Guilderton, Western Australia
Town in Western Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Guilderton is a small coastal town north of Perth, Western Australia at the mouth of the Moore River in the Shire of Gingin.
Guilderton | |||||||||||||
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Lookout view of Guilderton at the Moore River mouth | |||||||||||||
  Guilderton | |||||||||||||
 Interactive map of Guilderton | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates: 31.35°S 115.50°E | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Western Australia | ||||||||||||
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| Location | |||||||||||||
| Established | 1951 | ||||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||||
| • State electorate | |||||||||||||
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| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 8.6 km2 (3.3 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 158 (SAL 2021)[1][2] | ||||||||||||
| Postcode | 6041 | ||||||||||||
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It was originally known as Gabbadah, an Aboriginal term meaning "mouthful of water" until its gazetting as a town in 1951. The river mouth regularly opens and closes depending on the seasons, and alternates between a closed lagoon and a tidal estuary.
The town is a popular holiday destination for Perth residents, who commonly refer to it as Moore River.
History
The area has been used as a camping and recreation spot since 1905 when the residents of nearby Gingin petitioned for a road to be constructed to the area. The area was declared as a recreation area in 1907.
In 1931, 40 silver guilder coins from the 17th century were found in the sandhills near the entrance to the Moore River – thus the name Guilderton. The coins were thought to be from the wreck of the Dutch ship, Vergulde Draeck (Gilt Dragon) that had foundered on a reef north of the river-mouth near Ledge Point in 1656.
Soldiers used the area during World War II both for rest and recreation and as a base for horseback beach patrols.
The township was gazetted and named Guilderton on 28 November 1951; the area was known locally as Moore River until this time.[3]
In 1983, the Federal Department of Transport established a lighthouse at Wreck Point, Guilderton near the river mouth at a cost of $240,000. This was the last brick tower style lighthouse built in Australia.
