The Swan Valley

First explored by Captain Stirling in 1827 the area was determined to be a favourable place to settle and so the town of Guilford began in 1829. It was established as the inland port and rural centre for Western Australia at the same time as the centres of Perth and Fremantle were being developed. Until the 1880s, Guildford remained a flourishing market town and river port, with warehouses and wharves and many stores and hotels. At this time the rail line was developed, Midland became the regions centre for trade and transport and the port facilities at Guilford fell in to decline.

The first agricultural ventures by colonial settlers began in 1829 with feed crops and livestock farming. Following the First World War, parcels of land were offered to returning serviceman to develop as farmland. However many of these enterprises failed, creating an opportunity for southern and eastern European migrants returning to the coast from the Gold Rush further east. Many of these migrants from Italy and Croatia had experience with small scale horticulture and it was their knowledge and persistence that transformed the area in to the agricultural region we see today. Viticulture was the Swan Valley’s principal source of wealth and income throughout the 20th century and combined with tourism it continues to develop today.

In wine terms the Swan Valley region is classified as warm to hot and when concentrating on varieties that suit the environment the wines produced rival any made in the country. White wine varieties that flourish in the conditions include Verdelho, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and the red wine varieties of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon also thrive. However it is the fortified wines that are most spectacular, they rival the best in the world and are a must taste when visiting the valley.