County Peak, also known as Mt Quajabin or Quajabin Peak, is located in the western zone 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 120 km south-east 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 ...
.
''Quajabin'' is this mountain's
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 ...
Aboriginal name, which predates European settlement, and is derived from the word ''quabin'', meaning "good camp".
Although not high, it offers an impressive view over some of the upper catchment of the
Avon River and also of the
Yenyenning Lakes, taking in points of seven shires:
Beverley
Beverley is a market town, market and minster (church), minster town and a civil parishes in England, civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, of which it is the county town. The town centre is located south-east of York's centre ...
,
Brookton,
Pingelly,
Corrigin,
Quairading
Quairading is a Western Australian town located in the Wheatbelt region. It is the seat of government for the Shire of Quairading.
History
The town was named for Quairading Spring, derived from a local Aboriginal word recorded in 1872 by s ...
,
Kelleberrin and
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
.
County Peak was given its English name when the first surveyors drew up the original counties for the
Swan River Colony
The Swan River Colony, also known as the Swan River Settlement, or just Swan River, was a British colony established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. This initial settlement place on the Swan River was soon named Perth, and it ...
in 1829. County Peak was at that time the geographical intersection of
Howick County
Howick County was one of the 26 counties of Western Australia that were designated in 1829 as cadastral divisions. It was named after Viscount Howick, a well-connected Whig MP who was to become Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies i ...
,
Minto County
Minto County was one of the 26 counties of Western Australia that were designated in 1829 as cadastral divisions. It approximately corresponds to parts of the Avon Land District and Williams Land District which form the basis for land titles in ...
,
Grantham County
Grantham County was one of the 26 counties of Western Australia that were designated in 1829 as cadastral divisions. It approximately corresponds to parts of the Avon Land District and Williams Land District
Williams Land District is a land d ...
and
York County. Today these counties have been divided up into
local government areas
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory.
The phrase i ...
known as shires.
The area was first settled by Europeans in 1898 by the pioneering McLean brothers Kenneth, Donald Jr., John and Thomas. The McLean brothers cleared land in the area, selecting their land including County Peak, using as their guide tree lines indicating rich, fertile soil as payment foe thwir labour.
From 1910 to 1933 the County Peak School taught children of the settlers in the district.
References
{{Coord, 32, 11, S, 117, 10, E, type:mountain_region:AU-WA, display=title
Wheatbelt (Western Australia)
Landforms of Western Australia