History of the Association

Albany on the south coast of Western Australia was the original settlement of Australia outside the colony of New South Wales. Access to the hinterland to the north east of Albany was barred by the rivers that flowed into Oyster Harbour. As the settlement of Albany developed, La Rivière Francaise, as the French Captain Nicholas Baudin had named it, became known as French River, and was crossed some miles upstream, then by boat, a manual ferry, and even a flying fox. Such difficulty of access continued to restrict development, as the name of the river reverted to its original aboriginal name of Kalgan. It was by that name the first bridge became known over a century ago when it spread settlement quickly beyond.

In those days, the Kalgan River valley was so remote that settlers were heavily dependent upon one another. As they settled in, they formed a succession of organizations to represent their common interests. Informal to start with, these organizations led to the formation in 1926 of the original Settlers Association, which underwent a sequence of name changes, splits and amalgamations over the years until being incorporated as the Lower Kalgan Progress Association, or LKPA.

Some might say "Progress Association" is a misnomer, but representing the common interests of neighbours in remote communities has been the glue that binds them since long before the evolution of modern communications and transport technology, and continues to do so today through this community website.

In 2017 the Association was renamed The Lower Kalgan Community Association.