GuildfordWA

Not exhausted by their 8 year battle to have the Guildford Hotel saved from ruin, Guildford residents recently completed a successful fight to have McDonalds refused permission to build an outlet in Guildford. the proposed outlet was part of the Guildford Hotel owner's plans to redevelop the hotel, but it met stiff opposition from locals, including several local politicians (thank you Michelle Roberts MLA, State Labor member for Midland; Claire Scanlan and the other three ladies behind the Say No To McDonalds in Guildford facebook page, and the countless others who have contributed ). We here at GuildfordWA were pleased to be able to pull a few strings in high places to get some high-vis support . . . sshhh Agnes . . .

The Manetti roses were originally placed on the river bank in 1852 by the young Royal Engineer Lieutenant Du Cane, who planted them near Barkers Bridge in Guildford. The roses were very nearly lost in 1997 when contractors for the city of Swan sprayed them with herbicide. The local Guildford Association and other conservation groups, including students from Polytechnic West, replanted the roses with cuttings from the original roses. Members of the Guildford Association were known to have carried buckets of water from the river to water the roses during the heat of the following summers, until City of Swan installed reticulation. The world is full of unsung local heroes.

Two local heroes: cricket legends Kevin Gartrell (L) and Keith Slater in front of a small section of the crowd at the now defunct but hugely popular Lilac Hill Festival Cricket Match. The Lilac Hill match was traditionally the opening match of any side touring Australia, and was the most anticipated event on the Western Australian Cricket calendar, regularly drawing crowds in excess of 10,000. Keith (Spud) Slater was a major force behind getting the match established as a permanent fixture. Keith and Kevin (above) openened the iconic Slater Gartrell Sports Store in nearby Midland in 1978. The store continues to operate, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year (2018).

The Chapel of St. Mary and St. George at Guildford Grammar School framed by the autumnal display of old English plane trees planted along the avenue leading up to and beside the school. The stone used in the building is sandstone from Donnybrook in Western Australia's south.  Marble from Italy and Belgium make up the floor, and hand-carved English oak worked by English craftsmen adorns the interior. The chapel was consecrated on 25th of March, 1914. A large faint cross can be seen on each slope of the roof of the chapel, remnants of the time in WWII that the US Navy commandeered the chapel for use as a hospital.

Pioneer gravestones were moved to the grounds of Guildford Grammar School when roadworks disturbed an old graveyard. They are "on display", even though you have to walk past a No Entry sign to get to them. They lay flat to the ground, unprotected from the elements, slowly deteriorating. Several have eroded to the point their inscriptions are indecipherable. Here is one of the better preserved examples (1867). . . . and below . . . gone! Lost beyond repair. I'm sure the Guildford community can do better . . .

A sparkling 1942 Chevy Cabriolet (L) alongside an equally striking 1936 Chrysler Plymouth at the Guildford Heritage Festival.

Sisters at the station in late afternoon light. Situated on the main Midland to Perth railway line, Guildford has two rail stations (Guildford and East Guildford) making the use of public transport to and from the town a breeze.

Summer nights on the village green . . . when the weather warms up, the Guildford Twilight Markets spring back into life. Held monthly in the centrally-located Stirling Square, surrounded by towering Sugar Gums and just a short walk from the Guildford train station, the markets are a popular fixture on the local calendar. 

Built in the Federation Free Classical architectural style, the Midland Town Hall was officially opened on January 23, 1907. The clock tower/soldiers' memorial was added after World War I. While Guildford was initially the main transport hub in the area due to its location on the navigable Swan River, Midland Junction took over as rail replaced river traffic as the primary means of transporting people and goods.

Rhythmos, Curtin University's award-winning a cappella choir performing at the inaugural Guildford Songfest, 2017. Spread across several easy-to-stroll-between venues in the beautiful Guildford village, the inaugural Guildford Songfest in 2017 featured dozens of top-class vocal acts from around Australia. The good news is that the brilliant Songfest is back again this September (2018) , bigger and better.

I often remember this half-torn poster and wonder if they found her. I tell myself they did . . .