John Forrest National Park

John Forrest National Park Western Australia
IUCN category II (national park)
National Park western entrance
John Forrest National Park
Nearest town or city	Perth
Coordinates	31°52′55″S 116°04′26″E / 31.88194°S 116.07389°E / -31.88194; 116.07389Coordinates: 31°52′55″S 116°04′26″E / 31.88194°S 116.07389°E / -31.88194; 116.07389
Established	1957
Area	26.78 km2 (10.3 sq mi)
Managing authorities	Department of Parks and Wildlife (Western Australia)
Website	John Forrest National Park
See also	List of protected areas of Western Australia

John Forrest National Park is a national park in the Darling Scarp, 24 km east of Perth, Western Australia. It was the first national park in Western Australia and the second in Australia after Royal National Park.

As early as 1898, the land was reserved for conservation and recreation. Two years later, it was named Greenmount National Park It was still being identified as National Park in the late 1930s and it was not until 1947 that the name change occurred to commemorate Sir John Forrest, the first Premier of Western Australia.

The park is on the edge of the Darling Scarp east of Perth, north of the Great Eastern Highway. The suburb to the west is known as Swan View with Pechey Road as a natural western boundary. To the south of the Great Eastern Highway the suburbs adjacent are Darlington and Glen Forrest. To the east Hovea is the adjacent suburb.

It was dissected by the Eastern Railway when it was constructed in the 1890s and rail traffic passed through until 1966, when the line was closed due to the opening of the Avon Valley route.

The alignment through the Swan View Tunnel and through the park was commonly known as the 'National Park' railway line.

During the Great Depression of the 1930s many features near the main park buildings were built as part of relief employment. Some have been restored. It also has a tavern.

It was a very popular railway excursion location while the railway was in existence (1890s to 1960s). Initially Hovea was the nearest railway station but in 1936 the National Park railway station was built. Also often photographed were National Park Falls, and the Hovea Falls.