Wandering, Western Australia

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Wandering
state = wa


caption =
lga = Shire of Wandering
postcode = 6308
pop = 71
est = 1877
elevation= 294
maxtemp = 23.1
mintemp = 8.4
rainfall = 613.7
fedgov = Pearce
stategov = Wagin
dist1 = 120 | location1 = Perthcoord|-32.682|116.678|type:city(100)_region:AU-WA_scale:50000|format=dms|display=title

Wandering is a town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, approximately convert|120|km|mi|0 from the state capital, Perth, just off the Albany Highway. It is the main town in the Shire of Wandering.

History

The area's name, although an English word, appears to owe its name to a local Aboriginal word, "wandooin", after the wandoo or white gum tree that is prevalent in the area, although some sources suggest it was named to recall the first sighting of wandering stock, and was originally applied to Wandering Brook, first recorded in 1866. [LandInfo WA|c|W|2007-03-25] [cite web|url=http://www.australianexplorer.com/wandering.htm|title=Wandering|author=Australian Explorer Pty Ltd|accessdate=2006-10-15]

Wandering was first settled in 1859 by members of the George Stedman Watts family when their straying wagon team horses were found grazing in lush grass around a fresh water spring known to this day as Horse Well. In 1861, they selected an area on what is now the south-eastern approach to the town, and named it "Grassdale" - the property is still owned by the Watts family to this day. A road board (later to become the Shire Council) was convened in 1874 within slightly different boundaries to the present day. By 1877, there was sufficient population in the area for the government to set aside land for a school.

In 1911-12, the government surveyed a number of lots and then gazetted the townsite of Wandering. However, the decision two decades earlier to build the railway some distance to the east restricted the town's growth. Also, fresh water was not readily available - the town was reliant on two Water Corporation dams until scheme water was extended here in 1997. Subsequently, rural residential subdivisions in the area on 1600 m² lots have been developed. [Source: Shire of Wandering]

Present day

Wandering is primarily an agricultural region which produces hay, cereal crops, pulse crops (such as lupins), oil seed (canola), wool, lamb and beef. Timber milling and viticulture are also practised. The town's school (K-7) still operates with mixed-grade classes, and accommodation is offered at a caravan park with powered sites. The original Agricultural Hall (1896) now hosts a telecentre for the use of the town's residents, and a nearby hall hosts local community groups and clubs.

Wandering is one of the coldest towns in Western Australia, not infrequently recording temperatures below zero celsius. [cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_010648.shtml|title=Averages for Wandering|author=Bureau of Meteorology|accessdate=2006-10-16] The primary school's rather unusual motto, "Cold Temperatures Warm Hearts", is testament to this. [cite web|url=http://www.wandering.wa.gov.au/facilities/wandering_primary_school.html|title=Wandering Primary School|author=Shire of Wandering|accessdate=2006-10-16]

References

External links

* [http://www.wandering.wa.gov.au/ Shire of Wandering]