Celebrating 100 Years of Porongurup National Park
Friends of the Porongurup Range invite you to a series of special events marking 100 years since the proclamation of Porongurup National Park, celebrating the history, landscape, and community of the Porongurup Range.
Planning to attend our Centenary events?
Registration is free and not essential, but it really helps us plan for seating and catering. We’d greatly appreciate you registering your interest!
Thank you to our centenary sponsors.
Upcoming Events
CENTENARY EXHIBITION AT PORONGURUP HALL
14–29 November 2026 | 10am-4pm daily | Porongurup Hall
A major exhibition of historic photographs, maps, artefacts, and artworks celebrating the Porongurup region and its community. Featuring contributions from local artists, writers, and community groups.
Exhibition Highlights
- Centenary exhibition panels – Explore the history of Porongurup National Park through an impressive, large-scale exhibition created especially for the Park’s centenary.
- Historic photographs, maps and artefacts – A collection of historical photographs, maps and artefacts documenting the history and activities of Porongurup, the Porongurup National Park and the surrounding region.
- The Lucky Ones – A slideshow featuring portraits of more than 100 members of the Porongurup community, captured by local resident and Friends member Bo Janmaat.
- Porongurup Spinners and Weavers – An art installation being created especially to celebrate the centenary of Porongurup National Park.
- Porongurup Art Group – An interactive visitor contribution display celebrating the centenary and inviting visitors to share their own contributions.
- Mountain Country Artists – Paintings and artworks depicting the Porongurup Range, including a series of plein air paintings created from a nearby farm, whose owners made the property available to the artists to capture views of the southern side of the Range.
- Plantagenet Writers Group – Display featuring their book Porongurup – A Range of Stories, an anthology of fiction, non-fiction and poetry relating to the Porongurup Range and National Park. Copies of the book will also be available for purchase.
- Guest speakers and events – See below for details of our speaker presentations.
Exhibition Events
Saturday 14 November 2026 | 1 pm
Informal Welcome to the Porongurup National Park Centenary Exhibition
An informal welcome to the exhibition by Friends of the Porongurup Range Chair, Judy MacKinnon, followed by afternoon tea.
Saturday 21 November 2026 | 1 pm
Formal Welcome to the Porongurup National Park Centenary Exhibition & Keynote Presentation by Professor Stephen Hopper AC
Join the Friends of the Porongurup Range for the formal welcome of the Porongurup National Park Centenary Exhibition, followed by a special keynote presentation by Professor Stephen Hopper AC from UWA Albany. Afternoon tea will follow the presentation.
Registration: Free. Please register your interest in attending to help us gauge expected numbers.
Sunday 22 November 2026 | 1 pm
Ecology & Conservation Presentations by Dr Sarah Comer and Dr Sarah Barrett
Join us for a special afternoon of ecology and conservation presentations as part of the Porongurup National Park Centenary celebrations. Hear from DBCA Parks and Wildlife Service representatives Dr Sarah Comer and Dr Sarah Barrett as they share their knowledge and insights into the ecology and conservation of the Porongurup Range. Afternoon tea will follow the presentations.
Registration: Free. Please register your interest in attending to help us gauge expected numbers.
Introducing our Speakers
Professor Stephen Hopper AC: Currently Professor of Biodiversity at The University of Western Australia, Stephen D. Hopper AC has worked over 50 years as a conservation biologist and academic, with a special interest in plant life and Aboriginal custodianship of granite outcrops. He also led as Director of Perth’s Kings Park and Botanic Garden (1992-2004) and London’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (2006-2012). Today, Steve’s research focuses on sustainable living with biodiversity. He collaborates especially with Aboriginal Elders. He is the author/coauthor of more than 300 scientific papers and several books, including Eucalyptus, Soul of the Desert, Life on the Rocks and Kangaroo Paws and Catspaws.
Dr Sarah Comer: Regional ecologist, with a focus on threatened fauna recovery and fire management. Sarah has led threatened species recovery programs for the noisy scrub-bird, western ground parrot, western ringtail possum and Australasian bittern. Her work also focuses on feral cat control and research into feral cat ecology in south coastal ecosystems.
Dr Sarah Barrett: Specialising in threatened flora and ecological community conservation, Phytophthora dieback management, fire ecology and vegetation surveys. Sarah first came to the south coast and started working in Porongurup National Park in 1994 as part of a Biological Survey of the Mountains of the South Coast of WA.
Exhibition closes Sunday 29 November 2026
COMMEMORATION EVENT AT PORONGURUP NATIONAL PARK
Saturday, 28 November 2026 | 1 pm
Karri boya-k (Tree in the Rock) Picnic Area
A special milestone – exactly 100 years to the day!
Join us as we commemorate the proclamation of Porongurup National Park with a ceremony, addresses and community celebration at Karri boya-k (Tree in the Rock) Picnic Area. Exactly 100 years to the day since the Park’s official opening on 28 November 1926!
Important Parking and Shuttle Information
Please note that the Karri boya-k (Tree in the Rock) area of Porongurup National Park will be closed to vehicles from 5pm Friday 27 November until 4pm Saturday 28 November for the event.
Parking: Please park in the field next to Porongurup Shop and Tearooms at 1972 Porongurup Road.
Shuttle bus: A shuttle bus will operate from 12 noon to 4pm, transporting visitors between Porongurup Shop and Tearooms and the Karri boya-k (Tree in the Rock) Picnic Area.
Registration: Free. Please register your interest in attending to help us gauge expected numbers.
Past Events
PORONGURUP CENTENARY EVENING: PIONEERS OF PORONGURUP
Friday, 21 August 2026 | Karribank
Join us for an evening with Professor Kingsley Faulkner AM as he presents a fascinating insight into the region’s history and developments from the early 19th century to the present day.
We’d like to thank everyone who came along to our Pioneers of Porongurup presentation with Professor Kingsley Faulkner AM on Friday night.
We started the evening with a delicious dinner at Karribank before heading over to their function centre for the presentation, where we welcomed more than 100 attendees.
As part of our Porongurup National Park Centenary celebrations, Kingsley gave us a fascinating insight into the history and development of the Porongurup region — from the original Aboriginal inhabitants, through early European exploration and settlement, to the inauguration of the National Park in 1926 and the century that followed.
The presentation was met with plenty of interest — and plenty of laughter! There were many familiar faces in the room, and it was lovely to hear local residents sharing a laugh over personal stories and memories of the Porongurup community.
Afterwards, we enjoyed tea and refreshments, giving longtime residents a chance to catch up, reconnect and share some great memories.
A very special thank you to Karribank for hosting us in such a beautiful space, helping us create such a wonderful setting for the evening, and for sharing the fascinating artefacts and historic photographs displayed throughout the room. They added so much to the atmosphere and helped bring our local history to life.
And of course, a huge thank you to Kingsley for a wonderful and engaging presentation, and to everyone who joined us and helped make the evening such a memorable community event.
Alexander Collie: Explorer, Naturalist, Humanist and Colonial Surgeon (1793 – 1835)
Friday, 24 April 2026 | Porongurup Art Studio
Alexander Collie: Albany’s first government resident in 1831, Swan River Colony Surgeon in 1833 and the story of significant bond between Dr Collie and Noongar Mokare.
Thank you to everyone who attended our Presentation by Professor Kingsley Faulkner AM. With around 50 people joining us, it was a wonderful evening and a fantastic way to begin our Centenary Celebrations marking 100 years of Porongurup National Park.
Held in the beautiful Porongurup Art Studio, the setting added something really special to the evening.
A sincere thank you to Professor Faulkner for sharing such an engaging and insightful presentation on Alexander Collie, including the story of the significant bond between Dr Collie and Noongar Mokare.
We’d also like to thank the Porongurup Shop, Tearoom & Village Inn for the delicious fish and chips beforehand.
A special acknowledgement also goes to everyone who contributed behind the scenes to help make the event possible. These occasions take a lot of work, and we’re so grateful for the time, effort and support that brings our community together.
This was just the beginning, with plenty more to come as we continue celebrating this special milestone. Thank you all for being part of it.