Things to Do in York Western Australia

York is the oldest inland town in Western Australia, situated on the Avon River, 97 kilometers east of Perth in the Wheatbelt, on Ballardong Nyoongar land. The area was first settled by Europeans in 1831, two years after Perth was settled in 1829. Before that, it was inhabited by Ballardong Nyoongar people for thousands of years. York boomed during the gold rush and today, the town attracts tourists for its beauty, history, buildings, festivals, and art. The following are the top things to do in York.

1. Avon Terrace

The main street of the town of York, Western Australia, is lined with heritage buildings. 

2. York Motor Museum

The York Motor Museum is a motor vehicle museum on Avon Terrace in York which won the Sir David Brand Award for tourism.. The museum opened in 1979 with 1,100 square meters of floor space. It offers three main galleries of cars, motorbikes, and bicycles, two general areas, and one specializing in the history of motorsport. The museum has 60 cars and 16 motorcycles and other vehicles as well as motor memorabilia. 

3. St. Patrick’s Church

In 1858, a Spanish monk, Fr Francisco Salvado laid the foundation for the St. Patrick’s Church for the increasing population of convicts in York, many of whom were Catholic. The church was opened on 17 March 1860. The church is a simple Gothic design and could hold 80 people reasonably comfortably

4. The York Court House Complex

The York Courthouse Complex, on Avon Terrace in York, was built from 1852 to 1896 and is one of the most significant built sites from heritage and architectural perspective in the state.

5. York Townhall

York Town Hall is a heritage listed town hall in York, Western Australia, located in Avon Terrace. At the time of its construction, it was claimed to be the largest public hall in Western Australia, with an interior floor space measuring 100 by 50 feet (30 m × 15 m).

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Facts about York

York is the oldest inland town in Western Australia, situated on the Avon River, 97 kilometres (60 mi) east of Perth in the Wheatbelt, on Ballardong Nyoongar land,^[4] and is the seat of the Shire of York.

The name of the region was suggested by JS Clarkson during an expedition in October 1830 because of its similarity to his own county in England, Yorkshire.^{[5]: 22 [a]}

After thousands of years of occupation by Ballardong Nyoongar people, the area was first settled by Europeans in 1831, two years after Perth was settled in 1829. A town was established in 1835 with the release of town allotments and the first buildings were erected in 1836.

The region was important throughout the 19th century for sheep and grain farming, sandalwood, cattle, goats, pigs and horse breeding.^[7]

York boomed during the gold rush as it was one of the last rail stops before the walk to the goldfields.^[8]

Today, the town attracts tourists for its beauty, history, buildings, festivals and art.