- Source: Hazelvale, Western Australia
Hazelvale is a rural locality of the Shire of Denmark in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. The Frankland River forms much of the western border of Hazelvale. The Walpole-Nornalup National Park extends into the south-west of the locality.
History
Hazelvale and the Shire of Denmark, according to the shire's website, are located on the traditional land of the Bibulman and Mineng people of the Noongar nation. The Mineng's traditional lands cover the majority of the shire while the Bibulman's traditional lands are to the west and, according to other sources, do not extend into the Shire of Denmark.
The Hazelvale School and teacher's residence is listed on the shire's heritage register. Hazelvale was settled as part of the Group Settlement Scheme, being part of Group 139, originally under the name of Hazelwood. The school operated continuously from 1928 until 1941, when a teacher shortage because of the war forced its closure. The school did not reopen after the end of the war, with pupils attending school in Walpole instead.
The Sappers Bridge is also listed on the shire's heritage register and is located on the border of Hazelvale and Walpole. One of the few bridges over the Frankland River, the bridge was constructed in late 1982 by the 22nd Construction Squadron of the Royal Australian Engineers for the National Parks Authority of Western Australia as part of a construction exercise. The timber bridge replaced a previous structure that had been damaged by floods. The bridge is utilised by the Bibbulmun Track.