Ballidu is a town in the Central Midlands division of the
Wheatbelt region of
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
, about north of
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
. Ballidu is also north of the town of
Wongan Hills
Wongan Hills is a range of low flat-topped hills in the Avon Wheatbelt bioregion of Western Australia. It is located at , in the Shire of Wongan–Ballidu.
History
The range was first recorded in 1836 by Surveyor General of Western Australia Jo ...
which, along with a few other small towns such as Cadoux and Bindi Bindi make up the
Shire of Wongan-Ballidu
Shire is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand. It is generally synonymous with county. It was first used in Wessex from the beginn ...
.
History
The name Ballidu is a hybrid name, coming from "balli", a
Noongar
The Noongar (, also spelt Noongah, Nyungar , Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyungah, Nyugah, and Yunga ) are Aboriginal Australian peoples who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia, from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the so ...
word meaning "on this side" or "in this direction", and "Duli" after a nearby rockhole. The townsite was gazetted in 1914, with street names of the original settlers. A primary school opened in the town on 4 September 1922, moving into permanent premises in 1924. The streets in Ballidu are named after varieties of wheat.
The bulk wheat bins in town opened in 1940.
Population
Located in the Central Midlands division of the
Wheatbelt, the town relies upon agriculture, mainly wheat production. Increasing automation in agriculture has seen the size of surrounding holdings increase and the population of the town steadily decrease. At the
2016 census, Ballidu had a population of 66,
down from 82
in 2006. The town retains a primary school, an art gallery, a hall and a general store. 2016 saw a school enrolment of four.
Community events
Bike It To Ballidu
The "Bike It To Ballidu" event was established in 1999 by Matt Osborne, and consists of teams cycling, in turn, from Wongan Hills to Ballidu. The ride is approximately in length, beginning at the Wongan Hills visitor centre, and ending in Alpha Street, Ballidu. At the end, food, beverages, and entertainment are provided in Alpha Park. The event was initially intended as a fundraising activity for the Ballidu Primary School, which closed in 2016 due to low enrolment figures,
with the Ballidu Progress Group now managing and coordinating the activity. The ride has occurred each year since 1999, with the exception of 2020 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
Other community activities
The Contemporary Arts Society regularly hold exhibitions of local artists and well known Australian artists.
References
External links
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Towns in Western Australia
Wheatbelt (Western Australia)
Grain receival points of Western Australia