Йорк: История и архитектура старейшего города Западной Австралии.

York is the oldest inland town in Western Australia, situated on the Avon River, east of Perth in the Wheatbelt, on Ballardong Nyoongar land, and is the seat of the Shire of York. The name of the region was suggested by JS Clarkson during an expedition in October 1830 because of its similarity to his own county in England, Yorkshire. After thousands of years of occupation by Ballardong Nyoongar people, the area was first settled by Europeans in 1831, two years after Perth was settled in 1829. A town was established in 1835 with the release of town allotments and the first buildings were erected in 1836. The region was important throughout the 19th century for sheep and grain farming, sandalwood, cattle, goats, pigs and horse breeding. York boomed during the gold rush as it was one of the last rail stops before the walk to the goldfields. Today, the town attracts tourists for its beauty, history, buildings, festivals and art.

The Ballardong people, a sub group of the Nyoongar, occupied the land before European settlement.

With its hamlet Bland's Town, York has buildings from each decade from the early settlers (1830s and 1840s), the convict period (1850s and 1860s), the coming of rail (1885), the Gold Rush (1887 to 1900), and the Federation boom, culminating in the York Town Hall (1911). Faversham House, overlooking the north end of Avon Terrace, is one of the grandest surviving Colonial homes in the State. More than 200 buildings or sites in York are heritage listed, most within the town itself. Many of York's older homes and buildings have now been restored and, while some have retained their original use (e. g. the York Post Office), others have been adaptively re used with success, such as the former York Primary School (1886).

The Principal Architect, George Temple Poole, was a follower of Arts and Crafts Style which came out of the Arts and Crafts Movement inspired by William Morris and John Ruskin. The railway station building (built in 1885), is one of the earliest Federation Arts and Crafts buildings in Australia and could be a Cotswold cottage from Bibury in Gloucestershire, that William Morris considered the ideal in house design. The Old York Hospital has similarity to William Morris's own home, Red House and is one of the most admired Arts and Crafts buildings in the State. The former York Primary School (1886) also repeats a motif from Red House (the flèche). Federation Free Style buildings (the commercial equivalent of Arts and Crafts style) include the York Post Office (1893), the Courthouse and police station (c. 1896). All are designed by Temple Poole and are on the State Heritage Register. The centre of the town has fine examples of a dozen other Victorian and Federation architectural styles, virtually uninterrupted by modern buildings. The Victorian Georgian style buildings include the old sections of Settlers House and the Castle Hotel. The Convent School House (1872) is a Victorian Tudor building, the same style as many of Perth's early buildings and also probably designed by Richard Roach Jewell. York churches include the Victorian Romanesque style Anglican Holy Trinity Church (completed in 1854), designed by Richard Roach Jewell; St Patrick's original church (1859–60); St Patrick's Church (designed in the Gothic Revival style by the former convict architect Joseph Nunan and completed in 1886); and the Uniting Church Chapel constructed in Victorian Georgian style (1854) and the Uniting Church in Victorian Academic Gothic style (1888). The Catholic Presbytery is in Victorian Rustic Gothic style. The coming of rail in 1885 brought the Victorian Filigree style Imperial Hotel (1886). Gold rush buildings include the Federation Warehouse style York Flour Mill (1892), now a café and gallery, at the entrance to York and many of the buildings in Avon Terrace. The Western Australian Bank building, designed by JJ Talbot Hobbs and the Masonic Hall (designed by James William Wright), are in Victorian Academic Classical style. Most of the main street, Avon Terrace, has Victorian or Federation Free Classical buildings, including the Co op (IGA) (1888 façade), the York Motor Museum, and Dinsdale's Shoe Emporium (1887) designed by Wright, with a cluster of Federation Romanesque buildings at the north end, including the former Fire Station (1897). Early 20th century buildings include the stunning Federation Mannerist (or Edwardian Opulence) style Town Hall (also designed by Wright, and built in 1911), and an exemplar of Federation Filigree style, the Castle Hotel (1905), designed by William G Wolf, who designed His Majesty's Theatre.

The York Visitor Centre is located in the Town Hall. York is well serviced with all essential facilities, including York District High School for students from kindergarten to Year 10. The York Community Resource Centre enables access to tertiary education. There is a 24/7 medical service, the York District Hospital, library, and swimming pool. York has had a community radio station, Voice of the Avon 101.3FM, since 1994. Beginning life as York FM in the old convent the current location is at the corner of Barker St and Forrest St. The volunteer driven station presents a 24/7 music service with presenters providing their own programs for 82 hours per week between 6am and 10pm.

York is in a temperate climate zone and experiences distinctly dry (and hot) summers and cool, wet winters. Under the Köppen climate classification, York has a Mediterranean climate. York has hotter summer afternoons than Perth, with a huge difference compared to the Fremantle shoreline. Winters are more likely to see cold nights instead due to the lower maritime influence. Air frost during the night can emerge on certain occasions during the colder months. Climate data has been recorded by the Bureau of Meteorology at York Post Office from 1877 to 1996, and another site from 1996 onwards. At the post office site, the mean annual daily maximum temperature is and the mean annual daily minimum temperature is About 40 houses were damaged in the town as a result of the storm but no injuries were reported.