Canning Mills
Railway Commemorative Plaque
Unveilded - 11 November 2023
Canning Mills
The Upper Darling Range Railway was constructed for the Canning Timber Company.
It was a condition of Timber Licence 12/1 that enabled the Company to cur timer over 100,000 acres.
Its base was Canning Mills which supplied railway sleepers to WA’s growing railway system and the overseas railway market.
Upon opening of the line on 25 July 1891, 70,000 cut sleepers were immediately dispatched on the line.
The opening of the railway to Canning Mills also enabled the transport of materials to build the nearby Victoria Reservoir, WA’s first water supply dam.
In 1891, Canning Mills was a thriving mill settlement with over 4500 People working and living in the district, including
150 mill workers.
This is the Canning Mills plaque indicator.
The Story
The EBike group lead by Peter Kenyon is a sub group of the Kalamunda Seniors hub.
This Ebike group rides every Saturday morning usually following the railway track to Pickering Brook.
One of their favorite stopping points for a chat and morning coffee is at our local Bean2Brook Café.
The local railway lines and stories inspired them to raise money to place plaques/signs on all the railway stations and sidings
from Kalamunda to Canning Mills to commemorate the early pioneers and the famous Zig Zag railway line to the hills of Perth
Two sites were chosen for the erection of the first sings, Pickering Brook and Walliston.
Pickering Brook was an important station at the in the early days and times as it was the only ‘junction’ along the line.
also, at the Pickering Brook Junction the timber train travelled on to Barton’s Mill and the passenger line turned towards
Canning Mills and Karragullen.
We are grateful to all the parties who are involved in this important heritage signage project and to the City of Kalamunda for their dedication to heritage. As a token of gratitude, the Pickering Brook Heritage Group Inc. held a morning tea celebration to mark the occasion with the EBike group leader, Peter Kenyon, officially launching the site.
Sincere thanks to Peter Kenyon for his tireless energy, Jenny Lewis for her committee at the Kalamunda Historical Society and to the wonderful team at the Pickering Brook Heritage Group for their voluntary work and for their famous morning tea spreads and nosh ups.
Thank you also to the staff at the City of Kalamunda for their research and design and to Josh Yates from Smart Colour Designs.
…oooOOOooo…
The 'CREATIVE' Team:
Organisation and Co-Ordination, Graphics & Design to Production
Plaque Design & Graphics by City of Kalamunda
Nichole O’NEIL – Public Relations Officer
Plaque Manufacture by Smart Colour Designs
Josh YATES
Sponsor of the Canning Mills Railway Plaque
The Signage 'Partnership' Group
To the above partners, we extend grateful thanks.
Other Plaques in this project:
WALLISTON
All References and/or Articles: by Pickering Brook Heritage Group Inc
All Images: by Pickering Brook Heritage Group Inc