Yornaning, Western Australia
| Yornaningj Western Australia | |
|---|---|
  Yornaningj | |
| Coordinates | 32°45′00″S 117°09′00″E / 32.75000°S 117.15000°ECoordinates: 32°45′00″S 117°09′00″E / 32.75000°S 117.15000°E |
| Established | 1907 |
| Postcode(s) | 6311 |
| Location | |
| LGA(s) | Shire of Cuballing |
| State electorate(s) | Wagin |
| Federal Division(s) | O'Connor |
Yornaning is a small town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, on Great Southern Highway, between Pingelly and Narrogin.
The surrounding areas produce wheat and other cereal crops. The town is a receival site for Cooperative Bulk Handling.[1]
History
The name is believed to mean "land of many waters" in the local Noongar Aboriginal language and was first recorded as a place name in a survey of the area in 1869; it was previously spelt "Yornanmunging" or "Yernanunging". In the late 1890s, a siding on the Great Southern Railway called simply "Water Tank" was established here, and the name Yornaning was finally arrived at in 1905 after several renamings. A townsite was gazetted adjacent to the siding in 1907,[2] and maintenance workers for the railway were encouraged to move there. The siding was important as a major water-taking stop for the steam engines passing through - an average of 30 passenger and freight trains passed through per week.
The Yornaning Hall, a wooden building, was opened in 1912[3] by the Minister of Agriculture. A dam had been constructed sometime prior to 1912 and had filled with a reasonable amount of water, so much so that the Fish Acclimatisation Society were considering stocking it with fish.[4] In 1923 a young man named William Johnstone drowned in the dam.[5]
The railway's decline brought an end to the town's progress and all that remains today is the wheat silo, community hall and one or two buildings.[6]
In 1993, the Shire of Cuballing obtained the area on which the Yornaning Dam sits, and upgraded it for recreational use. There is a 1.5 kilometre (almost 1 mi) walk trail around the water area, as well as picnic and barbecue facilities.
References
- ↑ "CBH receival sites" (PDF). 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
- ↑ Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of country town names – Y". Retrieved 25 March 2007.
- ↑ "Cuballing Notes". Sunday Times (Perth, Western Australia: National Library of Australia). 7 July 1912. p. 27. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
- ↑ "Cuballing notes.". Sunday Times (Perth, WA: National Library of Australia). 21 July 1912. p. 27. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
- ↑ "Family Notices.". Western Mail (Perth, Western Australia: National Library of Australia). 22 March 1923. p. 27. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
- ↑ Shire of Cuballing. "History - Yornaning". Retrieved 25 March 2007.