Wilga is a small town located between Donnybrook and Boyup Brook in the

South West The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

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 ...

. A railway between Donnybrook and Boyup Brook was opened in 1908 with Wilga originating as a railway siding. Built to serve the Adelaide Timber company the forested area around the town was felled and sent to nearby

mills Mills is the plural form of mill, but may also refer to: As a name * Mills (surname), a common family name of English or Gaelic origin * Mills (given name) *Mills, a fictional British secret agent in a trilogy by writer Manning O'Brine Places Uni ...

. Land was set aside for a town in 1912 and later surveyed. The town was gazetted in 1915. The name of the town is thought to have come from the nearby Wilgee Springs which first appeared on maps of the area in 1894. The name Wilgee is Aboriginal in origin and means

ochre Ochre ( ; , ), or ocher in American English, is a natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the colours produced ...

pigment A pigment is a colored material that is completely or nearly insoluble in water. In contrast, dyes are typically soluble, at least at some stage in their use. Generally dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic compo ...

that is worn in ceremonies. The nearest

saw mill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ( dimens ...

was established in 1925 about 10 km from town and was named ''Woop Woop''. The Wilga Mill and its surrounds was considered to contain relics of the mill, locomotives and logging were scattered around it. It was removed and sold for scrap in 1984.Gunzburg, Adrian and Austin, Jeff (2008) ''Rails through the Bush: Timber and Firewood Tramways and Railway Contractors of Western Australia'' Perth, W.A. Rail Heritage WA. – see pages 132-134 re Wilga Mill

References

{{authority control Towns in Western Australia Shire of Boyup Brook Timber towns in Western Australia