History of Denmark, Western Australia

History of Denmark, Western Australia

A brief History of Denmark:

For the full history of Denmark we suggest you visit the Denmark Historical Museum.

Pre European:
The Aboriginal people, the Noognar had been around for 40,000 years.

1624: The Dutch were the first to explore the south coast of Australia around current day Denmark.

1829: A British outpost has been set up in Albany in 1826 and the first European explorer to discover Denmark was Dr. Thomas Braidwood Wilson, a surgeon, and he named the town after his esteemed colleague Alexander Denmark. Wilson reported positively on the area.

Settlement:

1895: The first settlers arrived. The Millar brothers, Edwin and Charles, obtained leases on the timber in the area. They opened several sawmills in Denmark. The town was created to house the families of those working at the sawmills. Wood was used to build workers homes, several stores and the town bridge. A high demand for timber from Europe and around the world and the nearby goldrush kept the sawmills busy. The timber was being used in construction of all types. Denmark was populated at that time by over 1000 timber workers and their families.

School:

1896: The first school opened on the site of what is now the Denmark Arts building and the RSL Hall now stands on the site of the first headmaster's house.

Church:

1899: The first church was built, now known as St. Leonard's Anglican Church, which is now the oldest remaining building in Denmark.

 

Denmark Historial Museum, Denmark Historical Society St LEonard's Anglical Church, Denmark Western Australia

Milling Peak:

1900: Milling was at its peak and Denmark had a thriving population of around 2000. The demand for karri timber was high all around the world and a new railway line was built to aid transportation.Timber was sent along the Nornalup-Albany Railway and was exported by boat. Denmark town was alcohol free, a 'dry town'.

1902: Millars Karri and Jarrah Company was formed from the merging of seven major sawmillers. The forests were harvested at a tremendous rate.

1903: The easily accessed millable trees were soon all cut down leaving the families and workers short of a livelihood. The Millars closed down the Denmark mills and school and the company town of Denmark was no longer 'required'.

Local Hero:

1904: The church was closed and the Millars started to close down the town and were set to demolish the buildings. Only a few millworkers and their families remained. Alfred Randall is the local hero who saved Denmark, he petitioned the Government to protect all that had already been achieved and to pay out the Millars.

1907: The WA Government bought the town (land, buildings, the mills and the railway) for £5,000 from the Millars after a long negotiation period. They made it possible for people to settle again in Denmark but this was slow.

Rebuilding:

1909: The Church re-opened.
1910: The Butter factory opened to assist the Dairy farming industry. Dairy farming had become the major industry in the area.
1913: Denmark's population had re-grown to over 500, the school reopened as the Denmark State School.
1914 - 1918: This time of WW1 saw a virtual cessation of normal life. It brought hardship and loss on all levels.

Group Settlement Scheme:

1922: After WW1, the Group Settlement Scheme, focused on large scale assisted immigration to Australia, brought families to the area. Settlers were to develop a sustainable dairy industry.

Small farms of 100 acres were cleared for cattle, dairy farming and orchards. The cost of setting up each farm was grossly miscalculated and the scheme collapsed with just over one third of the proposed farms were ever developed. The Red Cross Building was used to facilitate the Denmark groups.


First Police Station:

1923: The first Police Station was built, which is now the site of the Historical Museum.

1927: The Denmark Hotel was built by John Clarke (who also commissioned the bandstand on the opposite side of the river which opened in 1964.)

1930's: The great depression saw the town's second mass desertion. Many of the alloted farms from Group Settlement simply could not be sustained and families were forced to move out. Again the population dwindled.

 

Denmark Town Centre

WW2

1939- 1945: American soldiers, stationed in Albany during World War II, made trips to Denmark, therefore encouraging tourism providing facilities for them such as coffee shops and places to buy gifts.

Post 1945: Denmark became a popular holiday destination for Western Australians.

1960s: The population had increased to 1,500 and Denmark was a popular destination for hippies, people who liked the peaceful country life and retirees. Intensive agriculturists such as wine growers had discovered the value of the rich karri loam for their vineyards. Within 50 years the area became a wine subregion of critical acclaim, as part of the Great Southern Wine Region.

The Denmark Historical Society has lots of information on the History of Denmark and old photographs. There are also interesting books, booklets and journals available to buy about Historical Denmark Town Life.

 

Denmark Today:

TODAY: Today Denmark's is a peaceful town of around 5000. The economy is sustained by a combination of tourism, farming, fishing and the arts.

The people are "a colourful mix of different characters, individualists, followers of natural care, spiritualists, naturalists, artisans, artists and retired people of all ages from all parts of the world." says Wikipedia. (We tend to agree!)

Denmark is a peaceful, community oriented quaint seaside town in gorgeous Western Australia. The perfect vacation destination!

 

Denmark Western Australia

Accommodation in Denmark

This destination of distinction in Western Australia offers you a relaxed environment, friendly people and a simply stunning scenic backdrop.

An inspiring selection of quality accommodation of all types is available in and out of town.
Choose from a range of Self Contained, Luxury, Bed & Breakfast, Farms Stays, Caravan, Camping, Spa & Retreat Accommodation.
Choose your perfect place to relax from treetop hideaways, to river views, a farm stay for that close to nature experience, a spa retreat for well being and indulgence or a cottage in the forest...

All the featured accommodation providers on this website have been selected for their unique properties and exceptional service. We are sure you will find what you are looking for in Denmark.
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FREE Visitor Resources for visiting Denmark Western Australia:

Information from our Denmark Virtual Visitor Centre:

Our guides offer visitors to Denmark Western Australia unparalleled access to FREE resources and local businesses and products from friendly providers in the region. Our locally-based guides are curated to make it EASY for you to visit our beloved Denmark Western Australia.

Denmark Western Australia on the South Coast of Western Australia is part of a national biosphere area and deserves our care and respect. Please try to be responsible for your environmental impact when visiting Denmark WA.

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Visiting the Denmark Region? Visit the DenmarkWineRegion.com.au website for a list of recommended Denmark Wineries with cellar doors, food and music. Heading towards Perth? Visit FremantleWesternAustralia.com.au Want to know more about the captivating South Coast of Western Australia? Visit Rainbowcoast.com.au

This is a website sharing the beauty of Denmark Western Australia from a local's perspective. Photographs of Denmark have all been taken by local photographers and are copyright protected, editorial in nature and are NOT for sale and may NOT be used without written permission of Western Publishing. Denmark WA Maps are coded using technology from Google. Videos are intended for educational and documentary purposes and are streamed using YouTube technology. Website Design and photography by our family of five living in the heart of the Rainbow Coast. This site is for informational purposes only and is a travelogue, weblog and a web resource for visitors to Denmark Western Australia on the South Coast of Western Australia. We are not affiliated with the Shire of Denmark. We are not affiliated with the official Denmark Visitors Centre which amazingly is being staffed by volunteers and run by the local Chamber of Commerce. We believe in 0% commission for our local advertisers which is a win-win for the community.

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Advertising on this website is by invitation. contact us if you are friendly, have a property, business or local service for visitors to Denmark, then contact us to see about featuring your Accommodation Property, Winery / Vineyard or Local Denmark business on this (beautiful and useful) website.

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