Wilga is a small town located between
Donnybrook and
Boyup Brook in the
South West
Southwest is a compass point.
Southwest, south-west, south west, southwestern or south-western or south western may also refer to:
* Southwest (direction), an intercardinal direction
Geography
*South West Queensland, Australia
*South West (Weste ...
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 ...
.
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 U ...
. 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 ( ; , ), iron 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 colou ...
or
pigment
A pigment is a powder used to add or alter color or change visual appearance. Pigments are completely or nearly solubility, insoluble and reactivity (chemistry), chemically unreactive in water or another medium; in contrast, dyes are colored sub ...
that is worn in ceremonies. The nearest
saw mill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, 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 ...
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.
References
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Towns in Western Australia
Shire of Boyup Brook
Timber towns in Western Australia