Wildflower bag
Wildflower tourism emerges
While locals had long admired the profusion of dazzling wildflowers which erupted around Dongara each spring, it wasn’t until the 1960s that wildflower tourism emerged. The Midland Railway Company started bus tours from Perth to ferry visitors to Dongara during wildflower season. The visitors would stroll amid the blooms, tuck flowers behind their ears and gather great armfuls of flowers as bouquets. Keen to cash in on the tourism, Midland Railway also sold souvenirs, such as this vinyl shoulder bag featuring an illustration of kangaroo paws and other wildflowers.