Highbury, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Highbury is a small town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia
, located along the Great Southern Highway
between Narrogin
and Wagin
. At the 2006 census
, Highbury had a population of 493.
, when a siding was built here in 1894. Originally called Wolwolling, it was gazetted under that name in 1905, but the local progress association complained that the name was too similar to others, and it was renamed to Highbury in 1906, presumably after one of any number of towns in England by that name.
. A group called Highbury District Community Council report to council on issues affecting the area, and in 2006 successfully proposed the construction of a war memorial next to the hall to honour those from the district who had fought and died overseas.
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...
, located along the Great Southern Highway
Great Southern Highway
Great Southern Highway is a highway in the Southern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, starting from Great Eastern Highway at The Lakes, 50 km from Perth, and ending at Albany Highway near Cranbrook. It is the primary thoroughfare for this part of Western Australia and runs parallel with the...
between Narrogin
Narrogin, Western Australia
Narrogin is a large town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, southeast of Perth on the Great Southern Highway between Pingelly and Wagin...
and Wagin
Wagin, Western Australia
Wagin is a town and shire in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, approximately 225 km south-east of Perth on the Great Southern Highway between Narrogin and Katanning. It is also on State Route 107. The main industries are wheat and sheep farming.-History:The name of the town is...
. 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,...
, Highbury had a population of 493.
History
Like many towns, Highbury came into existence with the construction of the Great Southern RailwayGreat Southern Railway (Western Australia)
The Great Southern Railway was the name of a railway company that operated from Beverley to Albany in Western Australia between 1886 and 1896. In 1896 the Western Australian Government Railways took over this company and the railway route also kept the name.- Construction :The first sods for the...
, when a siding was built here in 1894. Originally called Wolwolling, it was gazetted under that name in 1905, but the local progress association complained that the name was too similar to others, and it was renamed to Highbury in 1906, presumably after one of any number of towns in England by that name.
Present day
The town today is little more than a stop on the highway, with a store, tavern and hall utilised by the surrounding agricultural district in the southern Shire of NarroginShire of Narrogin
The Shire of Narrogin is a Local Government Area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about south-east of the state capital, Perth. Curiously, the town of Narrogin serves as the Shire's seat of government, despite the fact that it is not part of the shire itself...
. A group called Highbury District Community Council report to council on issues affecting the area, and in 2006 successfully proposed the construction of a war memorial next to the hall to honour those from the district who had fought and died overseas.