About
This is a short walk along the lower part of the Swan River. You can start at either Bicton Baths (parking off Braunton or Phipps st) or Park near Henry Jeffery Oval on Jerrat St. There are riverside paths for much of the way and once you pass the limestone cliffs of Blackwall Reach you can follow the foreshore - especially at low tide. There are some nice lookouts along the top of Blackwall Reach - a favorite place for people to jump off into the river. Take care as people regularly come a cropper and end up getting hauled out. Once you reach Point Walter you can walk out on the sandbar/spit - again best at low tide - see tide times for Bicton. To the local Aborigines the Blackwall Reach/Point Walter area is known as Jenalup or Dyundalup.
The most sacred part of the area is the cliffs along Blackwall Reach. In aboriginal culture it was traditionally a place for women and children (N. Nannup, pers. comm.). Before white settlement the Beeliar family group (clan) occupied the area. The Beeliar clan is part of the Whadjuk, being one of the 14 language groups, which occupy the Nyungar region in the South-West of WA. One of the many dreaming trails which run along the Swan River passed through the area now known as Point Walter and Blackwall Reach. The Swan River is highly significant to the Nyungar people, as, in the dreaming, the river was made by the Waugal rainbow serpent. The dreaming trail on the southern side of the river is the Yorga (women’s) trail and the men’s trail is found on the northern side.
The sand bar, which stretches out from the point, is the connection between these two trails (C. Pitulej, pers. comm.). In the summer months the large variety of plants and animals in the area provided the Aborigines with an abundance of food and other resources such as string made from the native wisteria (Hardenbergia comptoniana) and gum from the marri (Corymbia calophylla - formerly Eucalyptus calophylla). Blackwall Reach Reserve has been Crown land since the late 1800’s. Commander L. S. Dawson R. N. Admiralty Surveyor named the area Blackwall Reach in 1896 – probably after Blackwall Reach on the Thames River near Greenwich. In the early 1900’s, the Melville Road Board (now Melville City Council) received complaints regarding the “neglected and unimproved state” of Point Walter. From 1907 to 1912, negotiations ensued with the Minister for Lands for the Melville Road Board to take control of the reserve. The Melville Road Board soon decided that land communication with Point Walter was essential since river steamers did not provide an adequate service and the road to Point Walter was “little better than a bush track” (Uren 1975).
In 1915 a tram service was established to Point Walter. It was not a successful operation. The service rarely showed a profit except in the summer months (Uren 1975). The tram service did bring Point Walter to life, however. It became a popular picnic spot and restaurants and a dance floor were established. Old residents recall the tram still running in the early 1950’s. It was probably closed down soon after this time. Concrete foundations at the northern end of the reserve are all that remains of a tram stop.
Mud map
note: map image IS NOT true North, rotated for best view
Visits
April 2020
2km loop
Our program
our Mission is to inspect / survey the track to determine the best media for Google mapping
ie, photos or video typically we take photos (360) of Icons / landmarks and video the trails (faster less quality)
we 1st went to the base car park but figured thats too hard for us today . lol - its uphill walk
so we decided to relocate to the top car park - be warned thats a big loop so plan ahead
from the top car park (toilets and awesome mobile drinks van) we checked our a few trails which are shared in the route map below
360 Photos are shared into fbk album (main page), google maps and used for virtual tour
Route map
GPS live tracker route saved to several sites
sample image: All Trails - shows elevations and pics taken along the trail
link below image
route map & elevation:
free app to sync to this route
another app with 3d fly over video: Relive
includes 3d interactive route
Trails here
along the river North and South
Through the Point Walter Reserve
The Sand bar
The Blackwall Reach cliffs
Bicton / Point Walter / Blackwall Reach
last 5 by latest changes - open table to see more
Name / URL | Distance / Elevation / Surface | Features | YY.MM comments |
Point Walter Sandbar | 1000 / 0 / sand / | tide low in morning / afternoon sections lost to water | 20.04 google mapping 360 trail | Jenna Biddi Yorga | 2000m / 18m / hard surface | Nature reserve / cliff views over river | 20.04 google mapping path 360 trail | loop Bicton Baths Quarantine Park 1km | 1000m / 18m / | cap par, toilets, riverside views, trails, historical Icons | 20.04 drafted | Centre Point Walter 800m | 800m / 12 m / hard surface | Dog Beach East to BBQ hill top centre | 20.04 drafted | Loop 9km riverside | 9000m / 20m / | Sandbar / Nature trails, Road, baths, river views | 20.04 drafted |
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Trails WA
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