---
title: The growth and decline of a timber settlement
date: 2026-10-20T09:19:47Z
modified: 2026-10-20T09:22:39Z
permalink: "https://mrdhs.com.au/karridale/"
type: page
status: publish
excerpt: ""
wpid: 4205
parent: ""
ancestors: []
children: []
timestamp: 2026-10-20T09:22:39Z
tags: []
---

In this peer-reviewed paper, Beth Goodacre traces the rise and fall of Karridale, the timber town built by Maurice Coleman (M.C.) Davies in the late 1870s. It is based largely on the letters her father wrote from Karridale between 1907 and 1910, and on her mother’s later radio scripts. She uses them to give a first-hand picture of daily life. This included a company-run town with its own non-cash accounts, an ageing “big Cottage”, and a mix of coaches, log trains and ships connecting it to the outside world.

The paper argues that Karridale declined well before the mill closed in 1913. The reasons it identifies include under-investment by the new owners, Millars. It also covers workforce shortages, accidents and unreliable shipping, and the loss of Hamelin Bay as a port. Fires, drought and a dwindling supply of karri added to the strain. The paper ends with the wreck of the Pericles in 1910, when the little settlement had to feed nearly 500 survivors. It also notes the 1961 bushfire that destroyed what remained of the town.

_Note: The inclusion of this document in our digital archive is for reference and research purposes only, and the Margaret River & District Historical Society does not necessarily endorse all content, viewpoints, or specific conclusions presented within it._