Dwarda, Western Australia

Town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia

32°46′S 116°41′E / 32.767°S 116.683°E / -32.767; 116.683Population30 (SAL 2021)^[1]Established1912Postcode(s)6308Elevation246 m (807 ft)Area117.3 km² (45.3 sq mi)Location

131 km (81 mi) from Perth
11 km (7 mi) from Wandering

LGA(s)Shire of WanderingState electorate(s)Wagin Federal division(s)O'Connor

Dwarda is a small town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, 11 kilometres (7 mi) south of the town of Wandering on the Hotham River.

History

The name is a contraction of nearby Dwardadine Creek, with "dwarda" being a Noongar name for the dingo. The townsite was first requested by the Wandering Road Board in 1912, with the hope it could become a future terminus for the Hotham Valley Railway, and the townsite, initially called "Dampier", was gazetted in 1914.^[2] The town however did not attract settlement. In 1940-41 a timber mill was built here by JC "Charlie" Tucak, and operated for some years.^[3]

The townsite is owned by the Horan family, though most of the buildings were destroyed by arson in the mid-1980s.

References

^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Dwarda (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
^ "History of country town names – D". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2007.
^ Mountain Movers Railway Sleepers (2005). "About Us". Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 15 October 2006. – contains pictures of the townsite and mill.