History of the Dardanup Shire

Pictures of early Eaton

The original name of the area was Dudginup, unfortunately the true origins of this name are uncertain. Early and local accounts vary from “a place of swamp reed” to “burial ground by the water”. What can be certain however, is that the present name is derived from the name used by the original Aboriginal inhabitants.

The townsite of Burekup first began with the discovery in November 1829 of the Collie and Preston rivers by lieutenant Preston and Dr Collie along with James Henty who was later granted 60,000 acres of land in 1830 by the Government.

Early settlement of the area however, began in earnest in 1838 when Thomas Little arrived under the direction of Charles Princep of India to purchase land and establish a horse breeding venture to supply horses to India. Princep Park, a local homestead to the East of the Dardanup townsite was built under the guidance of Little around 1848. Misfortune and personal financial ruin of Princep led Little to establish Dardanup Park as a farming venture of his own. In 1851 he built a most substantial two-storey house on his property which is located 1km to the West of Dardanup. Little was a staunch Roman Catholic and played the leading role in establishing an Irish Catholic community in the area.

The early settlers in the district were therefore farmers leading a largely subsistence living growing their own vegetables, producing their own meat and selling some of their produce in Bunbury.

In 1881 the first timber mill was opened in the Wellington Mills locality expanding the timber industry which until that time relied on sleeper cutting. Wellington Mills became a busy township, however, there is little evidence of this today.

The 1890’s saw the construction of the railway through the district, which was used to transport timber to Dardanup. The timber milling also resulted in secondary benefits to the agricultural industry. Large quantities of chaff were required to feed the horse hauling timber to the mills. The railway also was used to transport agricultural products.

Rural activities expanded to viticulture, orchards, potato growing and cereal crops. By 1918 the Dardanup District was also a very efficient dairy area. In 1933/34 irrigation was extended to the Dardanup Shire. Approximately 1029 hectares were irrigated in the first year and today has been expanded to reach a total area under irrigation of 6753 hectares. With the establishment of the superphosphate works near Bunbury in the early 1930’s the benefits from the irrigation network were enhanced and in turn reflected in the growth of the dairy industry. Cream factories were extended and daily pick-ups of milk and cream from producers’ properties commences. Whole milk production extended into the district in the mid 1940’s.

Hobby farms in the localities of Paradise, Copplestone, Ferguson and Waterloo have aided to the Shires growth. Together with the popularity of the urban townsite of Eaton, the Shire of Dardanup has evolved into a dynamic and diverse community.

While agriculture continues to play an important role in the community of the Shire, the growth of Eaton townsite now sees a predominantly urban population residing in the Shire of Dardanup. In response to this growth, Council opened its new Administration Centre in Eaton in 1998.

The Eaton Fair Shopping Centre was opened in early 2002, with a number of business’s opening in the nearby commercial area including an animal health centre, lawyers, hardware store and professional offices.

The Eaton Community College opened in January 2003, this is the first College of its kind in regional Western Australia and caters for students starting at year 7. The College also accommodates the Community Library, a joint initiative between the Shire of Dardanup and the Eaton Community College.

Adjacent to the College and Glen Huon Reserve, the Eaton Community Recreation Centre is being constructed and will open in August 2003, this three court multi-purpose recreation centre is another joint initiative between Council and the Community College.