MANJIMUP TOWNSITE Overview
The townsite of Manjimup is located in the south west, 304 km south of Perth. Manjimup is an Aboriginal name said to be derived from "Manjin", a broad leafed marsh flag with an edible root valued as an article of diet by Aborigines. These plants apparently grew prolifically below a spring in the area. Land in the area was first leased by Frank Hall in 1859, and John Mottram, who worked for Hall, is believed to have been the earliest settler on the property referred to as “Manjimup House”. The earliest permanent settler in the area was John Giblett who leased land in 1861 and was the first to acquire any land freehold in 1868.
By the late 1890s demand for quality agricultural land in Western Australia focused attention on the heavily forested areas near Manjimup. A report by surveyor Terry in 1898 identified good land on the Wilgarup River, and an Agricultural Area was declared. There was also some demand for small lots, and in 1902 lots were surveyed near Balbarrup and it was decided to declare a townsite. The Nelson Roads Board nominated Manjimup as a name, and the townsite of Manjimupp was gazetted in 1903. The double "P" spelling was used because the Lands Department had adopted spelling rules for Aboriginal names that used Italian vowels and English consonants, and doubling a consonant shortened the preceding vowel (otherwise the pronunciation could have been Manjimoop).
In 1909 the government decided to extend the railway from Bridgetown to Wilgarup. The terminus of the line was to be close to the original Manjimup homestead, which is about 5 km west of the 1903 townsite. The proposed station was named Manjimup, and a subdivision was recommended at the site. The new townsite was named Manjimupp, and gazettal took place in May 1910. The original Manjimupp was renamed to Balbarrup the same year. The locally accepted spelling however was Manjimup, and the double "P" was officially changed in 1915. The railway line was opened for traffic in 1911.
The Railway & Selection of the site for the townsite The location of Manjimup townsite was determined by the engineers and surveyors associated with the extension of the railway line from Bridgetown to Wilgarrup. Frank O’Connor (eldest son of CY O’Connor) was the engineer for the project. The route had been planned and a map prepared by June 1908, and although a deviation was sought near Yornup, the terminus, in the same location as it was established was already fixed. The person to propose the establishment of the town was Chief Inspecting Surveyor, Frederick Slade Brockman, who was based in Bridgetown. Records show that Brockman was urged on by some of the settlers in the neighbourhood, and that his request to his Surveyor General, H F Johnston, was dated 1 July 1909
In the south-west, Brockman's 1904 report and classification of land for stock, dairying, fruit and potato growing between the Vasse and Shannon rivers, was a precursor to development.
In July 1909 Brockman suggested he visit the locality and prepare a scheme for a small subdivision. Surveyor General Johnston quickly responded supporting the suggestion, and by 1 October the visit had been completed and a plan prepared by Brockman. The plan included forty half acre town lots and fifteen suburban lots of approx 2-3 acres each, with lots on both sides of the future railway station. Brockman instructed surveyor A W Johnson to undertake the survey. He completed the survey by the end of October, and then Brockman selected lots to be reserved for government purposes and decided on the price of those lots which were to be thrown open for selection. His suggestions were ₤10 for the half acre town lots and from ₤8 to ₤15 for the larger suburban blocks.
The plan of the proposed townsite was completed by April after the Warren Road Board suggested road names for the streets. Their reply from Secretary Isaac Doust, dated May 7th, 1910, proposed the names of Mount, Giblett, Rose, Brockman, Mottram, Reeve, Young, Wheatley, Brain, Ipsen, Muir, Doust and Blechyden after “old and prominent citizens” and O’Connor after the engineer in charge of the railway construction works.
The Townsite of Manjimupp was officially gazetted on 19 May 1910, the notice declaring His Excellency the Governor in Executive Council has been pleased to set apart the area described hereunder as Town and Suburban, to form a Townsite at the terminus of the Bridgetown-Wilgarrup Railway, hereafter to be known and distinguished as Manjimupp. A technical description of the land then followed, and the same gazette carried in another notice the price of the lots that were then available.
Prices were higher than Brockman’s suggestions, with 21 town lots being available for ₤8 to ₤15 and the 1 acre lot at the corner of Mount and Giblett Streets being the most expensive at ₤30. The 32 larger suburban blocks available were ₤8 to ₤20, with most being ₤15. An additional 9 town lots were made available in January 1912.
By 1912 there was increasing pressure on the Lands & Surveys Department to make more land available, with J Arnott, Secretary of the Manjimup Progress Association writing requesting more lots and F S Brockman advising that the growth of the timber industry in the area would support an additional 100 lots being made available. Following survey, around 100 new lots were offered for sale or lease in Bath and Moore Streets for prices between ₤12/10/- and ₤25 in February 1913. The road names Arnott, Johnson, Ward, Moore and Bath were proposed by the Road Board and approved in 1913, with Collier being suggested by the District Surveyor Brockman.
The Lands & Surveys file for Manjimup records a steady demand for additional land, particularly in the 1920’s, the growth of the timber industry being the main driver. The only real issue associated with this demand was the heavy timber cover throughout the townsite, and the Warren Roads Board was in frequent communication with the Department about the clearing of the land, particularly the removal of dangerous trees.