An anonymous handwritten note left at the Visitors Centre c 2008 describes the early days of what became known as Horseyard Hill.
All spelling and grammatical errors are as they were written on the note.
In 1931 I started to work on Bridge Road, it was then going by the name of G Road.
The camp was directly opposite my farm then ockupide by one of the first lot to get a block.
In April 1932 he left and I asked for and got it.
At that time there was no horses on the farm, to supply the number required was a big job.
The man in charge of the horses was good and knew his job.
With horses of over 50 the first thing he had to get some place to hold the horses.
I can only say it was well built yard in amonst the trees only a few yards off the road and close to the creek.
It had to have some rome for quite a lot of each horses and as ther was no grass they were hand fed.
Along G Road in 1932 just one horse was given to the 6 settlers, Mr Armstrong had charge of it each week we were alloted one day on that day you did as much clearing as you could.
Then came a horse for every settler.
Mr Armstrong kept his it was quite willing.
The horse man must had a big job selecting the 50 or 60 horses as most of them were pleased with their horse.
I got the last horse out of the yard.
On the days when a settler family came to Walpole the horse was left in the yard while they did their shopping.
On Sundays I took my wife and family and left the horse in the yard and walked down to the river and fished, catching quite a lot of black brime, then we went by boat across the inlet to the river.
Also when the horse needed shooing they were left there affter the blacksmith were doing sume thing for the men the horses were left there and sometimes the smith had 2 or 3.
The yard all was made with timber cut down in the bush and was used for a few years that’s wiy it got its name.
This contribution by Lee Hunter of the Walpole, Nornalup & Districts Historical Society first appeared in the August 12, 2015 edition of the Walpole Weekly.
Horseyard Hill, directly north of Pioneer Park, now offers an easy and attractive walk trail. Pic: Google Maps
