Baskerville, Western Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids BaskervillePerth, Western Australia |
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Westfield Winery Cellar
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| Postcode(s) | 6056 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 6.82 km2 (2.6 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Swan | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Swan Hills | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Pearce | ||||||||||||||
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Baskerville is a small, mostly rural area located northeast of Perth, Western Australia. It's part of the beautiful Swan Valley region, about 31 kilometers (19 miles) from Perth's city center. This area is famous for growing grapes, and you'll find many well-known wineries here! Baskerville is managed by the City of Swan local government.
Contents
Discovering Baskerville's Past
How Baskerville Got Its Name
The name Baskerville was first used in 1831. A man named William Tanner, who owned a lot of land in Perth, gave this name to a piece of land he received. Even though he owned the land, he never actually lived there. He left the Swan River Colony (which is what Western Australia was called back then) in 1835.
Farms and Grape Growing
Later, in the 1880s, another important person named Walter Padbury bought the land. He hired his relative, Henry Hardwick, to look after it. A house was built for Henry in 1886, which you can still find on Memorial Avenue today.
After World War I, the government started a special plan. They wanted to help soldiers who had returned from the war. They divided the land in the Swan Valley into small farms, usually between 10 and 50 acres. The idea was for the soldiers to become farmers.
However, many soldiers didn't have much experience with farming. So, they often sold their land to new people moving to Australia. Many of these new settlers came from places like Yugoslavia and Italy. They were very good at growing grapes, which is called viticulture.
By 1953, maps showed that almost all of Baskerville was used for growing grapes. Some areas near the river also had citrus fruit trees.
A Special Grape Discovery
In 1989, something cool happened in Baskerville. A new type of grape vine was found growing in a garden. It was a white grape that came from a Cabernet Sauvignon vine. This new grape was named Cygne blanc.
Even though people had been calling the area "Baskerville" for a long time, it wasn't officially approved as a suburb name until 1992.
Exploring Baskerville's Geography
Baskerville is a long, narrow piece of land. It starts near a bend in the Swan River. It stretches about 800 meters (half a mile) from north to south and about 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) from east to west. Haddrill Road runs right through the middle of it.
You can find a small area of natural forest in the east of Baskerville. You can get to it from Joshua Mews. Baskerville doesn't have specific neighborhoods just for houses. Instead, it's mostly open land used for farming.
Things to Do in Baskerville
Baskerville has a few handy places and fun spots.
- There's a hall, a pavilion, and an oval (a sports field) on Memorial Avenue.
- You can find a fuel station on Great Northern Highway.
- Many small, family-owned wineries are located on Memorial Avenue and Haddrill Road. Some of these are organic wineries. You can often visit their "cellar doors" to taste their wines.
- Just north of Baskerville is the Belvoir Amphitheatre. This is a cool outdoor concert venue where you can see live music!
Getting Around Baskerville
Roads and Highways
The Great Northern Highway 
runs through the western part of Baskerville. It's a two-lane road here. Haddrill Road is another important road that helps you get from the highway into the middle of Baskerville.
Bus Services
Transperth operates bus services in Baskerville. These buses can take you to Midland Station and other nearby areas.
- Bus route 310 travels from Midland Station to Upper Swan. It uses the Great Northern Highway.
- Bus route 311 goes from Midland Station to Bullsbrook. It also uses the Great Northern Highway.
- Bus route 312 is a circular route that starts and ends at Midland Station. It serves Railway Crescent and Haddrill Road.
All these bus services are run by a company called Swan Transit.
