Local Government
Beverley
Region
Avon Arc
Junct Great Eastern Hwy & Top Rd to York Beverley
6km NW of Beverley at Junction of Great Eastern Highway and 'Top Road to York'
Edwards Crossing
Beverley
Avon Arc
Constructed from 1843 to 1870
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHP - Does not warrant assessment | Current | 16 Sep 2020 |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 24 Jun 1996 | ||
Colonists began to settle in the Avon Valley in 1930, within a year of the Swan River Colony's foundation. Ensign Dale explored the region in 1830, and was soon followed by free settlers seeking to make a living in the bush. In the 1830s a small settlement emerged in the area now known as Edwards Crossing. In 1843 Alfred Searle, the Assistant Surveyor, surveyed the area with a view to founding the town of Beverley there. Unbeknown to the handful of residents at the time, it was not to be, for the area was prone to severe flooding. Subsequently, in the 1860s, the town of Beverley was founded at its present site, two miles (four-five kilometres) south of Edwards Crossing. Edwards Crossing gets its name from William Edwards, an early settler in the area. In 1859 St Pauls Anglican Church was constructed and the Crossing was a small trading settlement. There were several buildings, including a number of mud-brick cottages and at least four businesses. William Edwards, a veteran of the Battle of Waterloo, was one of Thomas Peel's party on the ill-fated voyage of the Rockingham. The vessle was shipwrecked at Gage Roads, dealing a severe blow to Peel's grand scheme of colonisation. Surviving the shipwreck Edwards went on to work for Peel on the Murrau River. This did not last long and he became a tenant of Governor James Stirling at Guildford. Then in 1831 he obtained 200 acres at Swan Location 32. By 1845, Edwards had expanded his land holdings to 3,540 acres. By the mid-1850s, he was a successful farmer and grazier. The settlement was transferred to the current Beverley townsite due to flooding at Edwards Crossing and as the new townsite was closer to the York-Alabany railway line. (Hocking Planning and Architecture, 1999, St Paul's Anglican Church Edwards Crossing Conservation Plan)
Unknown though MI states this is a 'site' so it is likely the majority of the structural remains are ruins or no longer extant. The bridge was demolished in the 1980s.
Historic Town or district
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | OTHER | Other |
| Original Use | COMMERCIAL | Other |
| Type | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Wall | EARTH | Other Earth |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| OCCUPATIONS | Commercial & service industries |
| DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY | Settlements |
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.