Cowaramup settles in for 100th birthday celebrations next month

The Cowaramup Lions Club is leading the way in a planned community-wide celebration of the hamlet’s 100-year birthday next month. On April 9 and 10, residents are invited to honour the anniversary of the group settlement scheme which triggered Cowaramup’s growth, with the township today one of the fastest-growing places in the State. Committee chairman Geoff Jenkins told the Times the celebrations, centred on Pioneer Park, included unveiling a new commemorative plaque at 1.30pm on the Saturday, with a sausage sizzle starting from 10am and fun and festivities throughout the day. Roaming bush poets, a display of old machinery and an exhibition from the Busselton Vintage Car Club will lead into a party at the Cowaramup Club at 6pm. “The day will mainly centre around catching up with friends and neighbours from the past and discovering how our parents and grandparents helped in those early days to develop Cowaramup and its renowned community spirit into what we have today,” he said. On the Sunday, Taunton Farm Caravan Park hosts a community morning tea at 10am, after which site visits to the old school and Uniting Church sites were planned, taking in the restorative work undertaken by the Saunders family. “We are also hoping to have copies of old photos for display along with some written stories, both happy and sad, of those pioneering days for people to peruse,” Mr Jenkins said. “Many tales have been told within our families, and our committee would be very grateful if some these could be shared. “Names don’t have to be given, but to share the hardships and good times of our early settlers will give future generations a greater appreciation of times past.” To get involved and to share stories from the archive, contact Mr Jenkins on treeton@bigpond.com or 0407 776 920.