Beacon, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Beacon is a town in Western Australia
, in the Shire of Mount Marshall. It is located 42 km north of Bencubbin
and 333 km northeast of Perth
.
It is on the northeast border of the Wheatbelt region with agriculture
being one of the major occupations in the area. The surrounding areas produce wheat
and other cereal
crops. The town is a receival site for Cooperative Bulk Handling.
in 1836.
Shepherd
s were known to frequent the area in the 1870s to feed on the open grasslands, they were followed by sandalwood
cutters in the 1880s.
In 1889 the surveyor H King explored and charted the region and shortly afterward land was opened up for agriculture around Bencubbin
.
More surveyors went to work in 1921 making 1000 acres (405 ha) blocks and the earliest settlers in Beacon acquired farmland in 1922.
The town is named after a local geographical feature called Beacon Rock, the name of the town, in 1929, was supposed to be Beacon Rock. The rock part of the name was dropped some time later and the townsite of Beacon was gazetted in 1931.
Beacon was connected to the narrow gauge railway system on 27 April 1931.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, in the Shire of Mount Marshall. It is located 42 km north of Bencubbin
Bencubbin, Western Australia
Bencubbin is a town in Western Australia, located in the North Eastern Wheatbelt, 275 km north-east of Perth. The town lies within the Shire of Mount Marshall and is home to approximately 200 people...
and 333 km northeast of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
It is on the northeast border of the Wheatbelt region with agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
being one of the major occupations in the area. The surrounding areas produce wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and other cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
crops. The town is a receival site for Cooperative Bulk Handling.
History
The first European to explore the area was John Septimus RoeJohn Septimus Roe
John Septimus Roe was the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia. He was a renowned explorer, and a Member of Western Australia's Legislative and Executive Councils for nearly 40 years.-Early life:...
in 1836.
Shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
s were known to frequent the area in the 1870s to feed on the open grasslands, they were followed by sandalwood
Santalum spicatum
Santalum spicatum, a species known as Australian sandalwood, is a tree native to semi-arid areas at the edge of Southwest Australia. It is traded as sandalwood and its valuable oil has been used as an aromatic, a medicine and a food source. S...
cutters in the 1880s.
In 1889 the surveyor H King explored and charted the region and shortly afterward land was opened up for agriculture around Bencubbin
Bencubbin, Western Australia
Bencubbin is a town in Western Australia, located in the North Eastern Wheatbelt, 275 km north-east of Perth. The town lies within the Shire of Mount Marshall and is home to approximately 200 people...
.
More surveyors went to work in 1921 making 1000 acres (405 ha) blocks and the earliest settlers in Beacon acquired farmland in 1922.
The town is named after a local geographical feature called Beacon Rock, the name of the town, in 1929, was supposed to be Beacon Rock. The rock part of the name was dropped some time later and the townsite of Beacon was gazetted in 1931.
Beacon was connected to the narrow gauge railway system on 27 April 1931.