Manjimup is a large, attractive town, with a population of approximately 5,000 and is the gateway to the Southern Forests region of WA.  It is also the commercial centre of the South West and an ideal base for a holiday.

The rich red soil of the district will support almost any agricultural crop and most of the State’s potatoes, onions and cauliflowers are grown locally.  Fruit trees such as apples, peaches, pears, plums, nectarines, cherries,  avocados and chestnuts are also prolific in the area and arrangements can be made for you to pick tree-ripened fruit in season from the orchards.  

Special favourites are cherries which are ready to pick in December, when Manjimup hosts the very popular Cherry Festival.

Viticulture is also renowned in the area and  the low summer rainfall helps produce award-winning wines. 

Many dams and streams in the area are home to marron and trout and fresh marron can be readily purchased through our local Visitor Centre and locally produced smoked trout at our local stores. 

The name Manjimup was derived from the aboriginal word “manjin”, a special edible reed and “up” meaning place of. 

Manjimup’s first settlers were the Muir and the Giblett families, settlement having taken place in 1856. The history of the town in bound up in the timber industry and, later, the tobacco industry.

Early Swan River settlers used jarrah for building and they were so impressed with the quality of the wood sourced from Manjimup that they called it “mahogany”. It is said that many of the blocks paving the streets of London came from the Manjimup region.  

The area’s wonderful history can be revisited at the Timber and Heritage Park on the corner of Rose and Edwards Streets, just a short stroll from the town centre.  The park includes the State Timber Museum, Age of Steam Museum, Historic Hamlet, Blacksmith’s Shop, and much more.  

Other historic places to visit whilst in Manjimup are the Dingup Church on Balbarrup Road. This quaint church was built out of local soapstone by Thomas Giblett in 1896 and in the early days was also used as a school. Thomas and his wife Maria and other early pioneers are buried in the original Manjimup cemetery, which can be seen on Perup Road and is worth a visit, as every gravestone seems to tell a story. 

Fonty’s Pool is National Trust listed and, in 1925, Archie Fontanini dammed this pool for the irrigation of vegetable crops.  Since then it has been converted to a popular swimming pool and picnic area, surrounded by spacious lawns and gardens, and is a beautiful place to be on a warm summer’s day. 

Manjimup is surrounded by hundreds of acres of State Forest and special parts are well worth visiting. 

King Jarrah on Perup Road is a huge tree, around 600 years old, and there is a heritage trail here that is suitable for the disabled, with excellent picnic areas and spectacular wildflowers in Spring. 

Four Aces on Graphite Road are four majestic karri trees, being around 230 years old, and standing in Indian file.  An informative display of karri forest evolution is located here. 

One Tree Bridge and Glenoran Pool also on Graphite Road is another special place.  A single karri tree was felled across the Donnelly River in 1904 and used as a bridge for bullock and horse teams and, later, the district’s first vehicles. Although replaced with modern materials and engineering in 1966, most of the original bridge is still on display. 

Glenoran Pool, a little further along Henwood Road, is a beautiful natural pool, surrounded by walk trails and secluded picnic spots. This is an ideal swimming spot in summer and fishing from one of the many vantage points may produce a Rainbow Trout. 

The Diamond Tree is on South West Highway, 10km south of Manjimup, and for the enthusiastic it is a 51 metre climb to the top, where the tree supports a wooden cabin. This was used as a fire lookout from 1941 to 1974 and is the only wooden tree top tower in the world. 

Deanmill is one of the few remaining working mills and it is well worth a trip, either on foot for the energetic (7 km flat and interesting walk) or by car, just to see a mill town and imagine what it was like when a lot of the South West was made up of small timber towns just like this, each with its own schools and shops.

100 Year Forest is a thriving karri forest, complete with understory, wildflowers and fauna and is a popular tourist destination.
 

Search WWW Search www.countrycousins.com.au
	Homepage - Tourist Information - Manjimup/Southern Forests

This page last updated 23-Nov-2006