The town is believed to be named after Beverley in Yorkshire, from where some of the earliest explorers of the Avon valley originated, including Colonial Surgeon Charles Simmons, an early landowner in the district. Land at Beverley was set aside for a townsite in 1831, just two years after the Swan River Colony's foundation, after a glowing report to Governor James Stirling by Ensign Robert Dale, who made three trips to the York-Beverley area. The district was surveyed in 1843. While settlers arrived from the 1860s onwards, and a town was established in 1868, it wasn't until the arrival of the Great Southern Railway in 1886 that the town started to grow, and with the completion of the railway in 1889 to Albany, Beverley became an important centre. By early 1898 the population of the town was 190, 93 males and 97 females. In 1908, the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme was extended to supply the town with water, and by World War I, the town had four hotels, four banks, two bakeries, two tailors, three tearooms, a jeweller and two hairdressers, amongst other businesses, and in 1938, a new town hall opened. However, since the 1950s, with improved transport, communications and farming methods, the population of the Shire of Beverley fell from 1,968 in 1954 to 1,433 in 1991, and several banks and other town services closed. The population has started to grow again due to the popularity of rural residential estates and the town's proximity to Perth.
Present day
Beverley is on Great Southern Highway, southeast of Perth, and provides commercial and industrial support to the surrounding agricultural area. Each year in August the town hosts an agricultural show. A museum, formerly the Settlers Arms Hotel, offers local history exhibits. In addition, a town hall, , bank, shopping facilities, accommodation, council offices, district hospital and medical centre, a Community Resource Centre, and various sporting facilities are located within the town. A wide range of building styles exist. to the northwest of the town is the Avondale Agricultural Research Station. Avondale gets its name from the Avon and Dale rivers which join near the farm. For over 80 years, Avondale has been a major centre for agricultural research, and since 1979 has been home to an extensive collection of historical farm machinery. The station hosts a number of events during the year, including the Ploughing Days in June. From a 2011 survey there was 1147 people living in Beverley. See statistic . The town is a stop on the Transwa bus service to Albany.
Link to aviation history
Beverley has a strong history of aviation. The Silver Centenary, Western Australia's oldest existing aircraft was built to commemorate the State's centenary in 1929, and was constructed from chalk drawings sketched on the floor of the town powerhouse. The town airfield has been home for the last forty years to the , one of the biggest gliding clubs in Australia. The club was founded in 1973. As at December 2013, the club has three 2-seat training aircraft, two single seat sailplanes and two Piper Pawnee Tugs. Additionally members own a further thirty five private gliders hangared at the airfield. Club members regularly compete at club, state and national levels and hold several State and National gliding distance, height and speed records.
Annual Rainfall & Temperatures
'
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Ann
Mean Max
34.3
33.6
30.8
26.2
21.4
18.0
16.8
17.8
20.3
24.4
28.5
32.1
25.3
Mean Min
16.3
16.6
14.7
11.3
8.0
6.0
5.1
5.1
5.9
7.9
11.5
14.4
10.2
Mean Rain
12.5
13.6
15.8
23.5
53.7
77.9
77.7
57.4
34.1
23.4
15.4
9.8
408.8
Median Rain
1.8
3.2
7.4
18.5
45.0
75.2
66.1
55.0
32.7
19.1
10.6
2.8
409.3
Mean Rain Days
2.0
2.2
3.0
5.2
10.0
13.2
14.8
13.1
10.0
6.7
3.9
2.4
76.6
'
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Ann
High Max
46.4
46.8
42.8
39.0
34.8
25.7
25.3
27.4
33.8
39.4
43.0
45.2
46.8
Low Max
18.0
17.7
15.4
14.0
10.2
11.6
9.2
11.3
10.7
11.2
12.0
16.8
9.2
High Min
28.2
27.6
26.7
21.5
18.6
16.8
13.7
15.2
15.2
19.0
26.8
26.4
28.2
Low Min
6.6
6.9
2.6
0.7
-1.8
-3.6
-3.8
-2.6
-2.6
-1.0
-1.1
4.2
-3.8
High Rain
115.8
82.0
91.7
55.4
87.6
61.2
63.2
67.4
33.0
69.7
63.6
51.3
115.8
Sport & Recreation
Beverley hosts an annual Easter tennis tournament from the 25–28 March. Access to tournament information . Beverley is also home to the football team the Beverley Redbacks Football Club. They compete in the Avon valley league. For more information regarding the team click here.
