Page 323 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Australia

THE SOUTHWEST  321

Stirling Range National Park as seen from Chester Pass Road
the park has an unpredictable one of the largest collections rNortham
climate which encourages a of veteran cars and vehicles * 7,000. £ @ n 2 Grey
wide range of unique flora in Australia. These include the St (08) 9622 2100.
and fauna, including ten species 1886 Benz (the world’s first ∑ northam.wa.gov.au
of mountain bell. No less than car), the very rare 1946 Holden
60 species of flowering plants Sedan Prototype and the At the heart of the Avon
are endemic to the park. They extraordinary Bisiluro II Italcorsa Valley and the state’s wheat
are best seen from September racing car. belt, Northam is Western
to November, when they are Also of note is the York Australia’s largest inland town.
likely to be in flower. The park Residency Museum, housed Settled as an agricultural
offers visitors a number of in the former home of York centre early in the colony’s
graded and signposted walks magistrate Walkinshaw Cowan, history, the town became a
in the mountains (all are father-in-law to Edith Cowan, gateway to the gold fields of
steep) and there are several the state’s first female Member Kalgoorlie-Boulder for pros-
picturesque barbecue and of Parliament (see p60). This pectors in the 1890s (see p322).
picnic areas. extensive collection of artifacts It retains a number of historic
and photographs is justly said buildings, including the Old
to be the finest small museum Girls’ School (1877), now the
eYork in the state. town’s Art Centre, and the
York’s 1892 flour mill has beautiful St John’s Church
* 3,200. @ n 81 Avon Terrace (08) now been converted into
9641 1301. _ York Jazz Festival (Nov). (1890). The town’s jewel is
∑ yorkwa.org the Jah-Roc Mill Gallery, which Morby Cottage, built in 1836
exhibits and sells furniture and a fine example of the
The town of York was founded made from jarrah wood. architectural style adopted
in 1831, in the new colony’s by the early colonists.
drive to establish its self- E York Motor Museum Spanning the Avon River
sufficiency via agriculture. Now 116 Avon Terrace. Tel (08) 9641 1288. is the longest pedestrian
registered as a historic town, it Open call 9:30am–2pm for opening suspension bridge in the country,
retains many mid–19th-century days and times. & 7 offering views of the river.
buildings, the majority of which
are on Avon Terrace, the main
street. The cells of York’s Old
Gaol, in use from 1865 until 1981,
provide a chilling insight into
the treatment of 19th-century
offenders. Other historic
buildings include Settler’s House
(1860s), now a hotel and
restaurant (see p490), and Castle
Hotel, built in stages between
1850 and 1932, with its unusual
timber verandas. Nearby stands
the York Motor Museum, with The Northam Suspension Bridge stretching across the Avon River