Autumn has finally made it to Perth, with much cooler nights and mild sunny days. Yippiee! This change in season always gives me more energy and I just want to get out into the country. This weekend, we finally got our act together and set off on a little jaunt to York.
York is the oldest inland town in Western Australia, just under 100km east of Perth. It has a lovely vintage feel due to a number of well-preserved old buildings. The town hall is one of the most photographed of these, and it's clear to see why. Apparently the clock face was only installed in the late eighties after a substantial restoration. Prior to this, the locals would frequently remark on the 'timelessness' of York.
We also checked out the courthouse as it was open to the public as part of the WA Heritage Festival. The Festival is still on for a few weeks so see what's on in your area. You may find entry fees waived on Sundays or special events going on.
This was a surprisingly moving experience - just looking through the cell block and the descriptive displays of how the prisoners were treated (many were local indigenous men or prisoners of war) was a reminder of how grim our local history is. Here's some graffiti left by the prisoners:
The cells were used up until the early '80s - yes, the 1980s! These buildings were made to last.
Later, we trekked down to the Old Mill, another finely restored building, to check out some local crafts and furniture.
While there, we were treated to yet another reminder of yesteryear. What a beast!
There seemed to be quite a few vintage vehicles being paraded about so perhaps it's a common custom for the locals to show off their treasures on the weekend. I'll go for that custom any day of the week!
Posted with Blogsy
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