Lake Brown is a rural locality in the Wheatbelt region of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

, situated in the

Shire of Mukinbudin The Shire of Mukinbudin is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about north of Merredin and about east of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of government is the town of M ...

approximately north of Merredin and approximately east-north-east of

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

History

Lake Brown is the largest of a series of intermittent lakes in the area. It was surveyed by

John Septimus Roe John Septimus Roe (8 May 1797 – 28 May 1878) was the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia. He was a renowned explorer, a member of Western Australia's legislative and executive councils for nearly 40 years, but also a participant in ...

in 1836 and named after Colonial Secretary

Peter Broun Peter Nicholas Broun (17 August 1797 – 5 November 1846), known for most of his life as Peter Nicholas Brown, was the first Colonial Secretary of Western Australia, and a member of Western Australia's first Legislative Council. Early life Pet ...

. The present locality of Lake Brown does not include the lake of the same name, which is located in the neighbouring

Shire of Nungarin The Shire of Nungarin is a Local government areas of Western Australia, local government area in the Wheatbelt (Western Australia), Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, and with a population of 255 as of the , is one of the nation's least pop ...

. By 1910, of land were open for

selection Selection may refer to: Science * Selection (biology), also called natural selection, selection in evolution ** Sex selection, in genetics ** Mate selection, in mating ** Sexual selection in humans, in human sexuality ** Human mating strat ...

at Lake Brown. In the 1920s Lake Brown was the site of a

soldier settlement Soldier settlement was the settlement of land throughout parts of Australia by returning discharged soldiers under soldier settlement schemes administered by state governments after World War I and World War II. The post-World War II settlement ...

scheme. The Wyalkatchem to Mukinbudin railway line was extended to Lake Brown from Mount Marshall in 1923, and Lake Brown was the site of the turning triangle until 1930 when it was moved to Mukinbudin. The railway siding was originally named Kalkalling, but was renamed in 1926 at the request of local residents. Lake Brown was originally part of the Nungarin Road District, but was moved to the new Mukinbudin Road District in 1933. A

willy-willy A dust devil (also known regionally as a dirt devil) is a strong, well-formed, and relatively short-lived whirlwind. Its size ranges from small (18 in/half a metre wide and a few yards/metres tall) to large (more than 30 ft/10 m ...

in January 1934 destroyed the local hall and damaged a number of sheds and houses in Lake Brown. In the 1930s the district had its own branches of the

Returned and Services League The Returned and Services League of Australia, also known as RSL, RSL Australia and the RSLA, is an independent support organisation for people who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force. History The League was formed in ...

, the

Country Women's Association The Country Women's Association (CWA) is a women's organisation in Australia, which seeks to advance interests of women, families, and communities in Australia, especially those in rural, regional, and remote areas. It comprises seven indep ...

, and the Wheatgrowers' Union of Western Australia. The Lake Brown townsite was surveyed in 1943.

References

{{authority control Wheatbelt (Western Australia) Ghost towns in Western Australia