Hiking along an old timber tramway

Written By Brendan Meharry

I have a two for one deal for ya on today's hike, history wise. First, we'll march on through Victoria Dam. This was Perth's very first permeant water supply. While the current dam wall was built in 1991, they've kept a large portion of the original dam wall that was in constructed between 1889 and 1891.

Next, we'll loop around towards Bickley Reservoir. Near here is the location of Western Australia's second ever railway - a horse drawn tramway that transported cut timber all the way to the Canning River (where the journey continued on barges). Even to this day, the Bickley Valley feels like a different world to the likes of Cannington. This was a very difficult and long tramway for 1870s Perth.

There was a town and mill at the end (called either Hills Station or Mason Mill) and it was one of the largest employers at the time. The founders of the mill and tramway were Benjamin Mason and Francis Bird. As such, the track is called the Mason and Bird Heritage Trail.

Brendan Meharry
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Climbing two more of Perth's "mountains"