Wagin, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
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.
, having been first recorded for the lake by a surveyor in 1869-72. There is uncertainty about the actual meaning of 'Wagin' but it is likely that it either means 'the place where emus watered' or is a variation of 'wedge-an' an Aboriginal word for 'emu'.
The first European explorer through the area was John Septimus Roe
, the Surveyor General of Western Australia in 1835 en route to Albany
from Perth. Between 1835 and 1889 a few settlers eked a simple living by cutting sandalwood
and shepherding small flocks of sheep. Land was granted to pastoralists in the Wagin area from the late 1870s onwards.
The town itself came into existence after the construction of the Great Southern Railway
which was completed in 1889 with the town originally called Wagin Lake. In 1898 Wagin was proclaimed a town with the word Lake dropped. A further railway connection with the Collie
to Narrogin
line at Bowelling was made on 10 December 1918.
.
Shire of Wagin
The Shire of Wagin is a Local Government Area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about southeast of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of about , and its seat of government is the town of Wagin.-History:...
in the Great Southern region of 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...
, approximately 225 km south-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 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...
between Narrogin
Narrogin, Western Australia
Narrogin is a large town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, southeast of Perth on the Great Southern Highway between Pingelly and Wagin...
and Katanning
Katanning, Western Australia
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.-History:...
. It is also on State Route 107
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...
. The main industries are wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and sheep farming.
History
The name of the town is derived from Wagin Lake, a usually dry salt lake south of the town. The name is AboriginalAustralian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
, having been first recorded for the lake by a surveyor in 1869-72. There is uncertainty about the actual meaning of 'Wagin' but it is likely that it either means 'the place where emus watered' or is a variation of 'wedge-an' an Aboriginal word for 'emu'.
The first European explorer through the area was 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:...
, the Surveyor General of Western Australia in 1835 en route 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....
from Perth. Between 1835 and 1889 a few settlers eked a simple living by cutting 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...
and shepherding small flocks of sheep. Land was granted to pastoralists in the Wagin area from the late 1870s onwards.
The town itself came into existence after the construction 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...
which was completed in 1889 with the town originally called Wagin Lake. In 1898 Wagin was proclaimed a town with the word Lake dropped. A further railway connection with the Collie
Collie, Western Australia
-External links:*...
to Narrogin
Narrogin, Western Australia
Narrogin is a large town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, southeast of Perth on the Great Southern Highway between Pingelly and Wagin...
line at Bowelling was made on 10 December 1918.
Present day
Wagin is one of the largest towns in the Southern Wheatbelt region, and annually hosts the Woolorama, one of Western Australia's largest Agricultural Shows. The event held in March regularly attracts over 30,000 visitors.Notable residents
Two sets of three well-known brothers played league football after leaving Wagin: Murray, Harry and Phil Riseborough; and Peter, Phil and Wally MateraWally Matera
Wally Matera is a former Australian rules footballer of Indigenous and Italian heritage. He played with the West Coast Eagles and Fitzroy in the AFL and for South Fremantle in the WAFL...
.