The Verticordia, a native flower which grows around Wongan Hills and blooms in October and November

Wongan Hills
Typical wheatbelt town
Located 188 km northeast of Perth and 286 m above sea level, Wongan Hills is a typical wheatbelt town with a pub, a railhead and a bulk handling facility for the wheat which is grown in the surrounding area. It is a town designed to service the needs of the sheep and wheat farming community which works in the 3385 sq km which is the local shire.

The first European explorer into the area was Surveyor - General J. S. Roe who camped in the Wongan Hills on 3 November 1836. Somehow the district was by passed for the rest of the nineteenth century. The only Europeans to visit the areas were monks shepherding the flocks from New Norcia and the occasional cutter looking for sandalwood.

It wasn¹t until 1906, when a plan for the settlement of the Wongan Hills area was formulated, that settlers began to move into the area. The movement into the area was rapid and by the time the Road Board and the Railway Line were established (both in 1911) the whole area around the town had been settled. Conditions were still very primitive at this time. The bank, for example, operated out of a hessian tent beside the railway station with the teller (or was he the manager?) living nearby in a tent.

It is said that Wongan is an Aboriginal word meaning 'whispering' or 'talking'. Some authorities argue that it must be a monumental corruption as there is no word 'wongan' in any of the local dialects while others claim that the local Aborigines knew the area as 'Wangan Katta'. Who knows?.

One of the most endearing qualities about the Western Australian wheatbelt towns is their sense of pride and local history. It is hard to imagine that anyone would feel the need to write up the history of Wongan Hills but in fact there are two very detailed books on the town. R. R. B. Ackland's book Wongan Ballidu Pioneering Days was written for the local shire and is a very detailed history of the area and The Natural History of the Wongan Hills, published by the Western Australian Naturalists Club, is a superbly detailed natural history of the region including a listing of every bird, mammal and piece of flora that anyone had ever found in the area. Both are available at the Shire Office.

Things to see:  

The Museum on the corner of Mitchell and Cam Streets

Wongan Hills Museum
There is a small local museum located in Camm Street which has an interesting display of early farm implements as well as photographs of the Cadoux earthquake and lots of memorabilia dating from the early days of settlement in the area. All enquiries to the Visitor Information Centre, tel: (08) 9671 1973.

	Tourist Information
	Wongan Hills Visitor nformation Centre Wongan Hills Railway Station Wongan Rd Wongan Hills WA 6603 Telephone: (08) 9671 1973 Email: wongantourism@westnet.com.au
	Hotels
	Wongan Hills Hotel 5 Fenton St Wongan Hills WA 6603 Telephone: (08) 9671 1022 Facsimile: (08) 9671 1186
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Wongan Hills Guest House 1 Moore St Wongan Hills WA 6603 Telephone: (08) 9671 1015 Facsimile: (08) 9671 1015
	Caravan Parks
	Wongan Hills Caravan Park Wongan Rd Wongan Hills WA 6603 Telephone: (08) 9671 1009 Facsimile: (08) 9671 1798 Rating: ****
	Restaurants
	Ah Wong's Roadhouse Fenton St Wongan Hills WA 6603 Telephone: (08) 9671 1224
	Cafés
	October Sun Cafe 39 Fenton St Wongan Hills WA 6603 Telephone: (08) 9671 1870