Midland is a suburb as well as a township in Perth and is also the regional centre for the City of Swan local government area that encompasses the Swan Valley and parts of the Darling Scarp. It is located at the intersection of Great Eastern Highway and Great Northern Highway and borders at the east by Reid Highway. Midland is only 16 km east of Perth.
For over 80 years, Midland Junction (former name for Midland) was the main workshops for the Western Australian Government Railways. Currently, the Transperth railway system has a terminus at Midland station.
Midland developed as a result of the railway line. It replaced Guildford as Swan Valley’s major transportation centre but now only the workshop remains.
Today, Midland is surrounded by Swan Valley vineyards. Grapes were grown here during the early European settlement. In 1829, the first vineyard was established at Olive Farm near Guildford. However, only in 1859 was the first serious vineyard established by Dr John Ferguson who planted grapes at the Houghton homestead.
This grape planting industry, small and low key was given a major boost with the influx of Yugoslav migrants from the Dalmatian coast in the 1920s. The heirs of these early settlers still managed many of the family run vineyards in the Swan Valley. However, most of the vineyards are small producers, producing less than 100,000 litres per vintage.
While in Midland, visit the historic buildings such as the Town Hall and Council Chambers (1906), the square clock tower, Old Midland Post Office, the Midland Courthouse and Woodbridge(1885), a Victorian style mansion. Included in the list of places to visit is the Midland Military Markets which opens Friday, all weekends and public holidays and Midland Farmers’ Market which opens on Sundays.
There are a variety of restaurants available including Chinese, Thai, Italian and Indian food.
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