WA Day Long Weekend

Got you, did you think you had missed something here?

You haven't, don't worry. I am from Western Australia and tomorrow we celebrate WA Day. When I joined Wealthy Affiliate, I thought it was a good sign, as us West Australians always say we are from WA!

Here is a little information on our state, started as a convict settlement!

Prior to 2012, the WA Day holiday on 1 June each year was known as Foundation Day. Over the years some Western Australians have been confused about the difference between Foundation Day and the founding of Perth which occurs on 12 August. This brief history explains the difference and some key events during 1829.

The date 1 June 1829 is an important date in our history. It was when the first free settlers, men, women and children, completed their long voyage to the Swan River Colony aboard the Parmelia with Captain Stirling. Wintry weather prevented the colonists from setting foot on the mainland, however 1 June has always been regarded as Foundation Day.

Six weeks earlier the 26 gun frigate Challenger, commanded by Captain Charles Howe Fremantle, anchored off Garden Island. On 2 May Captain Fremantle, accompanied by a crew of fourteen, set out in a cutter and gig to explore the Swan River. After landing at the river’s mouth, Fremantle hoisted the Union Jack and took formal possession of the whole of the western coast of New Holland in the name of King George IV. After proceeding up the river, Fremantle's party spent a night on Rous Head before crossing to the south side of the river on 4 May.

According to Captain Fremantle's diary they ‘landed in a little bay just around Arthur's Head, which looked clean and grassy and appeared a good place for making our first encampment’. Under the direction of Lieutenant Henry, twenty five men from the Challenger later pitched their tents near amineral spring, planted vines and prepared the ground for a settlement.

The Parmelia's long journey ended late on 31 May, but Foundation Day on 1 June dawned bleak and cold, with the weather becoming more unsettled. The following day, fearing that the Parmelia's master was about to head for the Sound, Captain Fremantle dispatched a cutter to warn against this action.

Stirling ignored the advice and within five minutes the Parmelia was floundering towards the shore and in danger of being wrecked. It took 18 hours for the Challenger's men to save the Parmelia. In the meantime the official's wives were transferred to the Challenger and another 28 women and children were taken to Carnac Island where they were marooned for nearly five days.

By 6 June the Parmelia, badly in need of repairs, was anchored close to the Challenger in Cockburn Sound. Captain Stirling decided to establish the first settlement on Garden Island. Gradually the settlers, their possessions and livestock were taken ashore. A well was dug, gardens were planted, a road was cut through to the top of a high mound, and a storehouse and huts were built to provide shelter.

On 17 June a proxy proclamation was read by the Lieutenant Governor elect James Stirling to the officials and colonists on Garden Island. Although further exploration occurred on the mainland, it was some time before the colonists were moved to the mainland.

Before Stirling decided where the capital for the Swan River Colony should be established, several sites were considered. Stirling’s final choice of the current Perth CBD was based on several factors. It was a place of great beauty, where fresh water existed and stone, lime, clay and other materials were accessible for building. Stirling also believed that by establishing the capital up the river, communication between the port-town at Fremantle and the agricultural areas up river would be more effective.

Perth was founded on the King's birthday, 12 August. To celebrate the occasion, Mrs Helena Dance stood in for Mrs Ellen Stirling. In the presence of the Lieutenant Governor Captain Fremantle, Mrs Dance cut down a tree in the vicinity of the present Barrack Street. Volleys were fired, speeches were made and the town was named Perth according to the wishes of Sir George Murray, a fellow Scot and friend of the Stirling family.

Wood from the historic tree was later used to make a sewing box the size of a jewel case. Fashioned from highly polished she-oak with inset brass hinges, the box is divided into nine compartments and lined with royal blue velvet. It was unexpectedly found by Queen Mary in 1932 when she visited a shop in London. A connoisseur of antiques, Queen Mary recognised the significance of the casket and presented it as a gift to the Western Australian Government.

The early months of the Swan River colony in 1829 were a busy time. Between the first of June and December 1829, eighteen vessels arrived at the Swan River. The first sale of allotments was held in what is now Perth CBD on 5 September 1829. Most houses built faced St Georges Terrace and followed the contour of the river towards Mt Eliza which was the dominating element in the setting.

By the end of 1830, the Swan River Colony's population was 1500, excluding military personnel and visitors. Within two years small settlements had been established on the upper reaches of the Swan at Guildford, along the banks of the Canning River and beyond the Darling Ranges at York.

Although the colonists and the Aboriginal people had little contact in the very early days of the Swan River Settlement their meetings were generally friendly but apprehensive as each group had little understanding of the other. However, by the 1830s, misunderstandings occurred especially regarding ownership and respect for the land.

Aboriginal people saw themselves as deeply spiritual people who had developed a complex and deep association with the land. The Europeans who had arrived were unaware of this close relationship with the environment and many problems began to surface.

It is important in any retelling of periods of Western Australian history to acknowledge the original owners of this land, the Aboriginal people, and also to recognise that modern Western Australia is made up of people from many different backgrounds. Most members of our community have journeyed here from elsewhere in the world and together have created a peaceful and prosperous community.

In recognition of our complex history and the diverse nature of our community, Foundation Day was renamed WA Day in 2012 with the bipartisan support of the Western Australian Parliament.

Image by Johannes van Keulen [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Hope you lasted through the History Lesson!

Thank you for reading.