Cookernup, Western Australia

Cookernup Western Australia
Cookernup
Population:	299 (2006) [1]
Established:	1860s
Postcode:	6220
Location:	131 km (81 mi) from Perth 13 km (8 mi) from Harvey
LGA:	Shire of Harvey
State District:	Murray-Wellington
Federal Division:	Forrest

Coordinates: 32°59′38″S 115°53′35″E / 32.994°S 115.893°E / -32.994; 115.893

Cookernup is a town located in the South West of Western Australia just off the South Western Highway, between Waroona and Harvey.

History

In 1835, Stephen Henty and Thomas Peel were the first Europeans to visit the area, being guided through the reaches of the Harvey River by local Aboriginal people.

Cookernup's name derives from an Aboriginal name meaning "the place of the swamp hen" (cooki). The first settler, Joseph Logue, came to the area in 1852 with his extended family in search of good farming land, acquiring a 9,000 ha grant which he called Kookernup. He later settled on the north bank of a nearby brook, now called Logue Brook.^[2]

The area was important in the milling and transport of local timber, with a railway reserve being constructed for timber stacking. In the early 1890s, Cookernup had a much greater population than Harvey, and had a school and telegraph office several years earlier.^[3]

Present day

Cookernup is a small agricultural town with services offered from nearby Harvey, and there have been applications for subdivision in the area. However, a 5 km buffer zone around the Alcoa Wagerup alumina refinery was doubled by the Health Department following the approval of a $1.5 billion expansion to the refinery. This may result in the closure of the town and compensation and relocation of its residents. By August 2008, Alcoa had bought over 40 local properties.^[4].

Nearby Logue Brook Dam (6 km to the east), set in jarrah forests on the western boundary of the Murray State Forests, has a number of camping, accommodation and recreational facilities, and offers bushwalking, horse-riding, waterskiing, canoeing and ropes courses.

Warrawarrup (5 km to the south) is a small village and home to the Harvey Trotting Track. It was originally planned as a growth area, but the growth failed to eventuate.

Transport

The town serves as a stop on the Australind passenger train from Perth to Bunbury.

Preceding station		Transwa Trains network		Following station
Yarloop towards Perth		Australind		[[Harvey, Australia, Western Australia|Harvey, Australia]] towards Bunbury

References

1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Community Profile Series : Cookernup (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census of Population and Housing. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/ProductSelect?newproducttype=Community+Profiles&collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=UCL504700&breadcrumb=LP&currentaction=201&action=401. Retrieved 2008-10-02. 
2. ^ Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of country town names". http://www.landgate.wa.gov.au/corporate.nsf/web/History+of+country+town+names. Retrieved 2007-01-17. 
3. ^ Shire of Harvey. "Local Towns - Cookernup". http://www.harvey.wa.gov.au/cookernup. Retrieved 2006-10-05. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ Taylor, Robert (15 September 2006). "Housing plan tied to $1.5b Alcoa expansion". The West Australian. 

External links

• Map of Cookernup (Shire of Harvey)