Pinjarra

Pinjarra is a town in the Peel region of Western Australia along the South Western Highway, 86km from the state capital, Perth and 21km south-east of the coastal city of Mandurah. Its local government area is the Shire of Murray. At the, Pinjarra had a population of 4,255.Pinjarra is an area rich in history, and is the home town of a former State Premier - Sir Ross McLarty. It is near the site of the infamous Massacre of Pinjarra, where between 14 and 40 Aboriginal Noongars were killed by British colonists in 1834.HistoryThe name was often shown spelt "Pinjarrup" on early maps, while the accepted spelling for many years was "Pinjarrah". There are conflicting theories regarding the meaning of the name, and it is usually said to mean "place of a swamp", as a corruption of the Aboriginal word "beenjarrup". However, Pinjarra is more likely to have been named after the Pindjarup people who frequented the area.One of the first settlers in the area was Thomas Peel, who established a settlement at the mouth of the Murray River in 1830. In 1831, land was reserved for a townsite near a ford over the river. By 1834, word had spread about the rich loamy soils and pastures, bringing more Europeans to the area. Surveys were carried out in 1836 and land allocated to settlers in 1837.