Mabel Talbot Park and Jolimont Lake

Statement of Significance

The place has aesthetic and historic significance as a parkland reserve in Subiaco, and has social significance to the community as a place for social and recreational activities.

Physical Description

Jolimont Lake is central to the grassed area which contains lamp posts, benches, mature trees and provides a home to ducks and other wildlife.

History

The Jolimont Lake, formerly Jolimont Swamp, was used by Aboriginal people in the period prior to European settlement. In the late 1950s, the Council and the Water Board once again improved drainage in the Jolimont area, and began the beautification of Jolimont Lake. Trees were planted by the Subiaco branch of the Tree Society, and in 1966 the surrounding reserve was named after the society's founder president. (Ref: Spillman, Ken, Identity Prized: A History of Subiaco, City of Subiaco, UWA Press, 1985, pp. 314-5.)
Jolimont Estate was released in 1891, by investor John Maddock. The roads Peel, Rosebery, Lansdowne, Jersey, Cardigan and Jolimont had all been surveyed, and land sold steadily. However, the low-lying area caused dampness and flooding, which was a health concern, and some lots were even so low-lying that they were unable to be developed. Early pioneers formed a Progress Association to rectify these matters, fearing neglect by the Subiaco Council for being on the outskirts of the suburb, and for a decade of two the residents' sense of isolation and insignificance was real. The State Government solved Jolimont's drainage problems in 1922, and compensated residents, although parts of the Estate had been lost forever to Jolimont Lake.
Cardigan Terrace was once a continuation of Hay Street, and was the main commercial centre of Jolimont. By 1905 several stores and the school were established. Jolimont Terrace was also a commercial centre, with such services as a jeweller and greengrocer. Most of Peel, Rosebery and Lansdowne Streets were developed for residences by c1910-20.
(Sources: Wise's Post Office Directory 1905-1925; Real Estate Maps, Battye Library Collection; Spillman, Ken, Identity Prized: A History of Subiaco, City of Subiaco, UWA Press, 1985, pp. 69, 134, 233-237.)

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This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.