The Darling Scarp (previously known as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges) is a low escarpment running North-South to the East of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia. In Geomorphology, an escarpment is a transition zone between different physiogeographic provinces that involves a sharp steep Elevation differential characterized The Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature that lies directly west of the Darling Scarp, and which contains the Swan River Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent.
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History
Maps from the 1830s show the scarp labelled "General Darlings Range"; this later became Darling Range, a name by which the formation was still commonly known in the late 20th century, despite common understanding of it being an escarpment. General Sir Ralph Darling, GCH (1772 – 2 April 1858) was a British colonial Governor and the seventh Governor of New There is also a tendency to identify the locations on or behind the scarp as being in the "Perth Hills" (or simply "The Hills"). Perth Hills is a term used primarily for marketing purposes to identify that part of the Darling Scarp and hinterland east of the scarp that lies within the shires of Mundaring
The earliest traverses by British settlers in the Swan River Colony occurred in the 1830s. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there often to colonize the area Swan River Colony was a British settlement established at the Swan River on the west coast of Australia in 1829 The best known of these is the expedition of Ensign Robert Dale, who appears to have gone from a point near Guildford, to the south side of Greenmount Hill and up through the Helena Valley. Lieutenant Robert Dale (1812&ndash 20 July 1853[[ Notes|1]] was the first European explorer to cross the Darling Range in Western Guildford, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, was established in 1829 on the Swan River, being sited near a permanent fresh water supply Greenmount is a locality and a geographical feature in the Shire of Mundaring, Western Australia, on the edge of the Darling Scarp. Helena Valley is the name of a river valley and a locality in the foothills of the Darling Scarp in Perth Western Australia.
Geology
The Darling Scarp is the local expression, in the Perth area, of the extensive Darling Fault, a major and ancient geological discontinuity separating the Archaean Yilgarn Craton in the east from the younger Pinjarra Orogen and overlying Phanerozoic Perth Basin to the west. The Darling Fault is one of the longest and most significant faults in Australia, exposed for over 1 000 km in a north–south orientation near the west coast of southern The Yilgarn Craton is a large Craton which constitutes the bulk of the Western Australian land mass The Phanerozoic (occasionally Phanaerozoic) Eon is the current eon in the Geologic timescale, and the one during which abundant animal life has existed The Perth Basin is a thick Sedimentary basin in Western Australia. The Darling Fault is exposed for over 1,000 km, from the area east of Shark Bay, to the southern coast of Western Australia east of Albany. Albany ( is located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, situated around a port on the southern coast
The Archaean granites and gneisses of the Yilgarn Craton form the high ground of the Perth Hills and can be observed in road cuts, with good examples in the Mundaring Weir area. Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock. Gneiss (ˈnaɪs is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from preexisting formations that were originally Mundaring Weir is the name of a Dam (and historically the adjoining locality which are located from Perth Western Australia in the Darling Scarp. The only exposed sediments of the Perth Basin, west of the fault, are of Cenozoic age, and comprise the material such as sandy limestone, travertine and dune sand on which the city of Perth is built, including sand dunes of Pleistocene age formed during the last Ice Age. The Cenozoic (also Caenozoic or Cainozoic) Era (ˌsiːnəˈzoʊɪk/ /ˌsɛn- (meaning "new life" ( Greek ( kainos) "new" Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Travertine is a Sedimentary rock. It is a natural chemical precipitate of Carbonate minerals; typically Aragonite, but often recrystallized to The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period
This area is also a distinct physiographic section of the larger Yilgarn Block province, which in turn is part of the larger West Australian Shield division. The Yilgarn Craton is a large Craton which constitutes the bulk of the Western Australian land mass Australian Shield, also called the Western Australian Shield or Western Plateau, occupies more than half of the continent of Australia.
Climate effects
Often the Bureau of Meteorology identify different weather for 'the hills' in comparison to that of the Swan Coastal Plain
Also, in traditionally hot summers, strong easterly winds travelling across the scarp have presented serious issues for planes using the Perth Airport due to the alignment of the runways. The Bureau of Meteorology is an Executive Agency of the Australian Government responsible for providing weather services to Australia and surrounding areas The Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature that lies directly west of the Darling Scarp, and which contains the Swan River Perth Airport is an Australian domestic and international Airport located south of Guildford Western Australia, and is the major commercial airport A documented accident in 1999 involving wind shear from the scarp is at the Perth Airport article.
Landuse conflict
Since the start of the 20th century, the Darling escarpment has been exploited for stone quarries, Forestry and Bauxite Mining. Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body Forestry is the Art and Science of managing forests tree Plantations and related Natural resources. Extensive timber railways and timber mills and the supporting communities existed along the escarpment due to the high quality jarrah forests. Lumber or timber is Wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural Material for Construction, or
Water supply
In the early twentieth century, most of the main rivers flowing off the escarpment had mainly been utilised for dams for water supply.
The dams on the scarp, or slightly inland include: Mundaring Weir (on the Helena River), and the Canning Dam (on the Canning River). Mundaring Weir is the name of a Dam (and historically the adjoining locality which are located from Perth Western Australia in the Darling Scarp. The Helena River is a tributary of the Swan River in Western Australia. Canning Dam is a major water source for the city of Perth Western Australia. Canning River may refer to Canning River (Western Australia Canning River (Alaska
The scarp also defines the easternmost limit of the various aquifers present in the Perth Basin sediments, most notably the Southwest Yarragadee Aquifer. An aquifer is an underground layer of Water -bearing Permeable rock or unconsolidated materials ( Gravel, Sand, Silt, or Clay The Yarragadee Aquifer is a significant freshwater Aquifer located in the south west of Western Australia and predominately beneath the Swan Coastal Plain The scarp forms a divide between the hypersaline groundwaters typical of the Yilgarn Craton basement from the fresh ground waters of the Perth Basin. Some dams along the scarp are contaminated by seepage of saline water from the granite into the base of the dam's water column and must be periodically flushed to preserve water quality.
Rock quarries
Also in the early to mid-twentieth century numerous rock quarries existed on the edge of the escarpment - visible and affecting both the aesthetics and the environment of the escarpment.
In the area where the Helena River emerges from its valley to the sandplain, there are still four quarries evident, despite being unused for fifty years or more. The Helena River is a tributary of the Swan River in Western Australia. The Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature that lies directly west of the Darling Scarp, and which contains the Swan River
- Bluestone (1850s name), later known as Greenmount Quarry (1850s to 1920s), at Greenmount Hill west side of Greenmount National Park. Greenmount National Park is in the locality of Greenmount Western Australia ( Australia) 22 km east of Perth.
- Mountain Quarry (now usually signed as Boya Quarry), south of Greenmount Hill, which ceased operation in 1963.
- Fremantle Harbour Works Quarry (sometimes, C. Y. O'Connor's Mole Reconstruction Quarry, and later known as the Public Works Quarry), now Hudman Road Amphitheatre at edge of Darlington - Boya localities border, operated from the 1900s to the 1930s. Fremantle (commonly known as Freo is a Port City in Western Australia, located southwest of Perth, the state capital at the mouth of C Y O'Connor CMG ( 11 January 1843 – 10 March 1902) full name Charles Yelverton O'Connor, was an Irish Darlington, Western Australia is a locality in the Shire of Mundaring on the Darling Scarp, dissected by Nyaania Creek and north of the Helena Boya is a locality on the Darling Scarp, in the Shire of Mundaring, Western Australia.
- Statham Quarry at Gooseberry Hill at northern edge of the Kalamunda Zig Zag formation. Gooseberry Hill is a suburb of Perth Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda. The Kalamunda Zig Zag was completed in 1891, as part of the Upper Darling Range Railway line in Western Australia which was built by the Canning
There have also been visible quarries on the scarp in the Gosnells and Herne Hill areas. Gosnells is a suburb of Perth Western Australia, located within the City of Gosnells. Herne Hill is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located in the City of Swan local government area.
Legislative restrictions upon such developments were initiated in the late twentieth century to prevent further visible scars on the western face of the scarp.
Railways
- The Eastern Railway first traversed the Darling Scarp in the 1880s along its first route through Greenmount (where three of the above quarries were later able to utilise the railway). First section The first section of the Eastern Railway from Fremantle to Guildford, remained generally unchanged since it was opened on 1 March
- By the 1890s the second route passed through Swan View Tunnel and John Forrest National Park. The Swan View Tunnel is located at Swan View, Western Australia on the edge of the Darling Scarp, and at the southern side of the Jane Brook valley John Forrest is a National park in Western Australia ( Australia) 24 km east of Perth.
- In the 1960s the third route utilised easier grades through the Avon Valley
- The Kalamunda Zig Zag or Upper Darling Range Railway ran up the southern steep side of the Helena Valley entrance until 1949. The Kalamunda Zig Zag was completed in 1891, as part of the Upper Darling Range Railway line in Western Australia which was built by the Canning History Completed in 1891 the Upper Darling Range Railway line in Western Australia was built by the Canning Jarrah Timber Company to supply railway
Bauxite mining
In the late twentieth century, the proving of bauxite deposits correlating to the extensive Jarrah Forests saw wide ranging protests against the proposals to mine the forests.
The lengthy process of protest forced the government and miners to check their original proposals, and wide ranging processes to guard segments of the Jarrah Forests from mining ensued.
Dieback and fire
Also in the late twentieth century, dieback effecting Jarrah timber in particular infected large tracts of the forest. Phytophthora cinnamomi is a soil-borne Water mould that produces an infection which causes a condition in plants called "root rot" or "dieback" Currently only the restriction of vehicle access has proved effective in slowing the spread of this disease. This gained greater acceptance and publicity through the decision to allow Rally Australia to operate along services roads provided that the vehicles had a thorough wash including the under carriage at the end of each stage. Rally Australia is an automobile rally event which was held in and around Perth, Western Australia between 1988 and 2006
In late 2004, the largest bushfire in the Northern Jarrah Forest for at least 100 years created significant issues for the forest as well. As a result of this fire intensity the Government increased the volume of controlled burns along the entire escarpment to reduce the build up of flammable materials.
In the early 2000s, Greenmount National Park and John Forrest National Park have been repeatedly burnt by bushfires - in most cases through suspected arson. Greenmount National Park is in the locality of Greenmount Western Australia ( Australia) 22 km east of Perth. John Forrest is a National park in Western Australia ( Australia) 24 km east of Perth.
Current activity
The escarpment is currently the site of a number of approved mines of bauxite (or Aluminium ore), which are mined by the company Alcoa along with others. Bauxite is the most important Aluminium Ore. It consists largely of the minerals Gibbsite Al(OH3 Boehmite γ-AlO(OH and Alcoa Inc ( is the world's third largest producer of Aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. The bauxite mines (and rehabilitated areas after mining) have erased all the evidence of the networks of the timber railways.
Suburbs on the Scarp
The localities or suburbs on the 'edge' of the scarp are those that sit at its western edge, and in most cases command excellent views of the Swan Coastal Plain:
The suburbs near Midland and Kalamunda are often referred to as the Perth Hills
Near Midland:
Near Kalamunda:
Near Armadale:
Television transmission towers
The suburbs to the south of Kalamunda are the locations of the main Perth Metropolitan television station transmission towers. The Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature that lies directly west of the Darling Scarp, and which contains the Swan River Perth Hills is a term used primarily for marketing purposes to identify that part of the Darling Scarp and hinterland east of the scarp that lies within the shires of Mundaring Midland is a suburb in the Perth, Western Australia metropolitan area as well as the regional centre for the City of Swan local government area Stratton is a mostly residential eastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Swan. Swan View is an eastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Areas are the City of Swan and the Shire of Mundaring Greenmount is a locality and a geographical feature in the Shire of Mundaring, Western Australia, on the edge of the Darling Scarp. Darlington, Western Australia is a locality in the Shire of Mundaring on the Darling Scarp, dissected by Nyaania Creek and north of the Helena Boya is a locality on the Darling Scarp, in the Shire of Mundaring, Western Australia. Helena Valley is the name of a river valley and a locality in the foothills of the Darling Scarp in Perth Western Australia. Gooseberry Hill is a suburb of Perth Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda. Lesmurdie is a suburb of Perth Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda. Walliston is a suburb of Perth Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda. Bickley is a suburb of Perth Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda. Carmel is a suburb of Perth Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda. Armadale is a suburb within the City of Armadale, located on the southeastern edge of Perth's metropolitan area Martin is a suburb of Perth Western Australia, located within the City of Gosnells. Roleystone is an outer southeastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Karragullen is a suburb of Perth Western Australia, located within the City of Armadale. Bedfordale is a suburb of Perth Western Australia, located within the City of Armadale.
The future
The potential for further landuse conflict exists in the presence of unrelinquished mining leases over large tracts of the escarpment; plans by Governmental operations in Forest reserves; water authority sensitivity towards access to its water catchment areas; bushfire control measures; and demands for further intensification of urbanization on the escarpment.
Darling Range Regional Park
A network of reserves of crown lands on the escarpment have been connected into a regional park to maintain and conserve parts of the escarpment.
In most cases the reserves or parks had individual names prior to being incorporated into the larger park, for example the Serpentine National Park, John Forrest National Park and the Greenmount National Park, or were simply known as State Forests (eg State Forest No. Serpentine is a National park in Western Australia ( Australia) 52 km southeast of Perth. John Forrest is a National park in Western Australia ( Australia) 24 km east of Perth. Greenmount National Park is in the locality of Greenmount Western Australia ( Australia) 22 km east of Perth. 42).
See also
- Eucalyptus laeliae - also known as Darling Range Ghost Gum
- Jarrah Forest
References
- Bean, Alison. Eucalyptus laeliae, Darling Range ghost gum is a small to medium sized tree occurring only on the western side of the Darling Range, particularly the western Jarrah Forest is an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA region in Western Australia. A brief history of the Darling Range : for the Department of Planning and Urban Development. Perth, W. A. : The Dept. , 1993. Darling Range Regional Park supplementary report ; no. 4. ISBN 0730953041
- Blainey, Geoffrey. White gold : the story of Alcoa of Australia St. Leonards, N. S. W. : Allen & Unwin, 1997. ISBN 1864483555
- The Darling Scarp : a natural entity: proceedings of symposium held at the Geography Department of the University of Western Australia, November 1969 Perth, W. A. : Nature Conservation Council of Western Australia, 1970
- Department of Planning and Urban Development, Western Australia. The Natural resources of the Darling Ranges Perth, W. A. : The Dept. , 1993. Darling Range Regional Park supplementary report ; no. 2. ISBN 0730953025
- Murphy, Mike. ( Coles, Helena - editor) Jarrahdalians : the story of the Jarrahdale Mine Booragoon, W. A. : Alcoa of Australia, 1998. ISBN 064636670X
- Myers JS (1992) Pinjarra Orogen, in Geology and Mineral Resources of Western Australia: Western Australia Geological Survey, Memoir 3, 77-119.
- Schur, Basil. Jarrah forest or bauxite dollars? : a critique of bauxite mine rehabilitation in the jarrah forests of southwestern Australia Perth, W. A. : Campaign to Save Native Forests (W. A. ), 1985. ISBN 0959744975 (pbk. )
- Watson, Lindsay The Railway History Of Midland Junction : Commemorating The Centenary Of Midland Junction, 1895-1995 Swan View, W. A : L & S Drafting in association with the Shire of Swan and the Western Australian Light Railway Preservation Association, [1995]
External links
- Engineering Geology of the Precambrian Rocks of the Darling Scarp
- Hydrology of the Perth Basin
- Serpentine National Park
- Darling Scarp Walk, bushwalk
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