An area formerly known for its timber mills, WA’S Southern Forests are filled with enterprising folk.
ONCE FILLED WITH WOOD MILLS, WA’S SOUTHERN FORESTS ARE ATTRACTING EAGER YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS.
THE SAWS MAY have recently fallen silent in the timber town of Manjimup, but these days there’s a different buzz in the air. In the mornings, the humming epicentre is undoubtedly the northern end of Giblett Street. At April and Ian Pianta’s Southern Roasting Co., an airy exposed-brick-and-timber space, customers waiting for their morning brew chinwag at the long table, or sit outside in the sun with dogs lounging underfoot. Just around the corner, Laura Sarinis is opening the doors of her concept store Makers on Mount, a sleek space filled with plants, fashion and homewares that wouldn’t look out of place on the streets of Stockholm or New York. It’s a convivial, urbane scene and a change of pace for the 10,000 residents who call this town in WA’S South West home. As the hub of a region that was first settled by timber cutters and hard-working immigrant farmers more than a century ago, most people think of Manjimup as a service centre. But a new wave of enterprising people — both newcomers and those with roots here — are showing that the area has a creative streak to complement its practicality. Laura grew up in Manjimup and says she’s seen the area transform over the past few years, which prompted her to open her retail enterprise in her hometown. “You can just feel a more positive vibe, with people working together,” she says. In the near future, she’s planning to hold creative workshops and events in the store. Manjimup lies just over three hours south of Perth, with its neighbour Pemberton around 30 kilometres further south west. They’re the two northernmost towns of the Southern Forests, a fecund region marked by rich, loamy soil that lends itself to growing almost anything — including spectacularly tall karri trees (some scraping 90 metres). “Stick a pencil in the ground, and it’ll sprout,” is a common refrain you’ll hear around these parts. When it comes to WA’S South West, Margaret River has tended to scoop up the attention and accolades. But while folks there quaffed cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, the industrious farmers of the Southern Forests were quietly experimenting. Today their black truffles get star billing, and pinot noir is another standout success. In fact, the mist-wreathed vales of Pemberton are the only place in the state these fickle vines can be grown. The region now has more than 200 growers turning out more than 50 different types of produce — everything from cherries, avocados, finger limes and freshwater crustaceans to brand-new varieties of fruit (the pink lady was invented here, and more recently, the dark-skinned Bravo apple). “Anything you can think of is grown here,” says Ash Lewkowski, who crafts masculine, fruit-driven pinots at Lost Lake Wines in the heart of the Pemberton wine region. “We’re a bit more down-to-earth — a lot of businesses are still family owned and operated,” the winemaker adds. Ash, as so many other locals do, nods to the strong sense of community. “A neighbour recently dropped off a bale of hay for my sheep without me even knowing about it, it’s that sort of thing. There are no closed doors. We look after each other and share our knowledge.” >
A set of newcomers who have benefitted from this spirit are Dean and Kate Baker, who make a range of gourmet sparkling apple juices under their brand, Newleaf Orchard. The couple had never farmed before when they bought an apple orchard near Manjimup — to complicate things further, they’re now experimenting with more than 400 heirloom varieties, most of which have never been grown commercially. “We’ve had to spark up friendships with those older growers to learn from them,” says Dean. “Luckily the vast majority are very supportive. They want to see new people come into the area. They want to see the industry grow.” Just a few kilometres south of Manjimup along the South West Highway is Stellar Violets, an arts and culture centre. It’s housed in a collection of converted train carriages, which once click-clacked their way down the Hotham Valley Railway but now sit cradled by plantings of fruit trees, endlesss rows of vegetables and blooming dahlias. There’s even a peacock, incongruously preening itself in the back of a ute, below thick ropes of drying garlic. It’s the eclectic brainchild of Lucinda Giblett, whose family have been farming apples in this region for more than three generations. The aim of the charity is to promote sustainable, creative and healthy living through workshops and events. They run a gamut of nature-based playgroups and other activities from food growing to arts-based ‘immersions’ and pop-up dinners. Lucinda, who is one of those locals who flew the coop after high school only to return in recent years, describes the area as now having a real sense of excitement. “I wanted to offer something and be a part of that,” she says. Along the Vasse Highway through the thickening forest, you’ll find Pemberton’s main drag. Neat-as-a-pin timber cottages sit as they did a hundred years ago, lipped with verandahs and hemmed by cool-climate gardens spilling over with colour. There’s even a steam locomotive and a giant set of wagon wheels in the park. But don’t be fooled by the old-timey vibes — there’s change bubbling beneath the surface here, too. On the corner of Brockman Street, David Young and his business partner Steve Peaple have been working on Jaspers, a soon-to-be café by day that will be a whisky bar by night. “We wanted to share what we love about it here, and connect people with all the businesses,” explains David. “The produce is what sets this place apart — we want to put the region on a plate.” Thanks to another tenacious new resident, the green stuff on many local plates is now grown in these parts as well. (Formerly, most salad greens were trucked down from Perth.) When Jamie Copeland first arrived in 2017, he had no experience in market gardening. “So I put an ad in the paper, asking if anyone would be willing to teach me,” says Jamie. “The person who said yes is now my landlord.” Now, suitably skilled up, Jamie picks his fresh, organic greens daily to order as PJ Local Produce. On the weekends, he and his wife Pippa Darrington can be found at their kiosk at the local swimming spot Pemberton Pool, a forestencircled haven that he calls one of the region’s hidden gems, plating up gourmet toasted sandwiches and selling locally sourced drinks and ice cream by the scoop. Jamie explains that it’s the community spirit, and the energy offered by other young producers, that keeps them motivated through the challenging times — such as when a moth wiped out their entire crop. “There is a small element here of ‘Woe is me, the mill has closed and we’re all lost,’ ” he says. “But the people I talk to say it feels like things are on the up and up — and that’s what spurs us on.”