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:

2000s

In the first decade of the 21st Century's the Guildford Association:

1990s

In the 1990s, the Guildford Association:

1980s

In the 1980s, the Guildford Association:

1970s

In the 1970s, the Guildford Association:

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.

James St Guilford Town Tindale House, James St Guilford Hotel, cnr James and Johnson Sts Guildford Fire Station Mechanics Institute Hall, Meadow St James St, Guildford