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Wickepin is a town in the Wheatbelt region of
Wickepin's name is of Aboriginal origin, first recorded in 1881, but the meaning is not known. Until 1908, the area was sometimes known as Yarling, the name of a spring in the area; Yarling Well is west of the town. The area was leased in the early 1870s, but started to grow after the construction of the Great Southern Railway in 1889. The land was opened up by the State Government in 1893, and by 1906 a town had started to develop.
In 1908, plans were announced to extend the railway from Narrogin to Wickepin, and the town was gazetted in June of that year. Seven months later, the Road Board (later Shire Council) was constituted and the railway commenced operations. In the years prior to the
Shire of Wickepin
{{authority control Towns in Western Australia Wheatbelt (Western Australia) Grain receival points of Western Australia
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 i ...
and east of Narrogin. Wickepin had a population of 380 at the .
History
Wickepin's name is of Aboriginal origin, first recorded in 1881, but the meaning is not known. Until 1908, the area was sometimes known as Yarling, the name of a spring in the area; Yarling Well is west of the town. The area was leased in the early 1870s, but started to grow after the construction of the Great Southern Railway in 1889. The land was opened up by the State Government in 1893, and by 1906 a town had started to develop.
In 1908, plans were announced to extend the railway from Narrogin to Wickepin, and the town was gazetted in June of that year. Seven months later, the Road Board (later Shire Council) was constituted and the railway commenced operations. In the years prior to the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
Wickepin was an important service centre, featuring three banks, blacksmiths and other businesses as well as a post office and railway buildings.
Albert Facey, Gallipoli veteran and author of ''A Fortunate Life
''A Fortunate Life'' is an autobiography by Albert Facey published in 1981, nine months before his death. It chronicles his early life in Western Australia, his experiences as a private during the Gallipoli campaign of World War I and his return ...
'', lived south of the town from 1922 to 1934 with his family.
From 1917 until 1964, Wickepin hosted an agricultural show in October of each year.
Present day
Wickepin is a service town for the surrounding agricultural district, and contains recreational facilities, historic buildings from its boom period in the 1910s–1920s, atelecentre
A telecentre is a public place where people can access computers, the Internet, and other digital technologies that enable them to gather information, create, learn, and communicate with others while they develop essential digital skills. Telecent ...
, public library and caravan park. Albert Facey's house was moved to the main street of Wickepin in 2000 and is open to visitors. Wickepin has a primary school, first opened in 1911, with high school students travelling by school bus to Narrogin.
See also
* Wheatbelt railway lines of Western AustraliaReferences
External links
Shire of Wickepin
{{authority control Towns in Western Australia Wheatbelt (Western Australia) Grain receival points of Western Australia