8 Jun 2023 - Perth Day 1: York Town (A Beautiful Historic Town)

It's a 4-5 hours long drive from Perth to Hyden, where Wave Rock is situated.  As such, I decided to take a few rest stops along the way.  Our first stop was York Town, which is 96km from Perth.  It took me slightly more than an hour to reach the town center.  York is the oldest inland town in Western Australia. Established in 1831, the town is renowned for its rich heritage, colonial architecture and outstanding natural beauty.

The first building that caught our attention as we drove into York Town is its Town Hall.  This iconic building was built in 1911 and was later renovated in 2000.  It is a fine example of Edwardian opulence, with its columns, ornate facade and significant fanlight over the main entrance. We entered the building looking for rest room and realized that the Town Hall is also a Visitor Centre.

The town is listed as a Heritage Precinct due to the significant number of historic buildings throughout the township.

As we walked down the main street, we came to York Motor Museum.

The museum is full of racing bikes, classic cars and motorcycles, both inside and outside of the museum.

Across the street is a shop called "Penny Fathing Sweets" that sells chocolates, sweets, and lollipops.  It was closed when we were there but I managed to take a peek into the shop.

Next, we came to York Courthouse Complex.  This heritage building was constructed in 1852 and it offers visitors and tourists a glimpse of the past especially from the days of the first convicts until the late 20th century.

A short walking distance from the main street is the Avon River Suspension Bridge.  We strolled down to the Swinging Bridge and crossed over Avon River.

Looking at the calm water and peaceful surroundings, we felt so relax and comfortable.

After we finished admiring the beautiful Avon River and Park, we returned to the main street to continue our exploration of York Town's historic buildings, including the below Fire Station and Post Office.

At noon, we had our lunch outside of a cafe along the main street.  It's nice to have an outdoor lunch in a cool weather, especially in such a peaceful historic town.

After lunch, walked further down the main street and turned in to a store called "The Sock Factory".  They have a wide selection of hats, boots, and other Australian brands, including pure wool, cotton, lanolin and olive oil products, and leather goods.

Before leaving York Town, we drove up to Mount Brown Lookout, which provides a beautiful 360 degree panoramic view of York and its surroundings.

Mount Brown Lookout is 342m above sea level, overlooking the entire Avon Valley.  The views are totally magnificent.

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