Wongan Hills, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Wongan Hills is a town in the Shire of Wongan-Ballidu, in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia
. The town is approximately 182 km north of the State capital Perth
, at an altitude of 286 metres.
The town is named for a nearby range of hills that are found to the north-west of the town, also named Wongan Hills
, which was first recorded in 1836 by Surveyor General of Western Australia
John Septimus Roe
. The area was settled by the 1900s, and in 1911 the town was gazetted and named after the range. "Wongan" is derived from the Indigenous Australian name "wangan-katta", "wanka" and "woongan". "Katta" is known to mean "hill", but the meaning of "wongan" is uncertain. It may be related to "kwongan
", an indigenous word for sandplain, or "whispering", in which case "wongan katta" would mean "whispering hills" (katta is a word for hill).
In 1925 an agricultural research station was established about 5 km north of the town which assisted in the diversification
and improvements in farm practices through the state.
The area is a prosperous agricultural region with activities focused on sheep, grain and pig-farming.
As part of Easter
celebrations in 2009 a 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) by 1.1 kilometre (0.683510010314787 mi) cross was laid out in a bare paddock using 460 half-tonne
hay bales with the aid of GPS systems.
The cross was set alight on Good Friday
night and was the end of a pilgrimage conducted on Easter Saturday.
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...
. The town is approximately 182 km north of the State capital 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....
, at an altitude of 286 metres.
The town is named for a nearby range of hills that are found to the north-west of the town, also named 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....
, which was first recorded in 1836 by Surveyor General of Western Australia
Surveyor General of Western Australia
The Surveyor General of Western Australia is the person nominally responsible for government surveying in Western Australia.In the early history of Western Australia, the office of surveyor general was one of the most important public offices...
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 area was settled by the 1900s, and in 1911 the town was gazetted and named after the range. "Wongan" is derived from the Indigenous Australian name "wangan-katta", "wanka" and "woongan". "Katta" is known to mean "hill", but the meaning of "wongan" is uncertain. It may be related to "kwongan
Kwongan
Kwongan is a type of heathland found on the coastal plains of Western Australia. The name is derived from the language of the Noongar people. Kwongan comprises floristically-rich heath with dense thickets of sclerophyllous shrubs and isolated small trees...
", an indigenous word for sandplain, or "whispering", in which case "wongan katta" would mean "whispering hills" (katta is a word for hill).
In 1925 an agricultural research station was established about 5 km north of the town which assisted in the diversification
Agricultural diversification
In the agricultural context, diversification can be regarded as the re-allocation of some of a farm's productive resources, such as land, capital, farm equipment and paid labour, into new activities...
and improvements in farm practices through the state.
The area is a prosperous agricultural region with activities focused on sheep, grain and pig-farming.
As part of Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
celebrations in 2009 a 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) by 1.1 kilometre (0.683510010314787 mi) cross was laid out in a bare paddock using 460 half-tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
hay bales with the aid of GPS systems.
The cross was set alight on Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
night and was the end of a pilgrimage conducted on Easter Saturday.