Six Seasons Trails | Settlers Common

The Six Seasons Trail invites you to experience the landscapes of Armadale through the changing rhythms of Whadjuk Noongar Boodja (Country). Winding through forests, wetlands, granite outcrops and creek lines, each trail reveals a different chapter of a landscape that has been shaped by nature and cared for by Whadjuk Noongar people for thousands of years.

For Noongar people, the year is marked not by four seasons but by six, looking at changes in flowering plants, birdlife, rainfall and animal behaviour, signalling the time to
move, gather, care for Boodja and celebrate its abundance. These natural indicators continue to shape the landscape, offering a deeper understanding of the connections
between people, place and the environment. As you explore the Six Seasons Trail, take time to notice the subtle changes around you; the scent of eucalyptus after rain, the flowering of banksias, the call of native birds and the flow of creeks through the hills. Walk with curiosity, tread with respect, and discover a living landscape where culture, ecology and the passing seasons remain deeply connected.

Step into one of the largest remaining bushland reserves on the western edge of the Darling Scarp, where the walking trails of Armadale Settlers Common reveal a
landscape shaped by diversity, resilience and time. Spanning 383 hectares, the reserve protects open Jarrah–Marri forest, granite outcrops, creek lines and health, supporting more than 300 native plant species, including seasonal orchids, banksias, grass trees and several rare and priority flora species. The changing vegetation provides habitat for western grey kangaroos, quendas, reptiles and an abundance of native birdlife, including threatened black cockatoos that feed among the marri and banksia blossoms.

Armadale Settlers Common lies within Whadjuk Noongar Boodja (Country), where the hills, forests and waterways form part of a broader cultural landscape that has been
cared for by Whadjuk Noongar people for thousands of years. For Noongar people, Boodja is a living system of land, water, plants, animals and spirit, with each element
connected through the changing rhythms of the environment. Those rhythms are reflected in the Noongar Six Seasons. Flowering banksias and marri provide nectar for birds and insects, rainfall replenishes creek lines and nourishes new growth, while drier periods see wildlife seek shelter beneath the forest canopy and among the granite landscapes. These natural cycles have long informed movement across Boodja and the careful observation of its resources. Today, Armadale Settlers Common remains an important refuge for biodiversity and a place to experience the remarkable ecology of the Darling Scarp. Whether walking beneath towering eucalypts, pausing beside seasonal creek lines or taking in views across the foothills, you’re invited to slow down, tread lightly and discover a landscape where nature and culture remain inseparably connected.