pounds, and WA’s oldest primary school.

Post Office

In need of coffee I started my day at Poste Café. I’d say I found a hidden gem, except it’s in a prominent position, right beside the railway crossing. Poste Café was formerly the Guildford Post Office, built in 1897 and is easily recognized by the prominent clock tower. Part garden centre, part café, this is a real treasure trove to spend some time and enjoy a few delicious delights.

The food was mouth wateringly good and there are lots of interesting bits and pieces to browse through while wandering around both inside and outside.

Ambling about, I spotted these rustic metal trunks and vintage luggage, and stood there pondering their provenance. I began imagining all the amazing destinations these treasured cases had seen, the people who had used them, and of all the beautiful tales and unforgettable life-changing travel experiences they could tell. The cases could be opened, but all the funny, crazy and incredible tales are forever buried deep within, yet these cases filled my soul with wanderlust.

The Commissariat store and quarters

The convicts and the ticket of leave men contributed to the infrastructure, building many of the buildings along Meadow Street. One was the Colonial Georgian style, single storey, brick and iron Commissariat store and quarters, later becoming a drill hall for Enrolled Pensioner Guard and finally a theatre.

An original structure from 1853 is today the Garrick Theatre, the longest continually running amateur theatre group in WA. Previously the Commissariat Store and Quarters, it was constructed and is one of the few intact parts of the Guildford Convict Depot. This is where the planning of convict work parties engaged in construction of roads, buildings and other public infrastructure locally, and in York and Toodyay took place.

Since 1933 the Garrick Theatre has staged performances in the building.

Guildford Fire Station

Further down Meadow Street is the art deco Guildford Fire Station together with California bungalow style brick, render and tile quarters, built in 1934. A single storey brick render design was unique but later used in other stations in WA. The building is a rare surviving example of a fire station and quarters on the same site and is believed to be the only existing example of such a place occupied and operated by a volunteer Fire Brigade in this state.

Kings Meadow Polo Ground

At the end of the street, in Kings Meadow is Perth Polo Club, WA’s oldest polo club, founded in 1896. In its early days the was patronised by a former Governor General of WA, a member of the Legislative Assembly and in 1903 the club ball was held in the Mechanics Institute.

The Guildford Hotel

The Guildford Hotel, built in 1886, with its unusual octagonal belvedere and baroque façade, has been completely restored after being engulfed by a fire in 2008. It took until 2016, but today two stories of original exposed bricks handmade by convicts, repurposed timber, and brass finishes, make this the perfect place to work your way through the extensive list of beer, cider, wine, and cocktails on the beverage list.

The River Ramble

The River Ramble overlaps the Captain Stirling Walk with a visit to Rose & Crown and Padbury’s store on the Terrace Road business precinct and includes Barker & Gull’s Warehouse, Moulton’s Landing and many heritage homes. It was a long wait, and expensive to buy shop bought clothing, and from 1890 to 1900, Barker & Gull sold dapery, millinery, hosiery, and gloves, making it easier for women to sew their own.

The Stirling Square Circuit

The Stirling Square Circuit is a shorter walk and incorporates the Meadow Street precinct including the massive Sugar Gum trees at Stirling Square, 1873 St Matthew’s Church, The Post Office, Mechanic’s Institute, Taylor’s Cottage, the 1866 Courthouse and the 1841 Guildford Gaol.

Mechanics Institute

The Swan River Colony’s first cultural centre was established in 1865 and named the Swan River Mechanic’s Institute. The founding president was Surveyor-General John Septimus Roe, who held this position until his death in 1878. The term mechanic was used to describe a craftsperson or tradesman and the Mechanics Institute was established to provide education for working class men of the town. This was the first public hall in the Swan district built to encourage adult education for the moral and intellectual betterment of the local population. These type of institutes were common place in Great Britain and early Australian colonies, for public meetings, lectures, and concerts, to benefit the working class, however reflecting the social divide of the late 1800’s, all Presidents and Vice Presidents were filled by the elite.

Stirling Square

I ventured across to Stirling Square, a public park and home to St Matthew’s Church. Surrounded by giant sugar gum trees planted in 1890 for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, the picturesque park was originally the town centre. At the square people would gather to worship, play sport, and socialise. Originally known as Mandoon by the local Aboriginal people, meaning place of many trees, Stirling Park was the heart of the town and the traditional Aboriginal meeting place.

Fishmarket Reserve

Nearby is Fishmarket Reserve, a tranquil riverside spot in the upper reaches of the Swan River. Few know about this peaceful area, a quiet haven away from the pressures of everyday life. Originally planned as a town market in 1829 for cattle, sheep, poultry and pigs, it was only ever used for fish, hence the name.

The area is lush and green and you will be drawn to the grace and charm of yesteryear with the 1930s character cottages, or circa 1920’s Federation brick and iron residences complete with white picket fences, shady trees and fragrant gardens.

Food in Guildford

If you’re feeling peckish you’ve come to a great spot. There are some seriously good food options in glorious Guildford. Starting with the iconic Alfred’s Kitchen, with its trademark pea and ham soup since 1947, it’s Perth’s longest running roadside hamburger kitchen. Then there’s historic pub grub, an awesome bakery, Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, Tapas and an absolute institution in Guildford, and our favourite, Padbury’s.

Padbury’s

On Terrace Road, Padbury’s have their very own in-house pastry chef and using some of the best local produce, they prepare world class breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as high teas. On weekends Padbury’s is an extremely popular brunch spot and amongst their popular menu items, includes Smashed Avo, Crispy Crepes, Padbury’s Hash and their famous signature Munro Pancakes.

Panache Living

Right next door is a shop with a difference. Panache Living brings the best of women’s fashion, jewellery, furniture, lighting, soft furnishings, candles, and beauty products, blended with originality, exclusivity, and craftsmanship. The style and elegance of the Padbury buildings has been the perfect location for Panache since 2003.

If you plan to do all four walks do as I did, get out during a sunny winter day. Guildford is busy on weekends and there are lots of foodie options along the trails so support the locals and enjoy a coffee, meal, or pint along the way.

Be prepared to allow an hour to amble about the town to admire the federation facades. But if you’re not content with just admiring the buildings and want to stop for coffee, a bite to eat, or you have an urge to browse some of the antique stores, then allow a minimum of two hours. If you’d like to book a tour or delve further into the history of Guildford, the Swan Guildford Historic Society conducts tours each Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

You can easily make a daytrip by adding the Swan Valley Food and Wine Trail. This is a 32 kilometre loop with award winning wineries, lively breweries, art galleries, cafes and roadside stalls showcasing the areas fresh regional produce.

I thought I knew Guildford well, but I learnt a lot.

Have you walked any of these heritage trails? What was your favourite trail?

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