Dardanup, Western Australia
| Dardanup Western Australia |
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 Dardanup
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| Population: | 370(2006 Census) [1] |
| Established: | 1923 |
| Postcode: | 6236 |
| Elevation: | 30 m (98 ft) |
| Location: | |
| LGA: | Shire of Dardanup |
| State District: | Collie-Preston |
| Federal Division: | Forrest |
Dardanup is a small town in the South West region of Western Australia. The town is located in the fertile Ferguson valley and is close to the Ferguson River.
The area was first settled in 1852 by Thomas Little who named his property Dardanup Park. The word Dardanup is believed to be a variation of the Indigenous Australian word Dudingup the meaning of which is unknown.
Little later gave land to the Catholic Church and a community was soon established in the locale. The government acquired land in the area in the 1920s and the townsite was gazetted in 1923.[2]
Just outside Dardanup is the unique tourist attraction called "Gnomeville." Gnomeville is a collection of hundreds of Garden Gnomes left by visitors in a wooded area at the intersection of Furguson Rd. and Wellington Lowdon Rd. The collection started as a protest over the construction of a traffic circle at the intersection. Gnomes were left by anonymous protestors and over 20 years the collection has grown. Visitors from all over the world as well as local school groups and organizations now add to the collection every year.
[edit] References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Dardanup(State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=SSC53676&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
- ^ Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of country town names". http://www.landgate.wa.gov.au/corporate.nsf/web/History+of+country+town+names. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
Coordinates: 33°24′0″S 115°45′0″E / 33.4°S 115.75°E
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