TOODYAY GAOL LANDSCAPE SCHEME

John Oldham landscape design:

In July 1963 the Toodyay Shire Council received a £2,100 grant from the Tourist Development Authority for landscaping around the Gaol. Plans were commissioned from John Oldham, who at that time was Western Australia’s first Government landscape architect. John Oldham produced a design which included a picnic and barbecue area, and parking space. The proposed second shed was also incorporated in the plans. In the Newcastle Gaol Museum archives several plans are stored detailing various aspects of the proposed work including drainage, pathways, earthworks and extensive plantings of native species.

In 1964 Toodyay Tree Society volunteers planted 200 trees, including WA varieties, following the Oldham Landscape design. The beautification was financed by the Government Tourist Bureau and the Toodyay Shire Council.
The framework of the design is still evident today (2020) and some of the remaining trees on this site may date from these plantings.

Among John Oldham's many achievements were the landscaping of the Narrow’s Interchange, Parliament House, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, and Serpentine and Wellington Dams.