Greenough, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Greenough is a historical town located 400 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia
and 24 kilometres south of Geraldton
on the Brand Highway
. The historic buildings are controlled by the National Trust of Australia
. Another feature popular with tourists are the trees that are bent 90 degrees due to the coastal winds.
The mouth of the Greenough River
is about 10 km to the north of the town.
On 16 February 1999, a rare annular solar eclipse
of magnitude 0.9906 was visible from the area.
in 1839 after which he named the area after Sir George Bellas Greenough
, the president of the Royal Geographical Society
in London
. Grey claimed that the area could become the granary of Western Australia.
In 1851 Augustus Gregory
surveyed 30,000 acres (120 km²) of land in the region which became known as the Greenough Flats. This was subdivided into 20- and 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) lots with the view to encouraging English settlers who would be more used to the relatively small (by Australian standards) farm sizes. Within a few years it had developed into a highly successful wheat
growing area and a population of over 1,000 from which a successful town developed.
A series of disasters starting with a major cyclone in 1872 and major flooding in 1888 as well as the discovery of gold in the goldfields caused the gradual decline and abandonment of the settlement so that by 1900 most of the settlers had left the area with many of the small farmlets converted to grazing. The town fell into disrepair until a tourism-based project in the 1980s helped refurbish many of the buildings.
In 1993, a woman and her three young children were brutally murdered in this small town. This tragic event featured on the Australian television show Crime Investigation Australia
and is now known as the Greenough Family Massacre
.
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 24 kilometres south of Geraldton
Geraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958...
on the Brand Highway
Brand Highway
Brand Highway is a 362 kilometre main highway linking the northern outskirts of Perth, the capital of Western Australia, to the port city of Geraldton in Western Australia's Mid West region. Together with North West Coastal Highway, it forms part of the Western Australian coastal link to the...
. The historic buildings are controlled by the National Trust of Australia
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
. Another feature popular with tourists are the trees that are bent 90 degrees due to the coastal winds.
The mouth of the Greenough River
Greenough River
The Greenough River is a river in the Mid West region of Western Australia.-Course:Nominally located at , Greenough River has its headwaters near Woojalong Hills on the Yilgarn Plateau. It runs in a south westerly direction through deep valleys for approximately , passing through the Waterloo...
is about 10 km to the north of the town.
On 16 February 1999, a rare annular solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
of magnitude 0.9906 was visible from the area.
History
The area was first explored by George GreyGeorge Edward Grey
Sir George Grey, KCB was a soldier, explorer, Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Cape Colony , the 11th Premier of New Zealand and a writer.-Early life and exploration:...
in 1839 after which he named the area after Sir George Bellas Greenough
George Bellas Greenough
George Bellas Greenough FRS , an English geologist, was born in London.-Biography:Greenough was born George Bellas, named after his father, George Bellas, who had a profitable business in the legal profession as a proctor in Doctor's Commons, St Paul's Churchyard Doctors' Commons and some real...
, the president of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Grey claimed that the area could become the granary of Western Australia.
In 1851 Augustus Gregory
Augustus Gregory
Sir Augustus Charles Gregory KCMG. was an English-born Australian explorer. Between 1846 and 1858 he undertook four major expeditions.-Early years:...
surveyed 30,000 acres (120 km²) of land in the region which became known as the Greenough Flats. This was subdivided into 20- and 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) lots with the view to encouraging English settlers who would be more used to the relatively small (by Australian standards) farm sizes. Within a few years it had developed into a highly successful wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
growing area and a population of over 1,000 from which a successful town developed.
A series of disasters starting with a major cyclone in 1872 and major flooding in 1888 as well as the discovery of gold in the goldfields caused the gradual decline and abandonment of the settlement so that by 1900 most of the settlers had left the area with many of the small farmlets converted to grazing. The town fell into disrepair until a tourism-based project in the 1980s helped refurbish many of the buildings.
In 1993, a woman and her three young children were brutally murdered in this small town. This tragic event featured on the Australian television show Crime Investigation Australia
Crime Investigation Australia
Crime Investigation Australia is an Australian true-crime series that first premiered on Foxtel's Crime & Investigation Network in August 2005. The series is also rebroadcast on the Nine Network, and made its debut there on 14 August 2007. The host of the series is Steve Liebmann.-Production:The...
and is now known as the Greenough Family Massacre
Greenough Family Massacre
The Greenough Family Massacre refers to the axe murders of Karen MacKenzie, 31, and her three children, Daniel 16, Amara, 7, & Katrina, 5, at their remote rural property in Greenough, Western Australia, 400 km north of Perth, on 21 February 1993, by William Patrick...
.