The Australind Pioneers’ Memorial Park is situated north of the Australind Shopping Centre and opposite the Australind Memorial on the Old Coast Road (Editor).
By E.K. Clifton, 11 December 1966.
When the Western Australian Company arrived on 18 March 1841, the three youngest daughters of the Commissioner of the Company, Marshall Waller Clifton, were still only little girls – Lucy aged 11, Rachel 9 and Caroline 7.
Not long after they had settled into their new home on the Old Settlement, on the rising ground overlooking Leschenault Inlet, they decided to each make a garden. At the foot on the hill near the spot where they had landed from the boats which brought them up the Estuary from Port Leschenault, as Bunbury was then called, was the place they chose. Soon the three little gardens were duly made on the opposite side of the Old Coast Road to where the Pioneers’ Memorial now stands.
We do not know for certain what flowers they planted, but in the middle of each little bed was placed a small peppermint seedling. In due course, these seedlings grew and flourished in a situation well suited to them. Long after the gardeners had gone, the trees grew and their gnarled branches intertwined forming a shady little nook from which to gaze on the lovely blue waters of the Inlet. More than a century had passed and there were very few people living who heeded the little clump of old trees, with their twisted branches and fewer who even knew their story.
A few years ago Bingham Clifton had his land surveyed and divided into building blocks.
One day while gazing from the Memorial, I thought what an asset it would be to have a little Park where anyone who wished, could sit and contemplate on many things. Anyway I felt it almost sacrilegious to make this place of memories just another building site. Straightway I approached Bingham with the idea of buying the block. I was greeted with the disappointing answer that someone else had selected the site to make a home. I felt a little flattened, but decided it was no good crying over spilt milk, and thought no more about it.
What was my surprise one morning about three months later, to see Bingham arrive. When he asked if I was still interested, and told me that I could have it, as the man who had selected it preferred another site nearby, I was indeed delighted, and straightway arranged to buy it. When I approached Mr. R. Dewing, the Harvey Shire Clerk at that time, he was very interested and helpful. Finally the necessary business was finalised and the land was vested in the Harvey Shire.
When the newly formed Australind Tree Society heard about my proposition they became interested and offered to help with the project. My grateful thanks go to the many people who have helped to bring my dreams to reality. All the members of our Tree Society helped in one way or another, but most of us are no longer young and there is much work to be done that few of us were capable of doing, but several young men, including Michael Reeve, Bernard Stanley, and Bernard and Roger Ridley, came with tractors, chain saws, slashers, and other implements, clearing and levelling the ground, and cutting off dead boughs that would menace the safety of our young trees, and doing many useful and necessary jobs.
Mr. D. W. Ridley, our local Shire Member has done much for us, such as arranging for fencing and laying on water. Andrew Clifton, of the Forestry Department, as well as a member of our Tree Society, landscaped the block and advised suitable trees for the site, and gave instructions for the digging of the holes in which 6 inches of cow manure was to be placed in the bottom of each. (This was provided by the Ridley boys). Merthyr Davies, his wife and children made a picnic visit, and dug all the holes. Our Members were very helpful in doing the many jobs in preparation and after care of the trees.
15th May 1965 was a perfect Autumn day – warm, bright and breezy, for the first Arbor Day, when 29 native trees were planted. A year later on 15th May 1966 we had a second planting, replacing 2 trees that did not survive the first summer, also two additions as well, making 31 trees in all.
At the suggestion of one of the Tree Society members, the six “Alverstoke” sisters planted a grove of 6 peppermints to carry on the work of our great aunts 123 years before. This, my five sisters and I were delighted to do. Each member of the Tree Society present planted a tree, and the rest were planted by various people interested in the project, and connected in some way with the early settlers or those who had given help to make this project a success.
Miss Ridley has done a wonderful job in organising interested people to help with the watering, staking, and weeding, and taking several lengths of hose joined together so that all trees could be watered from the same tap in the lower corner of the Park. Numerous Busy Bees have been organised and members have arrived with tools, stakes, twine, and entered with a will to help the trees on their way to success. A picnic afternoon tea makes a pleasant outing of these busy days.
As the three original trees were very shabby, with dead branches, and one was worse than the others having been attacked by termites and dry rot, it was decided they would have to be lopped before the new trees were planted, and the fence erected. Although we were sad to do this job, it was done. Now 2 of the trees are a mass of new growth, but sad to say the third shows no sign of new life.
In the Park, a noble old tuart stands, as well as a fig brought from Tenerife on the voyage, as well as an olive from the same island.
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August 1977, Additions to the first paper of 11th December 1966 by E. K. Clifton.
Some of the original trees died and we planted others to replace them.
A huge Tuart with overhanging branches had to be cut back when a house was built on the adjoining allotment.
Unfortunately damage was done to some of our trees when the Shire men did the cutting back.
A tuart that was growing beautifully was chopped off by a man who built to the east of us. He said it spoilt his view of Leschenault Inlet! However in spite of him it has grown into a beautiful branching tree.
In 1974 Mrs. Forbes Wallace, a great niece of Gordon Hamilton who arrived on the barque “Parkfield” in 1841, came to visit Gordon’s grave, so we asked her to plant a tree in memory of him. We chose a Casuarina as they grow so well in the situation of the Memorial Park.
During the same year I asked Ray Piggott to plant a tree in memory of his ancestors who were early settlers at Australind. He also chose a Casuarina which are tolerant of salt, as they grow so well in the situation close to the Leschenault Inlet.
As I had originally intended to have seats and tables for the convenience of people wishing to make use of our Park, Ray offered to make some rustic tables and stools. So to be in keeping with the Pioneers he made two tables with a stool on each side of both, using timber from “Runnimede” [sic, Runnymede], the old Reading homestead which was built in the early days of the Settlement.
Another late addition is the eucalypt brought from Broome by Vivian Smith and planted in his memory by his wife Margaret, nee Clifton.
Over the years we have had constant trouble trying to get rid of Fennel which amongst other herbs was introduced by early settlers. It seeds prolifically and with other weeds needs annual eradication in spite of various sprays that were used in hopes of getting rid of it permanently. With this tiresome and uninteresting problem the Misses Gladys Ellershaw and Ethel Clifton were constant helpers.
To make our Park more easily accessible, Bernard Ridley fenced the western end and made a turnstile. Some white paint made the approach more pleasing.
Ray Piggott has since died so the tables and stools built by him will serve as a memorial to him.
Australind Pioneer Memorial Park; design, layout supervision by AL Clifton, 24 May 1965. Harvey History Online Collection.
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