Harvesting wheat north of Nungarin

Nungarin
Small wheatbelt town with an interesting history and vibrant local culture
Located 278 km north east of Perth and 285 m above sea level, Nungarin is, in its appearance, a typical wheat and sheep town. In recent times the town's agricultural base has been expanded to include some pig and cattle raising as well as gypsum mining. It receives an average rainfall of 304 mm per annum and has a population of a little over 300 people.

Nungarin seems to be even smaller than the average small wheatbelt town. It is characterised by a single street with bulk loading facilities and a railway siding on one side of the road and the pub and a few shops on the other side. However, its diminutive size belies an innovative and vibrant local community.

The first European into the Nungarin area was Surveyor General J. S. Roe who passed through a land of tall trees, scrubby land and thickets in October 1836. This description contrasts sharply with the cleared wheatlands which now dominate in the area and is a reminder, in an age of environmental concern, of just how much damage has been done to the land.

On 25 October Roe found a spring, probably the Mangowine Spring, which years later in 1869, was to be the focus of the first settlement in the area.

The area remained undisturbed by Europeans until a further expedition in 1865 passed through the area and marked 'Noongarin Rock' on the map of Western Australia. It was the first mention of Nungarin. No one knows what the word was supposed to mean in the language of the local Aborigines but one plausible explanation is that it derived from 'nungoo' meaning 'to see' and therefore than Nungarin rock was the 'place of seeing'

The main centre of interest in the area is Mangowine Homestead which is located 16 km north of the town. It was built by Charles and Jane Adams in the early 1870s. Around 1888 the homestead became an inn serving the many diggers who passed by on their way to the goldfields. It is regarded as one of the finest example of early wheatbelt architecture - a beautifully preserved homestead which captures the hardship of life in the 1870s.

Apart from a visit from the occasional gold prospector, the Adams family lived in isolation until 1909 when a new wave of farmers began to arrive in Nungarin. The large leasehold properties, including Mangowine, were subdivided into wheat farms and the timber was cleared from the land. The railway reached Nungarin on 28 August 1911 as part of the government's commitment to opening up the wheatbelt. At that time the town was gazetted and a general store and boarding house were built. The following year a school was constructed and agricultural machinery salesmen and contractors arrived to service the needs of the farming community. The town of Nungarin was now a reality.

Nungarin also served, at one time, as an Army Base Ordinance Depot and the associated building (considered one of the largest wooden buildings in the Southern Hemisphere) is still in use in Nungarin today. The town also retains several other historical buildings and possesses a local museum.

Moreover, the first West Australian branch of the Country Women's Association (CWA) was set up in Nungarin and it is still operating today. Consequently, the first West Australian CWA restrooms have been relocated to Nungarin from Baandee.

Another point of local pride is the rifle range which has produced several champions on the national and international stage. It was also one of the first ranges to have lights for night shooting.

There are monthly Sunday markets in Nungarin and, each year of the Queen's Birthday long weekend, the Friends of Mangowine put on a twilight concert featuring artists such as Jane Rutter, James Morrison, Mary Schneider, Ross Maio and Graham Connors. Those wanting to walk or climb will find a variety of rocks and reserves within the shire.

Things to see:  

Mangowine Homestead
The main centre of interest in the area is Mangowine Homestead which is located 16 km north of the town. It was built by Charles and Jane Adams in the early 1870s and was handed over to the National Trust in 1968.

The Adams family were the first settlers in the area. Charles Adams and James Ward took up 20 000 acres to run sheep on this very marginal dry land in 1869. In the early 1870s (either 1874 or 1876) Charles Adams built Mangowine Homestead using local materials. It was a triumph of bush initiative. The walls were made of stone and mud brick bonded with mud mortar. The windows were constructed of adzed timber and the roof was covered with thatch cut from the surrounding timber.

Around 1888 the homestead became an inn serving the many diggers who passed by on their way to the goldfields. It was at this time that an extra building was constructed (probably as a boarding house) and the Adams were granted a license to operate as a Wayside Inn. The license eventually lapsed with the arrival of the railway, which ran through Merredin to Southern Cross, in 1893 and took travellers away from Nungarin.

Mangowine, now a complex of buildings including the homestead, the inn and an underground cellar for prisoners, was opened to the public in 1973. It is regarded as one of the finest example of early wheatbelt architecture - a beautifully preserved homestead which captures the hardship of life in the 1870s.

	Hotels
	Nungarin Hotel Cnr Railway Ave & Danberrin Rd Nungarin WA 6490 Telephone: (08) 9046 5084
	Caravan Parks
	Nungarin Caravan Park Old Hotel Rd Nungarin WA 6490 Telephone: (08) 9046 5006