Katanning, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Katanning is a town located 277 km south east of Perth
, Western Australia
on the Great Southern Highway
. At the 2006 census
, Katanning had a population of 3,808.
The first Europeans to explore the Katanning area were Governor James Stirling
and Surveyor General John Septimus Roe
who travelled through the area in 1835 en route from Perth to Albany
.
In about 1870, sandalwood
cutters moved into the area but they did not settle. It was not until the arrival of the Great Southern Railway
from Perth to Albany in 1889 that the township came into existence.
The townsite was initially developed by the same company that built the railway, the Western Australian Land Company. The state government purchased the railway and the townsite in 1896 and later formally gazetted the town in 1898.
Katanning remains an important centre on the Great Southern Railway to Albany.
A roller flour mill, later known as the Premier Flour Mill, was constructed close to the centre of the town in 1891 by brothers, Frederick Henry Piesse
and Charles Austin Piesse; this in turn encouraged the local farmers to grow wheat which was at the heart of the town's early economic success. The mill is now a museum.
An earthquake
was centred just south of Katanning at 8:00 am 10 October 2007. The earthquake measured 4.8 on the Richter scale
, and is rated as the largest earthquake in the region for four decades.
(by sculptor Pietro Porcelli
) was erected in 1916 and stands beside the railway line in Austral Terrace. The Piesse family constructed a regal mansion which was named "Kobeelya" and after being used for many years as a girls' boarding school, is now a conference centre managed by the local Baptist church.
Katanning features a unique playground of over-sized structures named the "All Ages Playground". The town has many other attractions, including a state of the art recreation, leisure and function centre.
Katanning has a relatively large Muslim population, of about 350 people, and consequently has a mosque. The vast majority of local Muslims originated in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
, and travelled to Katanning to work in the local abattoir, which was established in the late 1970s.
Other religious buildings include churches from Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Seventh Day Adventist, Uniting, and Wesleyan denominations, along with a Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall.
The town also has a castle-like structure which was built as a winery. The town's entrance features an antique truck loaded with imitation wool bales, a windmill, and several sculptures of sheep made from corrugated iron.
The town has become a regional service centre for the Great Southern and services the nearby towns of Broomehill
, Tambellup
and Woodanilling
plus several more.
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
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...
on the Great Southern Highway
Great Southern Highway
Great Southern Highway is a highway in the Southern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, starting from Great Eastern Highway at The Lakes, 50 km from Perth, and ending at Albany Highway near Cranbrook. It is the primary thoroughfare for this part of Western Australia and runs parallel with the...
. 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,...
, Katanning had a population of 3,808.
History
The meaning of Katanning is unknown but it is thought to be a local aboriginal word that is either 'Kart-annin' that literally means "meeting place of the heads of tribes", or 'Kartanup' that means "clear pool of sweet water". Others suggest that the place is named after a local aboriginal woman.The first Europeans to explore the Katanning area were Governor James Stirling
James Stirling (Australian governor)
Admiral Sir James Stirling RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. His enthusiasm and persistence persuaded the British Government to establish the Swan River Colony and he became the first Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Western Australia...
and Surveyor General John Septimus Roe
John Septimus Roe
John Septimus Roe was the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia. He was a renowned explorer, and a Member of Western Australia's Legislative and Executive Councils for nearly 40 years.-Early life:...
who travelled through the area in 1835 en route from Perth to Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
.
In about 1870, sandalwood
Santalum spicatum
Santalum spicatum, a species known as Australian sandalwood, is a tree native to semi-arid areas at the edge of Southwest Australia. It is traded as sandalwood and its valuable oil has been used as an aromatic, a medicine and a food source. S...
cutters moved into the area but they did not settle. It was not until the arrival of the Great Southern Railway
Great Southern Railway (Western Australia)
The Great Southern Railway was the name of a railway company that operated from Beverley to Albany in Western Australia between 1886 and 1896. In 1896 the Western Australian Government Railways took over this company and the railway route also kept the name.- Construction :The first sods for the...
from Perth to Albany in 1889 that the township came into existence.
The townsite was initially developed by the same company that built the railway, the Western Australian Land Company. The state government purchased the railway and the townsite in 1896 and later formally gazetted the town in 1898.
Katanning remains an important centre on the Great Southern Railway to Albany.
A roller flour mill, later known as the Premier Flour Mill, was constructed close to the centre of the town in 1891 by brothers, Frederick Henry Piesse
Frederick Henry Piesse
Frederick Henry Piesse, CMG was a farmer, businessman and politician who is credited with much of the early development of the region around Katanning, Western Australia....
and Charles Austin Piesse; this in turn encouraged the local farmers to grow wheat which was at the heart of the town's early economic success. The mill is now a museum.
An earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
was centred just south of Katanning at 8:00 am 10 October 2007. The earthquake measured 4.8 on the Richter scale
Richter magnitude scale
The expression Richter magnitude scale refers to a number of ways to assign a single number to quantify the energy contained in an earthquake....
, and is rated as the largest earthquake in the region for four decades.
Features
A statue of Frederick Henry PiesseFrederick Henry Piesse
Frederick Henry Piesse, CMG was a farmer, businessman and politician who is credited with much of the early development of the region around Katanning, Western Australia....
(by sculptor Pietro Porcelli
Pietro Porcelli
Pietro Giacomo Porcelli was an Italian-born sculptor responsible for many statues in Western Australia, including the Explorers' Monument, and those of C. Y. O'Connor and Alexander Forrest....
) was erected in 1916 and stands beside the railway line in Austral Terrace. The Piesse family constructed a regal mansion which was named "Kobeelya" and after being used for many years as a girls' boarding school, is now a conference centre managed by the local Baptist church.
Katanning features a unique playground of over-sized structures named the "All Ages Playground". The town has many other attractions, including a state of the art recreation, leisure and function centre.
Katanning has a relatively large Muslim population, of about 350 people, and consequently has a mosque. The vast majority of local Muslims originated in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
The Territory of the Cocos Islands, also called Cocos Islands and Keeling Islands, is a territory of Australia, located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Christmas Island and approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka....
, and travelled to Katanning to work in the local abattoir, which was established in the late 1970s.
Other religious buildings include churches from Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Seventh Day Adventist, Uniting, and Wesleyan denominations, along with a Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall.
The town also has a castle-like structure which was built as a winery. The town's entrance features an antique truck loaded with imitation wool bales, a windmill, and several sculptures of sheep made from corrugated iron.
The town has become a regional service centre for the Great Southern and services the nearby towns of Broomehill
Broomehill, Western Australia
Broomehill is a town located along the Great Southern Highway between Katanning and Albany, in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.- History :...
, Tambellup
Tambellup, Western Australia
The townsite of Tambellup is located in Western Australia's Great Southern Agricultural region, 317 km south-east of Perth on the Great Southern Highway where it crosses the Gordon River...
and Woodanilling
Woodanilling, Western Australia
Woodanilling is a small town in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, 254 km south of Perth on the Great Southern Highway, 24 km from Katanning and 30 km from Wagin....
plus several more.
Notable residents
- Kevin O'HalloranKevin O'HalloranKevin O'Halloran was an Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1950s, who won a gold medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. The first Western Australian to win Olympic gold, O'Halloran learnt to swim in his home town of Katanning...
, gold medallist in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics1956 Summer OlympicsThe 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
in MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
was born and raised in nearby KojonupKojonup, Western AustraliaKojonup is a town located 256 km south-east of Perth, Western Australia along Albany Highway.The name Kojonup is believed to refer to the "Kodja" or stone axe made by Indigenous Australians from the local stone....
, and the pool is named after him. - Percy GratwickPercival Eric GratwickPercival Eric Gratwick VC was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, posthumous Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
recipient in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was born in Katanning. - Mark WilliamsMark L. WilliamsMark Williams is a former indigenous Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn and Essendon in the Australian Football League...
, Essendon footballer.