Pithara, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Pithara is a small town in the wheatbelt region of Western Australia
. It is located about 240 km north of Perth
, in the Shire of Dalwallinu
. At the 2006 census
, Pithara had a population of 341.
The name Pithara was originally an Australian Aboriginal name for a nearby well, which first appears on maps of the area in 1907. In April 1913 it was approved as the name of a siding on the Wongan Hills
to Mullewa railway line, which was under construction at the time. Shortly afterward, however, the decision was made to rename the siding to Hettie, after the original owner of the land on which the siding was built. In 1914 the government gazetted a townsite at the siding, also naming it Hettie, but this was objected to by locals, and the name Pithara was reinstated.
These days, Pithara primarily serves as a base for the local farming community, and serves large numbers of visitors during the spring when wildflowers bloom in the region.
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...
. It is located about 240 km north 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....
, in the Shire of Dalwallinu
Shire of Dalwallinu
The Shire of Dalwallinu is a Local Government Area located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about NNE of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of and its seat of government is the town of Dalwallinu.-History:...
. 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,...
, Pithara had a population of 341.
The name Pithara was originally an Australian Aboriginal name for a nearby well, which first appears on maps of the area in 1907. In April 1913 it was approved as the name of a siding on the Wongan Hills
Wongan Hills
Wongan Hills is a range of low flat-topped hills in the Avon Wheatbelt biogeographic region of Western Australia. It is located at , in northern parts of the Avon Wheatbelt biogeographic region....
to Mullewa railway line, which was under construction at the time. Shortly afterward, however, the decision was made to rename the siding to Hettie, after the original owner of the land on which the siding was built. In 1914 the government gazetted a townsite at the siding, also naming it Hettie, but this was objected to by locals, and the name Pithara was reinstated.
These days, Pithara primarily serves as a base for the local farming community, and serves large numbers of visitors during the spring when wildflowers bloom in the region.