JERRAMUNGUP

Jerramungup is a small, neat, modern wheat and sheep town on the edge of the Fitzgerald River National Park, with good tourist facilities which has developed since the 1950s when it was opened up as a War Service Land Settlement area. Today it is a small town on the corner of the South Coast Highway and the Gnowangerup-Jerramungup Road between Perth and Esperance. The great appeal of the area is the richly diverse, and wildly beautiful, Fitzgerald River National Park which lies to the south of the town.

Location

Jerramungup is located 440 km south east of Perth on the edge of the Fitzgerald River National Park. It is 181 km north east of Albany.

ENTRANCE STATEMENT JERRAMUNGUP            #1
 

Origin of Name

'Jerramungup' is probably a simplified pronunciation of the Aboriginal word 'yerra-mo-up' which refers to a yate tree and means "place of the tall yate trees which grow through the mist". When the explorer John Septimus Roe passed through the area in 1848 he wrote in his diary "we were gladdened by the view of a large extent of good grassy country to the N.E. lightly timbered, and at this time well watered by a river and its numerous branches. It is known to the natives as Jeer-a-mung-up."

Things to See and Do

Jerramungup Heritage Trail
The town is so young that the seven places listed on the "Heritage Trail" all date from 1952-1988. They are hardly historic.

All Saints Community Church
In 1969 the Jerramungup Council decided to levy ratepayers to help pay for the cost of All Saints Church, an inter-denominational (community) building which the council argued was a community service. So irate did seven of the local ratepayers become that they appealed to both the Queen and the United Nations. They lost and an anonymous person paid $41,000 which covered the loan and legal costs. The church is located on the corner of Memorial Road and Vasey Street.

Other Attractions in the Area

Fitzgerald River National Park
The beautiful Fitzgerald River National Park, which covers 297,244 ha of coastline between Bremer Bay and Hopetoun, is recognised as one of the largest and most botanically significant national parks in the country because it can claim to have nearly 20% of Western Australia's floral species (1,883 plant species have been identified, 75 of which are found nowhere else) and it has a superb and diverse landscape which includes plains, breakaways, headlands and impressive white beaches and inlets. 
It has four rivers cutting dramatic gorges, wide sand plains, isolated mountains, rugged cliffs, pebbly beaches and spectacular displays of wildflowers between August and October.
In A Park in Perspective by Keith Bradby the appeal of the park is explained: "The park sits astride the incised valleys of four major river systems, which flow south-east to the coast. Dominating the southern section is a low range of rugged quartzite hills known collectively as The Barrens, while the core of the park is an extensive undulating plain ... The flora of the park is exceptionally rich and diverse. Although the Park is only 0.2 per cent of Western Australia's land surface, over 20 per cent of Western Australia's plant species occur there. Many of the plant species are endemic to the region, reflecting the tight and varied plant/soil mosaics. Vegetation varies, from woodland on the richer soils through to mallee and mallee heath.
"There are more recorded species of birds, mammals and frogs than in any other reserve in south-west Australia. This is partly a reflection of the park size, but also because of the blending of wet country and dry country species which occur in the park."
In fact recent research has revealed that the park is home to 22 mammal species, 41 reptile species, 12 frog species and more than 200 bird species including rare species such as the western ground parrot, the western bristle bird and the western whipbird.

WAR MEMORIAL, JERRAMUNGUP            #2
 

 SHIRE OFFICES, JERRAMUNGUP            #3
 

COMMUNITY CHURCH BUILDING, JERRAMUNGUP            #4
 

 DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL, JERRAMUNGUP            #5
 

Every endeavour has been made to accurately record the details however if you would like to provide additional images and/or newer information we are pleased to update the details on this site. Please use CONTACT at the top of this page to email us. We appreciate your involvement in recording the history of our area.

References:                 Article:      Internet

                                  Image:     1, 2, 3, 4, 5       Internet

Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2024