Piesseville is a small town 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 ...
, 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 ...
on the
Great Southern Highway
Great Southern Highway is a highway in the southern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, starting from Great Eastern Highway at The Lakes, from Perth, and ending at Albany Highway near Cranbrook. It is the primary thoroughfare for this pa ...
between
Narrogin and
Wagin. It is also on the
Great Southern Railway. At the , Piesseville had a population of 59.
History
In the 1860s, early settlers came to the area to graze their flocks, but the first official records of it began in 1889 when the
Great Southern Railway opened, and a siding called Buchanan River was opened. In 1897, the Government set aside land for subdivision here, and in 1903 lots were surveyed and the town of Buchanan gazetted. The land agent at
Katanning reported considerable interest, and a hall, school and other facilities had been completed by 1904.
However, the name clashed with
a town in New South Wales (now little more than a historic gallery outside
Kurri Kurri
Kurri Kurri is a small town in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, in the Cessnock LGA. At the , its population was 6,044. Kurri Kurri is the largest town in a group of towns and hamlets, including Stanford Merthyr, Pelaw Main, ...
in the
Hunter Region
The Hunter Region, also commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney. It contains the Hunter River and its tributaries with highland areas to the north and so ...
), so the town was renamed Barton in 1905 to honour Australia's first prime minister (1901–1903), Sir
Edmund Barton
Sir Edmund "Toby" Barton, (18 January 18497 January 1920) was an Australian politician and judge who served as the first prime minister of Australia from 1901 to 1903, holding office as the leader of the Protectionist Party. He resigned to ...
. However, after the construction of the
Trans-Australian Railway
The Trans-Australian Railway, opened in 1917, runs from Port Augusta in South Australia to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, crossing the Nullarbor Plain in the process. As the only rail freight corridor between Western Australia and the easter ...
in 1917, another railway station named after Barton in the
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
n stretch of the
Nullarbor Plain
The Nullarbor Plain ( ; Latin: feminine of , 'no', and , 'tree') is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its ...
led to another name change – this time to Piesse, after two prominent residents
Frederick Henry Piesse
Frederick Henry Piesse, CMG (6 December 185329 June 1912) was a farmer, businessman and politician who is credited with much of the early development of the region around Katanning, Western Australia.
Piesse was born at Northam, Western Au ...
and
Charles Austin Piesse
Charles Austin Piesse (11 November 1855 – 13 July 1914) was an Australian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia from 1894 until his death. He was a minister in the government of Newt ...
, in December 1918. Five years later, the town was changed to its present name – its fourth in 20 years.
Piesseville today is more of an agricultural locality, although the original 1904 hall still stands.
References
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Towns in Western Australia
Wheatbelt (Western Australia)