To find details of member groups please see the list on the inside cover of the current edition of the Darlington Review

Over time, information may change, let us know via the contact form below if any of the links below are broken or out of date.

If you would like to add more information and some images about your local  group or organisation, drop us a line.

Community Safety
Bushfire Ready Group

Darlington Volunteer Bushfire Brigade Inc

DFES – Department of Fire and Emergency Services

WA Bushfire information

Emergency WA
Mundaring: State Emergency Service

Community Groups

DCRAG – Darlington Community Recreation Advisory Group – Trish Cook trishcook@netspace.net.au

Darlington Community Garden (WA) Inc – darlingtoncommunitygarden.org.au

DRRA – Darlington Ratepayers & Residents Association – 

DaSRA – Darlington Sports and Recreation Association Darlington Pavilion Project

Friends Groups – taking care of our reserves and bush land – See their pages in the Darlington Review

FODS – Friends of Darlington Station Reserve

FOWL – Friends of Waylens Landing

Friends of Native Triangle (behind the Pavilion)

Friends of Glen Park Reserve

Friends of Mandoon Reserve

DPAW – Department for Parks and Wildlife

Culture & the Arts

DHG– Darlington History Group

DAF – Darlington Arts Festival 

Darlington Theatre Players at Marloo Theatre

KSP Writers’ Centre

Darlington Chamber Music Concerts

Hills Community Drumming Circle  We are a small community drumming group that meets every Wednesday at St Cuthbert’s Church (though not otherwise associated with the Church). We have been drumming in Darlington for over 15 years.  Visit our Facebook page for more information.

Juniper Galleries

Mundaring Arts Centre

Mundaring Weir Gallery

Mundaring Arts Scholarships

Local Government
Mundaring Shire South Ward Councillors
Shire of Mundaring Library Service

Public Spaces

To book an event at the Pavilion or in Darlington Hall, contact the: ​Booking Officer at the Shire of Mundaring
9290 6731
bookings@mundaring.wa.gov.au

Other Interests
Hub of The Hills
Mundaring Sharing
Soroptimist International of Helena

Mundaring and Hills Historical Society

Darlington Retirement Accommodation Association Inc  – Link needed

Political Groups
Mathew Hughes MLA- Member for Kalamunda

Tania Lawrence MP – Federal Member for Hasluck

Donna Faragher JP MLC Member for East Metropolitan Region

Schools & Playgroups
Darlington Family Playgroup
Darlington Primary School
Darlington Primary School P & C Association
Guildford Grammar School
Helena College Junior School
Helena College Senior School
Silver Tree Steiner School
Treetops Montessori School
Mundaring Christian College

Social, Sport & Leisure
Darlington Junior Football Club
Darlington Social Cricket Club Inc
Darlington Tennis Club
The Darlington Club – link needed

Darlington Dipsticks:   promote and encourage social activities, with other motoring organisations/clubs.  New members are welcome.  For more information phone Bindy on 9252 1050 or  email bindy@actis.com.au.

Youth Interest Groups

1st Darlington Scouts
Guides Western Australia (Forrest Hills District)  Local link required
Mundaring Youth Advisory Group – Penny McGrory – Community Engagement Facilitator Youth
9290 6790 or 0436 419 628
E: cefy@mundaring.wa.gov.au

Religious & Spiritual

St Cuthbert’s Anglican Church

Darlington Christian Fellowship

Mundaring Baha’i Community

The History of Darlington

Thank you to Darlington History Group for providing images to use on this page.

Mundaring and Hills Historical Society and local libraries provide access to many out of print books covering the area’s interesting local history.

The heart of Darlington was once covered by one of the Darling Range’s earliest vineyards and wine from Darlington Vineyard was matured in the stone cellar that is now part of the village hall.

Title to this land was secured in 1883 by Dr Alfred Waylen, Chief Medical Officer of the fledgling Swan River Colony. However, it was Waylen’s partner, the Honourable Josceline Amherst — formerly Private Secretary to the Governor, Sir Napier Broome — who played a more active role in running the vineyard when he retired to the hills in 1889. Some of the pine trees that once bordered the vineyard still stand around the oval.  By the turn of the century the vineyard boasted 10 acres of fruit trees, and 50 of vines, and it produced red and white wines and table grapes.

The original winery, now the hall.
In fact, this building is now part of a larger one incorporating two halls. The outbuildings at right were  replaced by the “new” greater hall, built on to the winery.  Check the photographs below to see how the old wing has been enhanced by an entry porch area.

Further extensive updates were done to the hall in 2019 to bring the hall up to standard and to preserve our historic hall for the next generations of Darlington and beyond.

Amherst built a country retreat, Holmesdale, which still stands in Darlington Road. A Journal of Agriculture report at the turn of the century observed: “Darlington gained a railway siding shortly after Amherst moved there, and also a surveyed road connecting the place with the York road at Bilgoman Well.” Clearly the gentleman vigneron (member of the Legislative Council, the Swan Roads Board and the President of the Royal Agricultural Society of WA) was an influential figure.

Gradually more settlers were attracted to the hills to work in the orchards, vineyards and nurseries, the quarry at Boya or the timber mill at what is now Glen Forrest.  Some settlers built weekend cottages in Darlington before moving to live off the land; others who settled in the village worked or studied in Perth, catching the daily 8.03am train to the city.

In the early decades of the 20th century, guest houses flourished in the Darling Range, and there were several in Darlington. Two of the best known still stand:  Dalry Lodge and Leithdale. The latter was run by author Molly Skinner, and in 1922 the celebrated British writer D. H. Lawrence and his wife Frieda spent time at the guest house. Lawrence and Molly later collaborated on a book, The Boy in the Bush.  Molly Skinner’s autobiography The Fifth Sparrow gives a vivid description of her life in Darlington.

Social events in Darlington ranged from musical evenings to cricket matches by the Nyaania Creek. By the l930s, the village had a general store (on the site of what is now Darlington Liquor and Gourmet), tearooms (now Nest Darlington Design Studio ), a Post Office, a butcher’s shop (later extended several times, for many years known as The Pines cafe and now as Perella’s), several churches and a primary school (which began in the ballroom of Leithdale in 1912 before moving to its present site in Glen Road).  It was joined by the Helena School in the 1941.

Note: Further information on the history of Darlington is available at:

Darlington History Group www.dhg.org.au 

and also 

The Mundaring and Hills Historical Society, at the Station Master’s House, 3060 Jacoby Street Mundaring, (Phone: 08 9295 0540)

The Shire of Mundaring’s early history is also covered in Mundaring, a History of the Shire by Ian Elliot (on sale at the Shire offices in Mundaring, and available at Shire libraries.)

Darlington Review – Latest Edition

Darlington Review – previous editions

First published in the 1950s, The Darlington Review is a not for profit monthly journal run by volunteers.

Subscribers and contributors include most of the village’s community groups, including the Darlington Ratepayers and Residents Association, local schools, churches and sporting groups.

As this is a non-commercial site, advertising which appears in the printed journal does not appear on this site.

Surplus funds raised through subscriptions and advertising are donated back to activities within the community.  An Annual General Meeting is held in February or March each year.

PUBLICATION DETAILS

EDITORIAL DEADLINE:

Material for each edition of the Review must be submitted before 5 pm on the 20th of the month.

Please keep contributions to a half page (approx 300 words), and Letters to Editor brief. Items may be placed in the Review Box at the Post Office or emailed to editorial@darlingtonreview.com.au (Copy sent by email preferred.)

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS:

Copy and payment to be placed in the Review Box at the Post Office before 5pm on the 20th of each month. Emailed advertisements will only be published if prior payment is received.

Please remember that the Post Office closes at 11.30 on Saturdays and is closed for Public Holidays.

Classified Ads rates: $10 for 4 lines + $4 each additional line; $5 for students.

DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENTS:

Display Advertising Rates per insertion:

Half page $165 ( 19cms wide x 13cms down ) ;

1/3 page $132 (12.5cms wide x 13 cms down)

1/6 page $66 (6cms wide x 13cms down).

Cover strips (NOTE: a minimum commitment of 6 months is required for both spots)

Front $166 per issue

Back $132 per issue.

Placement or cancellation of advertisements must be received by no later than 5 pm on the 20th of each month. Only finished artwork is accepted. Press quality pdf files preferred. Contact: advertising@darlingtonreview.com.au

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

Non-profit community-based organisations may apply to become members of the Review. Member subscription rates
Full page $265 pa
Half page $140 pa
Half yearly rates are also available

Advertising on Covers – available to Member Groups

Front page $166
Back page $132
Inside back page $132

DISTRIBUTION:

Each month (except January) the Review is hand delivered free to every household in Darlington. Some copies are available from the Post Office and the Pines store. Apart from typing and printing, the Review is run by volunteers. Your co-operation in meeting deadlines is urged.

CONTACT DETAILS

EDTOR: Trea Wiltshire

EMAIL: editorial@darlingtonreview.com.au

ADVERTISING MANAGER: Melanie Clarke

EMAIL: advertising@darlingtonreview.com.au

POST:  PO Box 196, Darlington

PRODUCTION MANAGER: Antoinette Boyd

EMAIL: editorial@darlingtonreview.com.au

BUSINESS MANAGER: Betty Pitcher

EMAIL: business@darlingtonreview.com.au

POST: PO Box 196, Darlington