User talk:Kambarang

Location:
Frankland townsite derives its name from its location just to the east of the Frankland River. The town today is small in comparison to many towns in the south west of Western Australia, but as in the case of many towns, it is growing steadily as local farmers and business people invest in town property either to live in or to establish as rental properties. The town is in the Shire of Cranbrook and is situated west of the Albany Highway, south -west of Kojonup, north of Rocky Gully and East of Manjimup. The town and region of Frankland or Frankland River (in Western Australia) as it used to be known, was named by a surgeon called Doctor Thomas Braidwood Wilson in 1829.(1)

The town and region was known as Frankland River until 1935 until the building of a post office when it is said that the postmaster shortened the name as it was considered too long to fit on signs and documents.(2) The quiet country town of Frankland has an active community spirit as shown in the recent construction of a stone-clad community building. This building is recognized as a positive sign that people are building for the future as buildings in the past were of fibro sheeting, giving the town a temporary look. Other buildings in the townsite are the townhall,a Country Club, the Frankland Village shops, the General Store, a garage, a Catholic church , a Baptist Church as well as a Primary School and numerous homes.

Local Attractions and Activities:
Frankland is in an 'off the main road' part of the State of Western Australia, but is very much on the map when it comes to its excellent wines, fat lambs,cattle, wool,and olive oil production. Tourism is on the increase as many people discover this picturesque pasture land and olive and vineyard covered hillsides as you drive into the Frankland River valley. The standard of accomodation is however in its early days but there is a pleasant caravan and camping site in the main townstite, comfortable and well equiped chalets at both Alkoomi and Ferngrove and hotel accommodation at nearby Rocky Gully and Cranbrook. A locally run restaurant, the "Spurtle" caters for evening meals and lunches of locally grown Marron can be had on request at a local farm. Lake Poorarecup is a fresh water natural lake, east of the townsite, used for recreational watersports, swimming and camping. Lake Unicup to the west of the townsite and a short distance off the road to Manjimup is also a popular recreation spot.

Wine and Olive production
Vineyards and olive groves have replaced farming land mainly to the west of the townsite. In 1971, "ALkoomi", 8 km from the Frankland townsite, owned by the Lange family, was one of the first vineyards to grow and produce their own high quality red and white wines. In later years, "Ferngrove" owned by the Toovey family was sold and the original name of the farm now graces bottles of fine red and white wines that are exported world wide as well as being enjoyed locally. "Alkoomi" and "Ferngrove" both have cellar door sales and cater for the ever increasing tourist trade. "Alkoomi" wines have been seen on the shelves in Harrods of London. The owners are well known for their passion and knowledge of the best varieties of grape that can be grown in the district, to produce just the right taste for the consumer's palate. Other vineyards in the area have sprung up on pioneering family farms. The Warburton and Swiney families own land on the Frankland River itself and the hillsides near the river are covered in vines, copmpleting what is known as the 'golden triangle of vineyards in the Frankland River region. Kambarang 03:20, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

History:
From humble beginnings as a very small town in the early 1900's, Frankland has grown with the influx of war veterans following World War Two, mill workers,shearing teams, seasonal workers on local vineyards and olive groves, townsfolk, farmers and retirees. Today there is a thriving local community, as shown in the recent building of a stone clad community centre. Originally settled by farming families in the late 1800's, due to its good soils, consistent, reliable rainfall, rivers and lakes, the land was cleared of its heavy Wandoo, Jarrah and Marri to make way for pastures for grazing and arable land for cropping. Western Australia's first European settlement began at Albany in 1826. Gradually the pioneers set out to explore the hinterland, hoping to find areas that would be more suitable for pastoral and agricultural holdings than that of the land in the immediate vicinity of the first settlement. The Egerton-Warburtons, who took up `Yeriminup' in 1857, were one of the first families to settle in the Frankland area. They were followed by the Moirs of `Wingebellup' and `Glen Valley', shepherds for the Hassells of `Mongetup', and the Mullins of `Westfield'. A ticket-of-leave man, Anthony Walton, took up `Wonnenup' in 1862 and employed a team of convicts to build a home on the property. Typical of homes of that time, it was constructed of bricks that were made on the property, timber felled and hewn by a broadaxe and, originally, had a roof of white gum shingles. The house is still occupied by its present owners, the Weller family. John Hassell, a retired sea captain, was responsible for opening up extensive areas in the south of the State during the 1850s. He owned large flocks of sheep, which needed the constant attention of shepherds, as the only fences in existence were post-and-rail. Many of the shepherds drove their flocks into the Frankland area, which has many small creeks surrounded by natural pasture that provided good feed in the autumn, winter and spring. The permanent waters of the Frankland and Gordon Rivers, and lakes such as Nunijup and Poorarecup also made the area attractive during summer. Gradually families followed the shepherds into the area, mainly looking for land. Among the pioneering families are the Evans, Herbert, Gardiner, Nicols, Baker, Haynes, Mason, Toovey, Higgins and Gray families. Frankland was one of the many districts to benefit from the completion of the Great Southern Railway in 1889. Although the line actually went through Cranbrook (47kms away) timber workers in the Frankland area were kept busy supplying railway sleepers for the line. Settlement of the district expanded when some of these men took up land in the area. Families have come and gone from the district, but each has left its mark on the town with records of courage from service in the world wars to sporting and community involvement. This area of Western Australia is rich in heritage and tradition which comes fomr a very stable and richly rewarding part of the country.

Frankland has its own Heritage Trail, which explores many of the historic sites of the district. A brochure containing information and a map may be obtained from the Library in Frankland or the Cranbrook Shire office. (3)