Wandering is a town located in the
Wheatbelt region of
Western Australia, approximately from the state capital,
Perth, just off the
Albany Highway. It is the main town in the
Shire of Wandering. At the , Wandering had a population of 294.
History
The area's name appears to come from a local
Aboriginal
Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to:
*Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology
* Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area
*One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...
word, "wandooin", after the
wandoo Wandoo is the common name for a number of Western Australian ''Eucalyptus'' species, all of which have smooth white bark.
The original "wandoo" is ''Eucalyptus wandoo''. Additional species have been given this name because of a perceived likeness w ...
or white gum tree that is prevalent in the area, although some sources suggest it was named to recall the first sighting of wandering stock, and was originally applied to Wandering Brook, first recorded in 1866.
Wandering was first settled in 1859 by members of the George Stedman Watts family when their straying wagon team horses were found grazing in lush grass around a fresh water spring known to this day as Horse Well. In 1861, they selected an area on what is now the south-eastern approach to the town, and named it "Grassdale". The property was owned by the Watts family until being purchased recently by another local farmer. A road board (later to become the
Shire Council
Local government is the third level of government in Australia, administered with limited autonomy under the states and territories, and in turn beneath the federal government. Local government is not mentioned in the Constitution of Austr ...
) was convened in 1874 within slightly different boundaries to the present day. By 1877, there was sufficient population in the area for the government to set aside land for a school.
In 1911–12, the government surveyed a number of lots and then gazetted the townsite of Wandering. However, the decision two decades earlier to build the
railway some distance to the east restricted the town's growth. Also, fresh water was not readily available – the town was reliant on two
Water Corporation
Water Corporation is the principal supplier of water, wastewater and drainage services throughout the state of Western Australia. It is the seventh successive agency to deal with the services in Perth, Western Australia.
With offices in Perth ...
dams until scheme water was extended here in 1997. Subsequently, rural residential subdivisions in the area on lots have been developed.
From 1944 to 1977, the Wandering Mission, also known as St Francis Xavier Mission, was operated as a home for Aboriginal children by the
Pallottine Fathers. A recollection of growing up in the mission is in Glenyse Ward's autobiography, ''Wandering Girl'' (Magabala Books, Broome, 1988). The mission was later the subject of a number of sexual abuse claims.
Catholic Church schools and homes with the most child abuse claims revealed
ABC News. Australia. 16 February 2017.
Present day
Wandering is primarily an agricultural region, which produces hay, cereal crops, pulse crops (such as lupin
''Lupinus'', commonly known as lupin, lupine, or regionally bluebonnet etc., is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The genus includes over 199 species, with centers of diversity in North and South America. Smaller centers occur ...
s), oil seed ( canola), wool, lamb and beef. Timber milling and viticulture are also practised. The town's school (K-7) still operates with mixed-grade classes, and accommodation is offered at a caravan park with powered sites. The original Agricultural Hall (1896) now hosts a telecentre for the use of the town's residents, and a nearby hall hosts local community groups and clubs.
Climate
Wandering has a Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and cool, damp winters. In winter, it is one of the coldest towns in Western Australia, commonly recording temperatures below .
References
External links
Shire of Wandering
{{authority control
Towns in Western Australia
Wheatbelt (Western Australia)
Grain receival points of Western Australia