Parkerville, Western Australia

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Parkerville Is a suburb in the Mundaring Shire in Western Australia. Jane Brook flows through Parkerville on its way down to the Swan River through John Forrest National Park.

[edit] History

The Nyoongar people were the original custodians of the land. The arrival of British settlers in 1829 on the Swan Coastal Plain eventually led to Nyoongar dispossession in the Hills behind Perth. The Parkerville Suburban Area was made open for selection in June 1895.

Parkerville was one of the first stations to be constructed on the railway line that once ran between Bellevue and Mount Helena, opening for traffic in 1896. The town was named in honour of Mr S H Parker whose country home, now the Old Mahogany Inn, was situated nearby. Parker was a prominent member of Perth's legal fraternity.

In 1903 Sister Kate of the Community of the Sisters of the Church, purchased 20 acres of land at Parkerville for the "League of Charity Home" for children, which became the Parkerville Children's Home. Clutterbuck Creek is named after Sister Kate's parents. In 1909 the construction of the chapel was completed. Sally Morgan, in her landmark novel My Place, writes how three year old Gladys is taken to this orphanage.

In 1966 the railway line was closed as part of a change of route to the Avon Valley. The railway route has become the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail as a bridle and walking path.

The Parkerville Amphitheatre became the site for a number of 1970s concerts. This and other nearby locations have been used for filming children's television series.

By the early 2000s, Perth's suburban growth was placing development pressures on Parkerville.