Published on Thursday, 21 November 2024 at 10:04:17 AM

The Shire of Dardanup’s iconic tourist attraction, Gnomesville, has been impacted by minor flooding following Tuesday night’s storms, which delivered over 100 millimetres of rain to the region.

The heavy rainfall caused the local creek to swell, displacing many of the thousands of gnomes that form the heart of the Ferguson Valley attraction.

Deputy Shire President, Cr Ellen Lilly, said Shire staff were onsite yesterday assessing the damage and implementing recovery efforts promptly.

She said the Shire has a master plan in place for the area and were optimistic about restoring the attraction to its former glory.

“Our ceramic community of Dardanup is very unhappy,” Cr Lilly said.

“The extreme weather has left us with lots of fractured gnomes, and it will take some time to restore Gnomesville, but we will.”

She acknowledged the enduring significance of Gnomesville for both locals and visitors.

“Gnomesville has been part of our community for a very long time and is an important point of difference for our Shire,” Cr Lilly said.

“It’s a place that brings people together from all over the world. While this damage is disappointing, it’s something we can fix. However, repairs to the bridge may take a little longer.”

While visitors are welcome to Gnomesville, they are urged to exercise caution.

“Although Gnomesville remains open, we ask visitors to be careful as there is still a lot of cleaning up to do,” Cr Lilly said.

“Broken gnomes and slippery pathways caused by mud make it important to tread carefully,” Cr Lilly added.

“The Shire of Dardanup appreciates the patience and understanding of the community as efforts continue to restore this treasured attraction.

“We will keep the community posted on the clean up and repairs.”

       
The Shire of Dardanup Deputy Shire President Cr Ellen Lilly checks out the damage at Gnomesville, which was hit hard by
Tuesday night’s storms and minor flooding. Below: photos of the damage. 

     

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