The Western Australian town of Beverley is situated on the edge of the wheatbelt just 130 kilometres from the capital city Perth and it's one of Western Australia's oldest towns.

Find out more about the history of Beverley here, then explore the website for things to see and do when you visit.

For more information about the Beverley Shire, go to the Shire of Beverley website. You can also find out more details of current events and news in the Shire's monthly Beverley Blarney online.

Beverley was one of the first areas in Western Australia opened for agriculture after a glowing report to Governor Stirling by Ensign Dale. Dale made three excursions to the York/Beverley area, the first in 1829 and the last in 1830 when he was accompanied by Governor Stirling.

Large tracts of land were taken up following the Governor's excursion and the first in the Beverley district was taken up by the Colonial Surgeon, Dr. Charles Simmons.Dr. Simmons was granted some 2,850 hectares on the Eastern bank of the Avon River in January 1831 and it is a common belief that Beverley was named after Beverley in Yorkshire which was Dr. Simmon's home.

Official survey of the Beverley district took place in 1843. The Beverley townsite was established around 1868 and it's status was enhanced with the extension of the electric telegraph from York in 1877.
The Beverley Road District was one of the nineteen local authorities established in 1871 under the Municipalities and Roads District Act. The original Beverley Road District was in excess of 150,000 square kilometres and included the present Shires of Beverley, Brookton, Quairading, Bruce Rock, Corrigin, Pingelly, Narembeen, Kondinin, Dundas and a portion of Cuballing, Wickepin Wandering and Kulin.

On the 31st. March 1892, the Beverley townsite became a separate municipality under the name of "The Burgesses of the Town of Beverley". Shortly thereafter in October 1895, an East Beverley organisation known as the Farmers and Settlers Association successfully petitioned to create the East Beverley Road Board.

These small localities were short lived, with the East Beverley Road Board dissolving in 1906 after eleven years and the Burgesses of the Town of Beverley following the same fate in 1913, after only twenty one years. Both were absorbed back into the Beverley Road Board. The change of name to the Shire of Beverley from the Beverley Road Board occurred in 1961.

In 1886, the Southern rail link from Perth was extended to Beverley, which was the terminus for three years until the connection to Albany was established. A pipeline to connect Beverley with the Goldfields water supply scheme was completed in 1908 and the first powerhouse to generate electricity for the town was established under private ownership in 1913.