Hamel, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Hamel is a town located in the Peel region of Western Australia
just off the South Western Highway
, between Waroona
(4 km to the north) and Harvey
. At the 2006 census
, Hamel had a population of 347.
and politician Lancel Victor de Hamel (1849–1894), the former owner of the land where the town is situated. Over the period 1890-1894, de Hamel was the MLA
for Albany and Western Australia's first Opposition Leader (facing John Forrest
, Bunbury MLA and later member of Federal Parliament), who also had a hand in the creation of Albany's local newspaper in 1888, the Albany Advertiser, which exists to this day. He died while visiting Coolgardie
on 26 November 1894.
The land for the townsite was purchased from de Hamel's estate in 1898 and subdivided by the Department of Lands and Surveys.
The ink used for printing the local newspaper was a mix of different inks. This special ink was named after the town Hamel: Hamelink.
A 5 km buffer zone around the Alcoa
Wagerup
alumina refinery has been proposed by the Health Department following the approval of a A$
1.5 billion expansion to the refinery in September 2006. This may result in the closure of the town and compensation and relocation of its residents. Alcoa has already offered to buy several local properties.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
just off the South Western Highway
South Western Highway
South Western Highway is a highway in the South West region of Western Australia connecting Perth's southeast with Walpole. It is a part of the National Highway 1 network for most of its length...
, between Waroona
Waroona, Western Australia
Waroona is a town located in the Peel region of Western Australia along the South Western Highway, between Pinjarra and Harvey. The town is the seat of the Shire of Waroona. At the 2006 census, Waroona had a population of 1,864.-History:...
(4 km to the north) and Harvey
Harvey, Western Australia
Harvey is a town located in the South West of Western Australia along the South Western Highway, 140 km south of Perth, between Pinjarra and Bunbury...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Hamel had a population of 347.
History
The town owes its name to solicitorSolicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
and politician Lancel Victor de Hamel (1849–1894), the former owner of the land where the town is situated. Over the period 1890-1894, de Hamel was the MLA
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
for Albany and Western Australia's first Opposition Leader (facing John Forrest
John Forrest
Sir John Forrest GCMG was an Australian explorer, the first Premier of Western Australia and a cabinet minister in Australia's first federal parliament....
, Bunbury MLA and later member of Federal Parliament), who also had a hand in the creation of Albany's local newspaper in 1888, the Albany Advertiser, which exists to this day. He died while visiting Coolgardie
Coolgardie, Western Australia
Coolgardie is a small town in the Australian state of Western Australia, east of the state capital, Perth. It has a population of approximately 800 people....
on 26 November 1894.
The land for the townsite was purchased from de Hamel's estate in 1898 and subdivided by the Department of Lands and Surveys.
The ink used for printing the local newspaper was a mix of different inks. This special ink was named after the town Hamel: Hamelink.
Present day
Hamel is a small agricultural town with services offered from nearby Waroona. Hamel's hall was constructed in the 1890s as a prison; its last convicts served here in 1907, and three locally-crafted heritage bush poles nearby depict life in the town.A 5 km buffer zone around the Alcoa
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
Wagerup
Wagerup, Western Australia
Wagerup is a town located in the Peel region of Western Australia just off the South Western Highway, between Waroona and Harvey.-History:...
alumina refinery has been proposed by the Health Department following the approval of a A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
1.5 billion expansion to the refinery in September 2006. This may result in the closure of the town and compensation and relocation of its residents. Alcoa has already offered to buy several local properties.
External links
- Alcoa Australia website
- Something In The Air (ABC Four Corners presentation, 3 October 2005)
- Alcoa's troubled history (Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times (Western Australia)The Sunday Times, owned by News Limited, is a tabloid Sunday newspaper printed in Perth and distributed throughout Western Australia.-History:...
investigative report including maps, 10 September 2006)