DONNYBROOK
| In the mid 1990s Donnybrook was
dubbed the ugliest town in Western Australia
by a consultant named Peter Kenyon, today lots
of people know just where Donnybrook is, and
Peter Kenyon is keeping a low profile, at least
in the South West.
To be fair, it seems unlikely that Peter
really meant it, as Donnybrook is a very pretty
place indeed. On the South West Highway, straddling
the Preston River, and with orchards in every
direction, this is a little hamlet that is
worth visiting, and worth a few minutes to
stop.
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Photo courtesy of Donnybrook
Shire |
It’s one of the State’s primary fruit growing
areas, and it is common among those in the know for
a trip to any place in the south to have to include
a stop at Donnybrook to get fresh fruit.
The area has tons of tourist potential, and is close
enough to Bunbury for commuting if you feel it necessary.
The forest isn’t far away, but from the main
street, the town feels a lot more European than most
in the region, with deciduous trees and some stone
buildings.
On the South West Highway, this town is easy to get
to, it’s got interesting things surrounding it,
and it wears it’s status as a town with seasonal
industry fairly comfortably. The local backpacker
accommodation fills to capacity at harvest time in
the orchards for instance.
For someone who wants a country town lifestyle but
also to be reasonably close to the regional city,
Donnybrook is well worth checking out.
| Population |
Around 2500 |
| Distance to Perth |
206 km |
| Distance to Bunbury |
38 km |
| Distance to beach |
38km |
| Annual Rainfall |
Approx 950mm |
| Schools |
Primary schools, 1 District High
school (to Year 10), TAFE Centre |
| Police |
Police station |
| Health Services |
Public hospital, aged care facilities,
medical centres, dentist, child heath centre |
| Shops |
Banks, Supermarket, and a range
of speciality stores |
| Sport |
A range of sporting associations
exist for juniors and seniors - including Soccer,
Basketball, Australian Rules, Shooting, Hockey,
Cycling and more. |
| Other Facilities |
Recreation centre and ground, indoor
swimming pool (heated), library. |
| Major Industries |
Fruit growing is the most obvious
industry and very important here. As a town that
has been a regular stopping point for decades,
it is comfortable with it’s tourism industry
and some greater concentration is going that way
now. The timber industry isn’t apparent in
the town centre, but is close by, as is quarrying
for the well known Donnybrook Stone. Plans have
been proposed for a pulp mill in Donnybrook, looking
to a manufacturing base, but that proposal is
unclear. There are also significant plantings
of wine grapes and olives nearby. |
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