John Forrest National Park - 20th April 2011

John Forrest National Park is a national park in the Darling Scarp, 24 km east of Perth, Western Australia. It was the first national park in Western Australia and the second in Australia after Royal National Park.

As early as 1898, the land was reserved for conservation and recreation. Two years later it was named Greenmount National Park and several years later the name was changed to commemorate Sir John Forrest, the first Premier of Western Australia.

On the edge of the Darling Scarp east of Perth, north of the Great Eastern Highway. The suburb to the west is known as Swan View with Pechey Road as a natural western boundary. To the south of the Great Eastern Highway the suburbs adjacent are Darlington and Glen Forrest. To the east Hovea is the adjacent suburb.

It was dissected by the Eastern Railway when it was constructed in the 1890s and rail traffic passed through until 1966, when the line was closed due to the opening of the Avon Valley route.

The alignment through the Swan View Tunnel and through the park was commonly known as the 'National Park' railway line.

During the Depression (1930s) many features near the main park buildings were built as part of relief employment. Some have been restored. It also has a Tavern.

It was a very popular railway excursion location while the railway was in existence (1890s to 1960s). Initially Hovea was the nearest railway station but in 1936 the National Park railway station was built. Also often photographed were National Park Falls, and the Hovea Falls.

After the railway line was closed and removed the formation became part of the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail vested in the Mundaring Shire Council. The section within the park is now known as the John Forrest Heritage Trail. There are also the Glen Brook Walk Trail and the Eage View Walk Trail within the park.


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• FORREST
• NATIONAL
• PARK
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