Mount Helena: Railway History and Community Life

Mount Helena is an interesting destination for anyone who wants to combine outdoor trails with a glimpse into the town’s history. The Railway Reserves Heritage Trail follows the route of a former railway; the Mount Helena Heritage Walk leads to historic and surviving buildings. There are also places for recreational activities and a history that can be read in the Mt Helena Tavern as well.

Explore the Railway Reserves Heritage Trail

The Railway Reserves Heritage Trail is free to access and can be used for walking and cycling. Over 59 kilometres, it follows the route of the old Eastern Railway, which connected Fremantle with York in the late 1880s. At Mount Helena, the trail forms a 41-kilometre loop. These distances give a concrete sense of the extent of the trails; they are a helpful basis for planning how much time to allow for an outing.

The rules for using the trail also matter when choosing an activity: dogs are welcome on a leash. Horse riding is possible outside national parks. If you are travelling with people who have different interests, you can consider whether walking, cycling or—subject to this restriction—horse riding is a better fit for your planned stay. The railway route also gives the trail a historical connection that goes beyond simply being out and about.

Discover historic buildings on foot

Another way to explore Mount Helena is the Mount Helena Heritage Walk. It leads to historic and surviving buildings in the town and starts and ends at Pioneer Park. The walk therefore has a clearly identified starting and finishing point for an exploration. Unlike the Railway Reserves Heritage Trail, its focus is on visiting the buildings; the two trails offer different ways to explore Mount Helena’s history.

The Mt Helena Tavern is also of very high aesthetic, social and historical significance to the Mount Helena community and the Shire of Mundaring. Another historical detail concerns the original Mt Helena (Lion Mill) Hotel: the weatherboard building with verandas and French doors was completed in September 1902. The Tavern and the original hotel are to be understood here as distinct historical references.

Recreational places in town

For other activities, the Mount Helena Skate Park and the Mt Helena Aquatic Centre are two named places to visit. The skate park is on the western side of Elsie Austin Reserve. The Aquatic Centre is on Keane Street in Mt Helena, next to Eastern Hills Senior High. If you are interested in these facilities, you can take their locations into account when finding your way around town.

The community calendar also includes the Whim Festival, which is held every two years.

When looking for holiday accommodation in Mount Helena, you can first consider which aspect of the town you would like to shape your stay: railway history and trails, the Heritage Walk, the named recreational facilities or community life. This lets you choose Mount Helena as a destination according to your own interests, without combining different activities into a single outing.

Discover more places

Find more town pages here: Warmun, Metricup, Osborne Park, Northampton, Bramley, Karnup, Karridale and Swanbourne.

For the broader travel overview: Western Australia.