Goomalling is a townsite in 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 ...

, 45 kilometres north-north-east of

Northam, Western Australia Northam () is a town in the Australian state of Western Australia, situated at the confluence of the Avon and Mortlock Rivers, about east-northeast of Perth in the Avon Valley. At the 2016 census, Northam had a population of 6,548. Northa ...

. The surrounding areas produce

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

and other

cereal A cereal is any Poaceae, grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, Cereal germ, germ, and bran. Cereal Grain, grain crops are grown in greater quantit ...

crops. The town is a receival site for

Cooperative Bulk Handling The CBH Group (commonly known as CBH, an acronym for Co-operative Bulk Handling), is a grain growers' cooperative that handles, markets and processes grain from the wheatbelt of Western Australia. History CBH was formed on 5 April 1933, at a ...

History

The name Goomalling was first shown for a

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...

found by explorers Hillman and Lefroy in 1846. Hillman noted on his plan "rich grassy country", and

squatters Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there ...

subsequently moved into the area. George Slater was the first in the Goomalling area, establishing a property around Goomalling Spring in the early 1850s. The Goomalling Agricultural Hall was opened in 1898 by John Dempster MLC, who stood in for the Commissioner of Crown Lands,

George Throssell George Lionel Throssell (23 May 1840 – 30 August 1910) was the second Premier of Western Australia. He served for just three months, from 15 February to 27 May 1901, during a period of great instability in Western Australian politics. Georg ...

, who was unable to make it to the event. When the Northam – Goomalling railway line was opened in 1902 the government decided to establish a townsite at Goomalling. It was gazetted in 1903. Goomalling is an Aboriginal word that means "the place of the silver-grey possum". Goomal is the

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 for this possum. An annual motor race meeting was held each year from 1949 to 1955, using a circuit that ran anti-clockwise along Railway Terrace-Lockyer St-Quinlan St-Forrest St-Eaton St-Throssell St-Railway Terrace. The meetings featured short sprints and handicaps for cars and motorcycles, with the feature race being a 50-mile handicap for racing cars.

Climate

References

External links

Shire of Goomalling website

{{authority control Towns in Western Australia Wheatbelt (Western Australia) Grain receival points of Western Australia