Walpole, Western Australia

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The Tree Top Walk

Walpole is a town in Western Australia, 432 km SSE of Perth and 66 km west of Denmark.

Walpole lies very close to the northern point of the 100-hectare Walpole Inlet, from which it takes its name.

The inlet in turn is named for the Walpole River, discovered in 1831 by Capt. Thomas Bannister, and named by Governor Stirling for Capt. W. Walpole, with whom he had served aboard HMS Warspite in 1808.[1]

Land in the Walpole area was reserved for a national park in 1910, and the area subsequently became a popular holiday destination.

The railway reached Nornalup in 1929, and the Walpole town site was gazetted in 1933.

Walpole was always the preferred name, but it was believed this was already in use in Tasmania. So the newly-gazetted township was officially named Nornalup, but this caused confusion with the railway terminus 13 kilometres east. Eventually the Post Office advised that there was no Walpole in Tasmania, and in 1934 the town reverted to its original name of Walpole.

Walpole is one of the few towns through which the Bibbulmun Track passes.

The area is famous for the giant Tingle and Karri trees of old growth forest. Another attraction is the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk in the Walpole-Nornalup National Park.