Wickepin, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Wickepin is a town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia
, 214 kilometres (133 mi) south-east of Perth
and 38 kilometres (24 mi) east of Narrogin
. At the 2006 census
, Wickepin had a population of 244.
origin, was 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 8km 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 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
, 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.
, 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
.
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...
, 214 kilometres (133 mi) south-east 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....
and 38 kilometres (24 mi) east of Narrogin
Narrogin, Western Australia
Narrogin is a large town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, southeast of Perth on the Great Southern Highway between Pingelly and Wagin...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Wickepin had a population of 244.
History
Wickepin's name is of AboriginalIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
origin, was 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 8km west of the town). The area was leased in the early 1870s, but started to grow after the construction of the Great Southern Railway
Great Southern Railway (Western Australia)
The Great Southern Railway was the name of a railway company that operated from Beverley to Albany in Western Australia between 1886 and 1896. In 1896 the Western Australian Government Railways took over this company and the railway route also kept the name.- Construction :The first sods for the...
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 Wickepin was an important service centre, featuring three banks, blacksmiths and other businesses as well as a post office and railway buildings.
Albert Facey
Albert Facey
Albert Barnett Facey was an Australian writer and World War I veteran, whose main work was his autobiography, A Fortunate Life, now considered a classic in Australian literature. :)-Early life:...
, Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
veteran and author of A Fortunate Life
A Fortunate Life
A Fortunate Life is an autobiographical novel written by Albert Facey and was published in 1981 and tells the complete story of his life. It chronicles his early life in Western Australia, his experiences as a private during the Gallipoli campaign of World War I and his return to civilian life...
, 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, a telecentreTelecentre
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...
, 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
Narrogin, Western Australia
Narrogin is a large town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, southeast of Perth on the Great Southern Highway between Pingelly and Wagin...
.