The City of Armadale is delighted to have been successful in applying for a funding grant by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Culture (DLGSC), to develop our ‘Six Seasons Trails’ project.
The DLGSC awarded the maximum of $25,000 as part of their Hiking Participation Grants funding round for 2024/2025.
The Six Seasons Trails series aims to match six of the City’s best trails with the six Noongar seasons. The project will package the trails by designing consistent branding, messaging, signage, and mapping. The trails will be distinguished by their landscapes and stories of cultural, environmental, and historical significance. The trails will be matched to the season that it is best to encounter them and encourage residents and visitors to experience all six trails across multiple seasons.
The Six Noongar seasons are:
- Birak (December-January)
- Bunuru (February-March)
- Djeran (April-May)
- Makuru (June-July)
- Djilba (August-September)
- Kambarang (October-November).
As part of this, the City is partnering with the Western Australian Indigenous Tour Operators Council (WAITOC) to fund and deliver a business mentorship program for an Aboriginal person to create a tour guiding business using the trails as a training ground. As part of a comprehensive mentorship package, the successful applicant will travel to other regions in WA to learn from other successful tourism operators, in areas such as the Kimberley and Pilbara.
A final piece of this project will include working to create a dedicated group of volunteers to conduct free tours on all City trails, operating out of the City of Armadale Visitor’s Centre.
Mayor Ruth Butterfield said: “This funding will provide a great opportunity to develop and showcase our existing trails, in a format that will highlight the Noongar seasons. We look forward to adding another layer to how visitors can enjoy these recreational areas by sharing the Six Seasons Trails, and the chance to support an up-and-coming Aboriginal tour guiding business.”
The City has started the process to develop a Trails Masterplan, as part of our commitment to further developing all our trails. The City has awarded the tender to Common Ground, who will facilitate this process. The Trails Masterplan will inform the wider focus for developing all of the City’s trails, encouraging year-round visitation from both locals and those from further afield, and a variety of trail uses.
As part of this process, we will be engaging the community for consultation so everyone can have their say about the future of our shared trails.
For more information about trails and other great experiences in the Perth Hills, please contact the Perth Hills Armadale Visitors Centre.
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