Blackwall Reach Explained

Blackwall Reach ('''Jenalup''') is a section of the Swan River in Western Australia.

Blackwall Reach was named after an area of the River Thames near Greenwich UK in 1896 by admiralty surveyor Dawson. The name originally referred to that part of the river, rather than either side, but this changed in the twentieth century when the riverside land on the eastern bank just south of Point Walter was specifically called Blackwall Reach. It contains limestone cliffs,^[1] and remnant vegetation adjacent to the river's edge.

The location is a popular spot for cliff jumping^[2] and for rock climbing. However, since the creation and management of the clifftop reserve, signage advises against jumping. Non-adherence to this signage has resulted in fatalities.^{[3] [4]}

Due to its location close to the ocean, unusual fish catches have sometimes occurred.^{[5] [6]}

Prior to European settlement, the area was known to the Noongar indigenous people as Jenalup, a sacred place linked to the Dreaming stories.^[7]

Further reading

• Landscaping project for the reserve – 'About Melville', Mar 1993, p. 2.
• Dickson, Rod (1994) Ships registered in Western Australia from 1856, Vol. 4, p. 32 concerning Molly – history of the barge a 66-ton barge that collided under tow with barge "Emerald" adjacent to Blackwall Reach on 16 April 1928.

External links

• Blackwall Reach Climbing Association of Western Australia
• Perth's Best Kept Secrets. 3rd Degree, Edith Cowan University Journal.

-32.0184°N 115.7855°W

Notes and References

1. J.Gentilli and V.N. Serventy (1949) The Blackwall Reach Cliffs, Swan River in The Western Australian Naturalist, vol.2, no.2, Sept 16 1949 pp.34–38
2. News: Man dies after cliff jumping at Blackwall Reach into Perth's Swan River. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 16 January 2017. Nicolas Perpitch. 16 January 2017.
3. Web site: Man dies after cliff jumping at Blackwall Reach into Perth's Swan River. Perpitch. Nicholas. 16 Jan 2017. ABC News.
4. News: Tributes flow for WA teen Luseni Traore after fatal jump from Blackwall Reach into Swan River. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Carmody. James. 11 November 2017. 11 November 2017.
5. News: Unusual Fish In River . . Perth . 26 June 1949 . 21 February 2012 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
6. News: CRAYFISH IN RIVER. . . Perth . 25 May 1949 . 21 February 2012 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
7. Web site: Or browse from www.melvillecity.com.au via Home > Community & Facilities > Culture > Aboriginal Heritage and Culture > Aboriginal History in the City of Melville--> Aboriginal History in the City of Melville. City of Melville. 2015-07-19. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062451/http://www.melvillecity.com.au/community-and-facilities/culture/aboriginal-heritage-and-culture/aboriginal-history-in-the-city-of-melville. 4 March 2016. dmy-all.