Ajana, Western Australia
| Ajana Western Australia | |
|---|---|
  Ajana | |
| Coordinates | 27°56′56″S 114°38′06″E / 27.949°S 114.635°ECoordinates: 27°56′56″S 114°38′06″E / 27.949°S 114.635°E |
| Population | 22 (2006 Census)[1] |
| Established | 1915 |
| Postcode(s) | 6532 |
| Elevation | 202 m (663 ft) |
| Location |
|
| LGA(s) | Shire of Northampton |
| State electorate(s) | Moore |
| Federal Division(s) | Durack |
Ajana is a locality within the shire of Northampton in Western Australia. It has a small town located on the Ajana Back Road, 531 kilometres (330 mi) north-west of Perth in the Mid West Region.
"Barrel Well" Aboriginal Community is located in Ajana several kilometres from the townsite.
The name Ajana is Aboriginal in origin and is thought either to be the Nanda name for the area or to be derived from a similar word meaning "mine".[2]
History
Ajana was the terminus of an extension to the first government railway line in Western Australia. The line originally ran from Northampton to Geraldton; it was extended to Ajana to encourage the development of lead mining and agriculture in the area.[3] The station opened on 6 January 1913,[4] and the townsite was declared on 26 November 1915.[5]
A telegraph station, built in 1845, located at the nearby Mount View, provided early communications for the town.[6] A post office was established in 1922, and a school was built in the town in 1944.[6] The railway station closed on 29 April 1957.[7][8]
Native title
The Barrel Well community is located within the Registered Nanda People (WAD6136/98) Native Title claim area.
Governance
The community is managed through its incorporated body, Barrel Well Community Nanda Aboriginal Corporation, incorporated under the Aboriginal Councils and Associations Act 1976 on 26 May 1992.
Town planning
Barrel Well (Ajana) Layout Plan No.1 has been prepared in accordance with State Planning Policy 3.2 Aboriginal Settlements. Layout Plan No.1 is yet to be endorsed by the community. As such the Layout Plan exists only as a ratified draft.[9]
References
- ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Ajana (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
- ↑ "Landgate > History of country town names". landgate.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ Kennedy, Jane (10 March 2011). "WA's railway heritage breathes new life". ABC Mid West & Wheatbelt. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ↑ "A new railway". The Daily News (Perth, WA: National Library of Australia). 10 March 1913. p. 4. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
- ↑ Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of country town names – A". Retrieved 30 September 2008.
- 1 2 "Morowa Historical Society - Ghosttowns of Western Australia" (PDF). 2000. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
- ↑ Rails to Ajana Milne, Rod Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, February, 2001 pp 45-53
- ↑ Taylor, Mary; Tower, Alfred; Northampton Friends of the Railway Inc (2008), The first government railway 1879-1957 and beyond : Geraldton - Northampton - Ajana, Mary Taylor, retrieved 26 May 2012
- ↑ The draft layout plan map-set can be viewed at Planning Western Australia official site.
External links
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