Duranillin, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Duranillin is a small town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia
, 24 kilometres (15 mi) south of Darkan
near the junction of the Arthur
and Beaufort river
s.
origin and was first recorded by a surveyor in 1877, as with Moodiarrup further south, but the meaning of the name is not known. The town was established in 1916 when the Collie
-Wagin
railway was built, and gazetted in 1918.
The first building was a store built by Lewis Hibble, and was followed in the 1920s by a few settlers. Until 1968, the railway was the main employer in the town, and a major timber mill operated by the Hughes family operated here which employed three or four families.
Lake Towerrinning, located south of the town, is the main attraction of the area - a semi-freshwater lake covering 256 hectares (633 acre), and a popular swimming spot with picnic areas and clean sandy beaches, offering water skiing and swimming as well as serving as a sanctuary for aquatic bird life - over 57 varieties of bird have been observed in the area. The State Government announced plans to upgrade facilities at the lake in May 2006. A small winery is also nearby.
Lake Towerrinning is an impact crater, and you will find small, glazed black pebbles which are remnants of the original objects that hit the earth there.
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...
, 24 kilometres (15 mi) south of Darkan
Darkan, Western Australia
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.-History:...
near the junction of the Arthur
Arthur River (Western Australia)
The Arthur River is located in the south west of Western Australia.The headwaters of the Arthur river is located about 30km North of Wagin in the Arthur River Nature Reserve near the small settlement of Arthur River on Albany Highway....
and Beaufort river
Beaufort River (Western Australia)
The Beaufort River is a river in the South West of Western Australia.The rivers has its headwaters west of Woodanilling near Melbourne Vale and flows in a westerly direction until it flows into the Arthur River near Duranillin...
s.
History
The town's name is of 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....
origin and was first recorded by a surveyor in 1877, as with Moodiarrup further south, but the meaning of the name is not known. The town was established in 1916 when the Collie
Collie, Western Australia
-External links:*...
-Wagin
Wagin, Western Australia
Wagin is a town and shire in the Great Southern 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.-History:The name of the town is...
railway was built, and gazetted in 1918.
The first building was a store built by Lewis Hibble, and was followed in the 1920s by a few settlers. Until 1968, the railway was the main employer in the town, and a major timber mill operated by the Hughes family operated here which employed three or four families.
Present day
Duranillin today is a small town with a post office and store. It serves as a trading post and meeting place for the farming families and agricultural community in the broader area, and periodically stages local events which attract visitors.Lake Towerrinning, located south of the town, is the main attraction of the area - a semi-freshwater lake covering 256 hectares (633 acre), and a popular swimming spot with picnic areas and clean sandy beaches, offering water skiing and swimming as well as serving as a sanctuary for aquatic bird life - over 57 varieties of bird have been observed in the area. The State Government announced plans to upgrade facilities at the lake in May 2006. A small winery is also nearby.
Lake Towerrinning is an impact crater, and you will find small, glazed black pebbles which are remnants of the original objects that hit the earth there.