religion were No Religion 40.9%, Anglican 19.3% and Catholic 13.9%. Identity Very early on, because of its altitude and separation from the Swan Coastal Plain, Darlington became established as a popular picnic area, country drive destination, and a place for holiday homes. Writers, artists and others seeking to be separate from Perth's extensive suburban sand plain had sought the location for its natural surroundings. The artists gained the most publicity for their residence, while the writers and others tended to keep their privacy. Some of the community groups are over 40 years old. For example, the Darlington Residents and Ratepayers Association evolved from the earlier Darlington Progress Association, the Darlington Arts Festival as well. The tennis, cricket and other sports clubs have similar heritage. A newer arrival, the Darlington Club, is less than two years old and as a social club, is involved in sustaining community involvement and use of the Darlington Hall. It is one of the few hills communities to be served by several primary schools—the Darlington Primary School (state school), Tree-Tops Montessori School, and Helena College. The Darlington Arts Festival, an annual event, has been going for more than 40 years. It includes art exhibitions and other events on the Darlington oval. The 2006 "Trek the Trail" event was organised on the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail and went from Mundaring to Darlington, and included events on the oval. The Darlington Review is a monthly publication of some 50 years standing, featuring stories, news, advertisements and other material of local interest. It is one of the few of its kind to serve any hills community for such a long time and is delivered to each address in the locality. Notable former residents Guy Grey-Smith Robert Juniper D. H. Lawrence - short term A. O. Neville Mollie Skinner George Temple-Poole Richard Woldendorp Gallery See also Darlington Hall Bibliography [Brief note on the history of the scouts in Darlington, the first group formed in 1923] Darlington review, Feb.1993, p 7. Elliott, I., Mundaring, A History of the Shire, Mundaring, 1983 Wiltshire, T., A Place in the Hills, Darlington's First Fifty Years, Darlington, 1997 Snell, Ted Darlington and the Hills [videorecording] - in State Reference Library Spillman, K., Life was meant to be here, Mundaring, 2003. References External links Darlington Village website Mundaring and Hills Historical Society website Darlington on Geoscience Australia Darlington History Group Suburbs of Perth, Western Australia Darling