Local Government
Denmark
Region
Great Southern
Fernley Rd Denmark
Lot 1749
Styx River Settlers Park
Denmark
Great Southern
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 28 Jun 2011 | Considerable Significance | |
This park has strong historic and social heritage significance. The Parkland was set up during the 1980s with a commemorative plaque to remember the early group settlers.
The site is commemorative parkland with a plaque to remember the early settlers of 1924. The entry to the park is masked with large timber beams that blend in well with the forested areas in the background
Group Settlement was a scheme enthusiastically touted by WA Premier of the 1920s, Sir James Mitchell. The scheme started as a way of resettling British ex-servicemen and their families. The families were recruited in groups of up to 20 families at a time. They were then allocated to settle in southwest WA. Fifteen group settlements were established in Denmark. Group campsites were each given official numbers and all the land clearing and house building was done in a uniform way, set out by regulations. The houses were four-roomed weatherboard cottages with verandahs at the front and back. Most farmers were encouraged to operate dairy farms but many problems arose. Lack of farming skills, Denmark wasting disease, isolation from markets and world Depression in 1929 all led to severe financial and spiritual depression. Many group settlement families walked off their properties. Group 114 represented families from Devon and Cornwall in England who camped in this area in April 1924. The park is a reminder of the Group Settlement Scheme which brought 1500 people to the district but is still remembered as a dismal failure. The idea for the Park was initiated by Wall Ferrell and Pat Swallow. Assistance was given by Main Roads Department bridge building team; Telecom line crew and the descendants of the original group settlers. The name was suggested to explain where the people of Group 114 originally came from in Britain.
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark Historical Society; "Koorabup, A Special Centennary Issue: selections from denmark's first century 1895-1995". p 34-37 | 1995 |
Urban Park
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Original Use | PARK\RESERVE | Park\Reserve |
| Present Use | PARK\RESERVE | Park\Reserve |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY | Settlements |
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