"Keeweechic's Beverley" a Beverley Travel Page by keeweechic

Beverley is situated in the Avon Valley, around 130km south-east of Perth. The township is within the heart of the farming district and is one of Western Australia’s oldest towns. Land was assigned in this area for agriculture around 1832 with grants for land were given to Governor James Stirling and Captain Mark Currie. The first land owner in the area were Colonial Surgeon, Dr Charles Simmons who was granted some 2,850 hectares. The townsite was established around 1868 and the name Beverley, came from the town of Beverley in Yorkshire in England which was Dr Simmons home. The Beverley Road District was one of nineteen local authorities establish in 1871 under the Municipalities and Roads District Act. Originally the district took in the shires of Beverley, Brookton, Quirading, Bruce Rock, Corrigin, Pingelly, Narembeen, Kondinin, Dundas and part of Cuballing, Wickepin Wandering and Kulin.

In 1886 the Southern rail link from Perth was extended to Beverley and for three years was the terminus until the connection to Albany was established. A pipeline which connected Beverley to the Goldfields water supply scheme was finished in 1908 and the first powerhouse to produce electricity to the town was set up under private ownership in 1913.

Today the Shire of Beverley is still a small town with a population of only around 1625. Many of the residents live within the town itself. Facilities include schools, sporting clubs, art and craft clubs, a 17 bed hospital, 3 doctors, a swimming pool and other community services.