Words & images I Shire of Boddington
If you have made the journey to the most Eastern part of the Peel region, you will be familiar with the stunning scenery that the Boddington region has to offer.
Located 15 minutes west of Albany Highway, Boddington is a hidden gem that is fast becoming a popular location for tourists looking for a weekend getaway.
The beautiful Hotham River meanders its way through the heart of the Boddington townsite and has become the centrepiece for the recently opened Hotham Park. The Park is quickly becoming a must-visit location among families and tourists after a major $2.3 million redevelopment.
Conveniently located next door to Hotham Park overlooking the river, is the Boddington Caravan Park.
Since the redeveloped park opened in late 2020, there has rarely been a weekend that hasn’t seen both the Caravan Park and the 48-hour free RV parking bursting at the seams.
What initially began as a skate park re-development in 2017, the Hotham Park vision was soon expanded after extensive consultation with the local community, businesses, and stakeholders. Bringing together the Visitor and Interpretive Centre, and Boddington Public Library, Hotham Park has created a central community hub for local residents, which also draws visiting families and travellers stopping in to enjoy the facility.
The state-of-the-art park features a pump track, skate park, flying fox, nature playground, kayak launch ramp, multi-purpose half court and outdoor gym just to name a few of the highlights, and has been the perfect location for a number of great events. Skate Sculpture hosted a range of skateboarding workshops for the local community which were a huge success and over the summer months the park hosted the South 32 Summer by the River series which saw amazing live music, roving performers and children’s entertainment over several evenings.
Expressions of interest recently closed for a hospitality business located in the precinct, which has been managed by the Shire of Boddington in the interim.
Exciting times are ahead with EOI’s set to be finalised before the end of 2021.
Boddington is also home to the largest single day Rodeo in Western Australia and celebrated its 45th year on 6 November 2021. The Boddington Lions Rodeo is the biggest event on the calendar for Boddington and is held on the first Saturday in November each year, with the town population increasing from 1,200 residents (2016 census) to upwards of 5,000–6,000 over Rodeo weekend.
Run entirely by the Boddington Lions Club and its dedicated volunteers, the Rodeo has become more than the event itself, and has evolved into an entire weekend of festivities. The Friday Night Festival is held on Rodeo Eve at the Boddington Old School Oval and is a great family event put on by the Shire and the Boddington Community Resource Centre. Rides, food trucks, live music, games and competitions, the Friday Night Festival is a great way to keep the kids happy after a long drive in the car.
The Saturday morning is for markets, fresh doughnuts and coffee before heading down to the Rodeo Grounds for the main event. An extensive program covering all age groups and skills, you’ll get to see events like Barrel Racing, Steer Wrestling and Bull Riding. The Bushman’s Ball kicks off after the Day’s events are all over, with great bands to dance the night away to.
While many events in 2020 were cancelled or severely impacted by COVID-19, the Boddington Lions Rodeo went ahead and proved to be its biggest year on record, until 2021 came along. Without the hard work and preparation from its dedicated volunteers, the Boddington Lions Rodeo would not be the success it continues to be.
Looking to continue its offering of attractions for both the local community as well as the multitude of tourists that frequent Boddington, upgrades to existing walking trails and the creation of new trails are hot on the cards. Adding to its collection through the acquisitive Boddington Sculpture Competition, the Shire of Boddington has plans for a sculpture trail to be added to the Trail Hub starting off at Hotham Park.
If it’s a long hike you’re after, the Tullis Bridge Trail is a 16km round trip along the disused Hotham Railway Line. Best hiked in spring while the hills are still green, the Tullis Bridge Trail makes the occasional historical reference to Boddington’s past as a timber town. One of only a handful remaining timber put their efforts into overdrive with the expansion of their community based recycling facility.
Entirely run by volunteers, Boddington RRR has a collection point based at the former Shire Works Depot, which collects all kinds of plastics, cardboard, metals and a range of other items, sorts them and processes them to be used in their next life. (See page 34 for a full story on the Boddington RRR). Keep an eye out on your travels around Boddington to see if you can spot creations made from recycled materials.
Whether it is state of the art playgrounds, wildlife and scenery, trails, or bull riding and cowboy boots that takes your fancy, Boddington has something to offer everyone. When will you make the trip? truss bridges, Tullis Bridge is a beautiful location to explore.
If it’s something a little less intense that you’re after, the Hotham Park — Ranford Pool Trail is a much more relaxing 5km walk along the Hotham River, finishing at the recently upgraded Ranford Pool. Ranford Pool (otherwise known as Darmining Pool) is a naturally deeper part of the river which serviced the Tannin Factory when it was operational from the early 1930s to its closure in 1964. It is a popular spot for a picnic and a swim with remnants of old rope swings hanging in the trees that line the banks.
Teeming with wildlife, Boddington is home to several precious native species with a recent sighting of a numbat which were estimated to have been extinct from the Boddington area approximately 30 years ago.
Carnaby’s Cockatoos and Red-Tailed Black Cockatoos are frequently found in Boddington, however, unfortunately find themselves at the mercy of the busy roads. Signs along roads where birds are often spotted can be found, warning motorists to slow down — an initiative undertaken by passionate local community group Friends of the Reserves.
A passion for the environment is something that is echoed around Boddington, with a recent Keep Australia Beautiful Clean Up Day that yielded over 200 kilos of rubbish collected by local volunteers in only two hours. Almost 30kg of broken glass, 2kg of metal bottle tops and 151 drink containers to go to Containers for Change were removed from Turnbridge Gully, roadsides, and reserves within the Shire.
In 2020, Boddington was nominated for five Tidy Towns award categories, with the Boddington Eco Club taking out the top prize for Environmental Education. Tidy Towns have inspired Boddington Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to put their efforts into overdrive with the expansion of their community based recycling facility.
Entirely run by volunteers, Boddington RRR has a collection point based at the former Shire Works Depot, which collects all kinds of plastics, cardboard, metals and a range of other items, sorts them and processes them to be used in their next life. (See page 34 for a full story on the Boddington RRR). Keep an eye out on your travels around Boddington to see if you can spot creations made from recycled materials.
Whether it is state of the art playgrounds, wildlife and scenery, trails, or bull riding and cowboy boots that takes your fancy, Boddington has something to offer everyone. When will you make the trip?
This article was first published in the Spring/Summer 2021 edition of Peel magazine – read the full article and, if you haven’t already, download the latest edition of the Peel magazine here
