Pemberton trout ponds get fresh look to encourage more visitors

A Pemberton angling club has partnered with Recfishwest to help restore a historical network of trout ponds near the Pemberton Pool and Hydro Station.

The MacCallum Smith Memorial Trout Ponds are currently undergoing restoration works after having been heritage-listed.

The ponds were built in 1941 by the Pemberton-Warren Trout Acclimatisation Society through bequeathed funds from John McCallum Smith and had two parallel sets of ponds, before a new hatchery was built at the Freshwater Research Station in the 1950s.

Southern Forests Freshwater Angling Club president Simon Holland said the ponds were state-of-the-art at the time, but needed some maintenance to promote it as a tourist destination.

“They were important because it meant trout propagation in WA became independent — we were no longer relying on having to trap wild fish,” he said.

“There’s not much to actually restore the relic, but we want to clear it out and make it more widely known as a tourist destination.”

More than 300 hours of volunteer work had gone into clearing the overgrown site, Mr Holland said, and Recfishwest-funded trail markers and signage now guide visitors and provide information.

He said the club was inspired by the history of the site as well as a desire to promote angling tourism.

“When the ponds were built, they heralded it as a new beginning for angling tourism and Pemberton because (it was) a popular attraction for fishermen,” Ms Holland said.

“We’re dedicated to the preservation of this local treasure and the promotion of angling in the region.”