Historic Guildford
For a short history of the Guildford Town select the hyperlink for Guildford's History.
To read a history of the Guildford Association see Beginnings of the Guildford Association at the bottom of this page.
A short history of Guildford Association
Activities of the Guildford Association
2010s
In 2010 and 2011 Guildford Association:
- Made a formal submission as part of the review of the State Heritage Act
- Released the Guildford Flood Plain Study by Dr Harriet Mills and Mrs Barbara Dundas.
- Are lobbying for an appropriate parking strategy for Guildford
- Are lobbying for a register of significant trees and planting and maintenance plan
- Ran a Kite Flying Workshop with the City of Swan
- Campaigned successfully for residents to be able to lodge their own notifications on Titles with the City, saving Solicitor fees
- Successfully lobbied for protection of oak trees on Guildford Meadow
- Continue support for action to protect and restore the historic Guildford Hotel.
2000s
In the first decade of the 21st Century's the Guildford Association:
- Gained membership for the Guildford Community on the ongoing Aircraft Noise Management Consultative Committee to give Guildford a voice in ongoing management of aircraft and airport noise
- Lobbied for an appropriate parking strategy for Guildford
- Lobbied for a register of significant trees and planting and maintenance plan
- Conducted a flood plan study to investigate the effects of current maintenance practises on flora and fauna
- Co-ordinated celebrations for the 10 year anniversary of the saving of Guildford's Sugar Gums
- Successfully lobbied for appropriate street naming of the new residential development on James Street
- Held historic rose exhibitions and Leadlight Walks of town as well as other walks of historic and environmental interest.
1990s
In the 1990s, the Guildford Association:
- Supported the development of the Guildford Conservation Policy
- Refined the Guildford Building Guidelines
- Were members of Swan Shire's Heritage Advisory, Community Advisory and Guildford Town Advisory Committees
- Coordinated successful opposition to the felling of the Sugar Gum Trees in James Street
- Lobbied for a management plan for all Guildford Sugar Gum trees
- Assisted in lobbying for proper clean-up of a major contamination at the current Peak Petrol Station Site which resulted in extensive contamination being detected and removed by BP
- Coordinated community concern regarding the 1999 Master Plan for development at Perth Airport. This including ensuring meetings be held to inform residents of plans. Westralian Airport Corporation (WAC) had held numerous meetings for other areas but not for our community, although South Guildford is the closest residential area to the main runway
- Lobbied for and attained community membership of the Perth Aircraft Noise Management Strategy Committee which was formed as part of the Airport 1999 Master Plan to develop a strategy for Noise Management.
1980s
In the 1980s, the Guildford Association:
- Supported the Guildford Study Group in developing the Guildford Building Guidelines
- Opposed duplication of the Guildford Road Bridge which would have led to four lanes of traffic entering and leaving town.
1970s
In the 1970s, the Guildford Association:
- Successfully opposed a rubbish dump being set up on Kings Meadow Oval.
Beginnings of Guildford Association
The Guildford Association had its beginnings in late May, 1975. A news item in the Swan Express newspaper had alerted readers to a public meeting to be held in the Guildford Town Hall on 21 May, 1975, to discuss the formation of a 'Guildford Progress Association'. In fact the first name given to the new ratepayers' and residents' body was the 'Guildford Community Development Council', GCDC for short and nicknamed 'the Greasy Deasy'.
From the outset the GCDC – as the organisation's title remained for several years before the name 'Guildford Association' was voted in – declared its commitment to the preservation both of Guildford's rural character and its historic buildings. Road and air traffic were also early concerns voiced by members.
In a formal statement to the Swan Express published 19 June 1975, the then 40-member GCDC declared that its aims were to "promote the moral, physical and general welfare of the Guildford people, improve the environment and preserve the district's rural character" while emphasising that the first task was to "clean up the roads, footpaths and road verges" which were a "disgrace" to the Shire. "Some streets still have wooden curbs" the statement lamented.
Members' views were often hotly debated in early meetings, with footpaths, roads and verges seen as priorities by one group and historic buildings, trees and bridges the chief interests of another. However by late September 1976, a 150-strong meeting of members and many other Guildfordians successfully united to reject a major regional rubbish tip plan for Kings Meadow oval, proposed by Swan Shire Council as a means of building up areas for future sports grounds. The GCDC public meeting unanimously moved that the GCDC strongly oppose the proposal, "both now and in the future".
The planning, promotion and organisation of the rubbish tip meeting was the organisation's first major campaign. It was a signpost to the future in demonstrating how the coordinated actions of a group could achieve significant gains for the entire Guildford community.
