Wagin (Wagin)
Wagin is a town and shire in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, approximately 225 km south-east of Perth on the Great Southern Highway between Narrogin and Katanning. It is also on State Route 107. The main industries are wheat and sheep farming.
The name of the town is derived from Wagin Lake, a usually dry salt lake south of the town. The lake's name is of Noongar origin, and was first recorded by a surveyor in 1869–72. It means "place of emus", or "site of the foot tracks from when the emu sat down".
The first European explorer through the area was John Septimus Roe, the Surveyor General of Western Australia, in 1835 en route to Albany from Perth. Between 1835 and 1889 a few settlers eked a simple living by cutting sandalwood and shepherding small flocks of sheep. Land was granted to pastoralists in the Wagin area from the late 1870s.
The town itself came into existence after the construction of the Great Southern Railway, which was completed in 1889, with the town originally called Wagin Lake.
The first post office and telegraph building, designed by George Temple-Poole, was completed in 1893. The building was replaced by the current building in 1912. The building was designed by Hillson Beasley and built at a cost of £2,596; the old building was converted to living quarters.
The local Agricultural Hall was built by 1896 and opened 1 December the same year. In 1898 Wagin was proclaimed a town with the word Lake dropped. A further railway connection with the Collie to Narrogin line at Bowelling was made on 10 December 1918.
In early 1898 the population of the town was 175: 125 men and 50 women.
Saint George's Anglican church, a stone Federation Gothic style stone building with a tower, was constructed in 1900 on land donated by Frederick Piesse.
The Palace Hotel was built in 1905. The two-storey Federation Filigree style building with large verandahs in located on Trudhoe Street. The original owner was Paddy. B. Durack, who also owned a sizeable property east of Wagin known as Behn Ord. Significant extensions were added to the building in 1911.
The Wagin Road Boards building was built in 1912 at a cost of £400. The building now houses the town library.
The name of the town is derived from Wagin Lake, a usually dry salt lake south of the town. The lake's name is of Noongar origin, and was first recorded by a surveyor in 1869–72. It means "place of emus", or "site of the foot tracks from when the emu sat down".
The first European explorer through the area was John Septimus Roe, the Surveyor General of Western Australia, in 1835 en route to Albany from Perth. Between 1835 and 1889 a few settlers eked a simple living by cutting sandalwood and shepherding small flocks of sheep. Land was granted to pastoralists in the Wagin area from the late 1870s.
The town itself came into existence after the construction of the Great Southern Railway, which was completed in 1889, with the town originally called Wagin Lake.
The first post office and telegraph building, designed by George Temple-Poole, was completed in 1893. The building was replaced by the current building in 1912. The building was designed by Hillson Beasley and built at a cost of £2,596; the old building was converted to living quarters.
The local Agricultural Hall was built by 1896 and opened 1 December the same year. In 1898 Wagin was proclaimed a town with the word Lake dropped. A further railway connection with the Collie to Narrogin line at Bowelling was made on 10 December 1918.
In early 1898 the population of the town was 175: 125 men and 50 women.
Saint George's Anglican church, a stone Federation Gothic style stone building with a tower, was constructed in 1900 on land donated by Frederick Piesse.
The Palace Hotel was built in 1905. The two-storey Federation Filigree style building with large verandahs in located on Trudhoe Street. The original owner was Paddy. B. Durack, who also owned a sizeable property east of Wagin known as Behn Ord. Significant extensions were added to the building in 1911.
The Wagin Road Boards building was built in 1912 at a cost of £400. The building now houses the town library.
Map - Wagin (Wagin)
Map
Country - Australia
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The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from south east Asia approximately 65,000 years ago, during the last ice age. Arriving by sea, they settled the continent and had formed approximately 250 distinct language groups by the time of European settlement, maintaining some of the longest known continuing artistic and religious traditions in the world. Australia's written history commenced with the European maritime exploration of Australia. The Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon was the first known European to reach Australia, in 1606. In 1770, the British explorer James Cook mapped and claimed the east coast of Australia for Great Britain, and the First Fleet of British ships arrived at Sydney in 1788 to establish the penal colony of New South Wales. The European population grew in subsequent decades, and by the end of the 1850s gold rush, most of the continent had been explored by European settlers and an additional five self-governing British colonies established. Democratic parliaments were gradually established through the 19th century, culminating with a vote for the federation of the six colonies and foundation of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. Australia has since maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and wealthy market economy.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUD | Australian dollar | $ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| EN | English language |