Kellerberrin, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Kellerberrin is a town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia
, 205 kilometres (127 mi) east of Perth
on the Great Eastern Highway
.
The railway line from Northam
to Southern Cross
was constructed through here in 1893-94, and this section opened for traffic in 1895. Kellerberrin was one of the original stations when the line opened. By 1898 there was a demand for small blocks of land in the area, and the government surveyed a number of 20-acre
lots the same year. The area was gazetted as Kellerberrin townsite in 1901, and the government soon made more land available for settlers.
Early settlers from 1890 to 1910 from Ireland settled in the area of Kellerberrin and Wittem. Their family name was English. A road was named after this family.
The name Kellerberrin is Aboriginal
, and is derived from the name of a nearby hill
. The hill was first recorded as "Killaburing Hill" by an explorer in 1861, but in 1864 the explorer Charles Hunt
recorded it as Kellerberrin Hill. One source claims that Kellerberrin is the name for the fierce ants that are found in the area, while another gives it as meaning "camping place near where rainbow birds are found" - kalla means camping place or place of, and berrin berrin is the rainbow bird.
It also serves as a stop on the Prospector
and Avonlink
rural train services.
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...
, 205 kilometres (127 mi) east of Perth
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....
on the Great Eastern Highway
Great Eastern Highway
The Great Eastern Highway is a major road between the Western Australian cities of Perth and Kalgoorlie. It is a key route for vehicles accessing the eastern wheatbelt and the eastern goldfields...
.
The railway line from Northam
Northam, Western Australia
Northam is a town in Western Australia, situated at the confluence of the Avon and Mortlock Rivers, about north-east of Perth in the Avon Valley. At the 2006 census, Northam had a population of 6,009. Northam is the largest town in the Avon region...
to Southern Cross
Southern Cross, Western Australia
Southern Cross is a town in Western Australia, 371 kilometres east of Perth on the Great Eastern Highway. It was founded by gold prospectors in 1888, and gazetted in 1890. It is the major town and administrative centre of the Shire of Yilgarn...
was constructed through here in 1893-94, and this section opened for traffic in 1895. Kellerberrin was one of the original stations when the line opened. By 1898 there was a demand for small blocks of land in the area, and the government surveyed a number of 20-acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
lots the same year. The area was gazetted as Kellerberrin townsite in 1901, and the government soon made more land available for settlers.
Early settlers from 1890 to 1910 from Ireland settled in the area of Kellerberrin and Wittem. Their family name was English. A road was named after this family.
The name Kellerberrin is Aboriginal
Indigenous 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....
, and is derived from the name of a nearby hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
. The hill was first recorded as "Killaburing Hill" by an explorer in 1861, but in 1864 the explorer Charles Hunt
Charles Cooke Hunt
Charles Cooke Hunt was an explorer who led four expeditions into the interior of Western Australia between 1864 and 1866. He died in Geraldton....
recorded it as Kellerberrin Hill. One source claims that Kellerberrin is the name for the fierce ants that are found in the area, while another gives it as meaning "camping place near where rainbow birds are found" - kalla means camping place or place of, and berrin berrin is the rainbow bird.
It also serves as a stop on the Prospector
Transwa Prospector
The Transwa Prospector is a standard-gauge passenger train operated by Transwa that runs between Perth, Western Australia, and the Goldfields town of Kalgoorlie.-History:...
and Avonlink
Transwa Avonlink
The AvonLink is a standard gauge passenger train operated by Transwa that operates between Perth, Western Australia and the Avon Valley. It provides one service in each direction every weekday, to and from the regional town of Northam, and since 2004, has provided three extended services a week to...
rural train services.