Dwarda, Western Australia

Dwarda Western Australia
Dwarda
Established:	1912
Postcode:	6308
Elevation:	246 m (807 ft)
Location:	131 km (81 mi) from Perth 11 km (7 mi) from Wandering
LGA:	Shire of Wandering
State District:	Wagin
Federal Division:	O'Connor

Coordinates: 32°46′01″S 116°41′02″E / 32.767°S 116.684°E / -32.767; 116.684

Dwarda is a small town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, 11 kilometres (7 mi) south of the town of Wandering on the Hotham River.

History

The name is a contraction of nearby Dwardadine Creek, with "dwarda" being an Noongar Aboriginal name for the dingo. The townsite was first requested by the Wandering Road Board in 1912, with the hope it could become a future terminus for the Hotham Valley Railway, and the townsite, initially called "Dampier", was gazetted in 1914.^[1] The town however did not attract settlement. In 1940-41 a timber mill was built here by JC "Charlie" Tucak which operated for some years.^[2]

The townsite is presently owned by the Horan family, though most of the buildings were destroyed by arson in the mid-1980s.

References

1. ^ Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of country town names". http://www.landgate.wa.gov.au/corporate.nsf/web/History+of+country+town+names. Retrieved 2007-03-25. 
2. ^ Mountain Movers Railway Sleepers (2005). "About Us". http://www.mountainmovers.com.au/About%20Us.htm. Retrieved 2006-10-15.  - contains pictures of the townsite and mill.