Tourism in the Perth Hills

An article in this weekend’s West Australian travel pages was very interesting about Café Mojos, and also a little about holiday accommodation here in the Shire of Mundaring . In fact, Mundaring has always been a tourist destination, after the construction of the Weir and the railway to the Weir became available to passengers regular Picnic Trains ran from the city to the Weir.

Early Tourist publication front cover, May 1924

People always came out of the city for fresh air and country pursuits. There were a number of guest houses and hotels where people could stay and reach either on the train line or if they were fortunate enough to have a car.

During the depression years when people had little spare money they would come up to either the Weir or John Forrest National Park to hike, picnic or look for wildflowers. Special Trains were put on for such activities.

Image 1 Painting of Excursion Train outside Mundaring Weir Hall; Image 2 Picnic Train M Class Garratt at Mundaring Weir 1930s

Picnic Train at Parkerville Station. A huge group of hikers. On 4th July 1932 one such hike attracted 2,450 people which needed 3 trains to transport them to the hike in the National Park A world record at that time!

Image 1 A group of women in Glen Forrest holding bunches of wildflowers c1922 behind them you can see the loading ramp at the station; Image 2 The same group of women with wildflowers - we are not allowed to pick wildflowers anymore!; Image 3 Group of picnickers at Mundaring Weir c 1911; Image 4 A group "Sunday Outing" on Ray Wells truck c1940s

Image 1 Advert in the early tourist booklet "Where to Stay"; Image 2 Advert for Mundaring Weir Hotel (previously Goldfields Weir Hotel); Image 3 Postcard with caption Jacoby's Mundaring Weir Hotel c1917; Image 4 Photograph of the Weir overflowing from an early tourism booklet "Where to Stay".

The term café is a later name as in the early years they were called “Tea Rooms” and we have a photo of a very early one on the corner of York Road and the original Park Road which was set up for Sunday drivers.

John Forrest National Park Tea Rooms built of brushwood by the sustenance workers c 1932