Darkan, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Darkan is a town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia
, between Collie
and the Albany Highway
on the Coalfields Road
. It is also the seat of the Shire of West Arthur. At the 2006 census
, Darkan had a population of 203.
name whose meaning is unclear. The townsite developed when the Collie to Narrogin railway line was built, and in 1906, the townsite was gazetted. The town grew quickly thereafter, with a Road Board being established and numerous shops and services being established in the following years. The railway closed in the early 1990s, but the surrounding productive wool growing and mixed farming area along with tourism have ensured the town's survival.
, golf course, shire hall, hotel, synthetic tennis courts, basketball courts, primary school and a skatepark. A new addition to this social list is 'The Shed', a workshop mainly for the towns retirees that consists of a woodworking and a metal working area for the construction of numerous personal projects. A heritage trail (in reality the Road Board Office, Shire Office and Pioneer Hall (1911)) has been established in the town.
The town is surrounded by a fertile (lateritic/alluvial soils), high rainfall (approx 650mm per year) wheat/sheep area that makes use of a small range of services in the town and the Co-operative Bulk Handling
grain storage bin about 3km to the east. 10km to the west is Six Mile Cottage, a very small two-room slab house
built by a sleeper cutter for the railway in the early 1900s, and jarrah
, flood gum and wandoo bushland reserves, filled with wildflower
s in spring, are a short drive away.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, between Collie
Collie, Western Australia
-External links:*...
and the Albany Highway
Albany Highway
Albany Highway is a generally northwest-southeast highway in the south of Western Australia which links the state's capital Perth with its oldest settlement, Albany. The highway is approximately in length, is designated State Route 30 and separates Western Australia's Great Southern region from...
on the Coalfields Road
Coalfields Road
Coalfields Highway, formerly known as Coalfields Road, is a Western Australian highway linking Roelands on the South Western Highway with Arthur River on the Albany Highway...
. It is also the seat of the Shire of West Arthur. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Darkan had a population of 203.
History
The area was originally settled by William John Gibbs and his family in the 1860s. Gibbs established a property called "Darkan", using a local AboriginalIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
name whose meaning is unclear. The townsite developed when the Collie to Narrogin railway line was built, and in 1906, the townsite was gazetted. The town grew quickly thereafter, with a Road Board being established and numerous shops and services being established in the following years. The railway closed in the early 1990s, but the surrounding productive wool growing and mixed farming area along with tourism have ensured the town's survival.
Present day
Darkan is the social and political centre in the Shire of West Arthur. The town has a roadhouse, supermarket, telecentreTelecentre
A telecentre is a public place where people can access computers, the Internet, and other digital technologies that enable them to gather information, create, learn, and communicate with others while they develop essential digital skills...
, golf course, shire hall, hotel, synthetic tennis courts, basketball courts, primary school and a skatepark. A new addition to this social list is 'The Shed', a workshop mainly for the towns retirees that consists of a woodworking and a metal working area for the construction of numerous personal projects. A heritage trail (in reality the Road Board Office, Shire Office and Pioneer Hall (1911)) has been established in the town.
The town is surrounded by a fertile (lateritic/alluvial soils), high rainfall (approx 650mm per year) wheat/sheep area that makes use of a small range of services in the town and the Co-operative Bulk Handling
Co-operative Bulk Handling
Co-operative Bulk Handling or Co-operative Bulk Group, commonly known as CBH, is a Western Australian based cooperative company that operates grain receival points and also markets grain...
grain storage bin about 3km to the east. 10km to the west is Six Mile Cottage, a very small two-room slab house
Slab Hut
A Slab Hut is a kind of dwelling or shed made from slabs of split or sawn timber. It was a common form of construction used by settlers in Australia and New Zealand during their nations' Colonial periods.-The Australian Settler:...
built by a sleeper cutter for the railway in the early 1900s, and jarrah
Jarrah
Eucalyptus marginata is one of the most common species of Eucalyptus tree in the southwest of Western Australia. The tree and the wood are usually referred to by the Aboriginal name Jarrah...
, flood gum and wandoo bushland reserves, filled with wildflower
Wildflower
A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. Yet "wildflower" meadows of a few mixed species are sold in seed packets. The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more...
s in spring, are a short drive away.
External links
- Shire of West Arthur
- Albany Gateway - West Arthur (locally produced site)
- SMH Travel - Darkan