The Australian Denmark is not named after, or related to the one in Europe. It received its name because it was established near the Denmark River. The river was named after Alexander Denmark who was a friend of the English explorer who discovered the river.

Maybe if the first Europeans to discover the area around Denmark had been a little more interested colonizing, the city would have been named Holland. Dutch explorers arrived in the seventeenth century but the area didn’t become settled until 200 years later.

Around that time England needed wood for building. The Kari trees that grew in forests all around the area made excellent building timber. A large lumber industry grew up.

For many years Denmark was a quiet farm town. It hasn’t stopped being that but the natural beauty that surrounds it has attracted many tourists. The rocky coastline is picturesque. The photogenic beaches, rivers, inlets and forests provide a myriad of opportunities for outdoor recreation.

Walpole-Nornalup National Park has long been one of the area’s most popular tourist destinations. Visitors are especially eager to experience The Tree Top Walk. It’s is a walkway that rises up to 38m above the forest allowing visitors of all ages to view the canopy of the magnificent tingle forest from a unique perspective.

The 1960s brought a stream of people in search of a place to live their alternative, counter-culture lifestyle. The Hippies brought with them a passion for traditional arts and music and natural food. Their environmental awareness set a standard that continues to keep Denmark beautiful and organic foods readily available.

When you visit the Denmark Visitors Center you will learn that the strange shaped building was constructed for the purpose of containing an object that can only be seen in Denmark, WA. The water barometer built by Bert Bolle is the largest barometer in the world.

The three story tower in the building was required because the barometer is 12 meters or 39.36 feet tall. The barometer is a real, functioning scientific instrument. It wasn’t built huge just to attract attention.

The creator of the barometer explains that he built it that big because it would not work accurately if it were any smaller. A barometer filled with mercury needs to be only about three feet high to measure the pressure of the air surrounding it. However water weighs only about one fourteenth as much as mercury so much more of it is required to get an accurate reading.

“Denmarkians” (not Danes) call their town the place “where the forest meets the sea”. Denmark accommodations are as diverse as the travelers who come to visit. Whether you want a backpack hostel or a luxury hotel or something in between it’s here. Your choice may depend on whether you would rather be closer to the forest or the sea.