Located 30 minutes from the CBD, Barrington Quarry on Rushton Road is one of the many quarries left behind from Perth's mining days. It's one of the best quarries to visit, with its picturesque views of the surrounding area, the quarry and the distance cityscape. Sixty Foot Falls nearby is definitely worth a visit whilst you're here, especially after the rainy season which makes it the biggest waterfall in the metropolitan area.

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Quarrying began in the area during the 1920's until 1982. During the 1950's, Barrington quarry was mined for its granite and diorite. The mine has been abandoned since.

 

In 1984, Readymix (now Holcim Australia), who were the owners of the quarry located on 255 hectares, exchanged the site with the State Government for a nearby area containing 143 hectares (Gosnells Hard Rock Quarry). This saw the area's conservation being established.

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Bedrock Mining lodged an application in 1987 to mine gold in the Ellis Brook Valley, where the Barrington Quarry is located. After vigorous public campaigning and more than 100 objections lodged, the Mining Warden's saw the application withdrawn. A year later, an application was lodged to re-open Barrington Quarry to extract granite but again, public pressure contributed to the application being withdrawn.

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It's been recognised as having some of the largest different wildflower species with more than 500 varieties, as well as over 116 species of birds calling this area home.

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There are four walking trails to choose from: Blue Wren Ramble Trail (2.8km return - easy), Easy Walk Trail (500m loop - easy), Eagle View Trail (430m return - moderate) and Sixty Foot Falls Trail (2km loop - hard).

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Whilst the water looks nice to swim in, it's strongly advised that you don't, due to the high levels of amoebic meningitis and minimal water flow, particularly in the summer!

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There's no drinking water available so ensure you bring plenty of water with you. Dogs are allowed on a leash.