Muchea, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Muchea is a suburb of the Shire of Chittering. Its postcode is 6501.
The towns name comes from the Aboriginal word "Muchela" which means in Nyoongar 'water hole', referring to the abundance of water in Muchea.
The opening of a railway siding in the area between 1892 and 1898 caused permanent structures to be built and by 1903 farmlots were surveyed close to the siding. The townsite was later gazetted in 1904.
In 1960, the Muchea Tracking Station
was established about 4 kilometres (2 mi) SSW outside of town as part of NASA's Mercury project. In 1962, the first Australian to speak with a space traveller did so from the Muchea facility. The station was closed in 1964.
The towns name comes from the Aboriginal word "Muchela" which means in Nyoongar 'water hole', referring to the abundance of water in Muchea.
History
The area was first surveyed as farmland in 1845 as part of a property to be owned by George Moore.The opening of a railway siding in the area between 1892 and 1898 caused permanent structures to be built and by 1903 farmlots were surveyed close to the siding. The townsite was later gazetted in 1904.
In 1960, the Muchea Tracking Station
Muchea Tracking Station
Established in 1960, Muchea Tracking Station was built specifically for NASA's Project Mercury. It was Station No. 8 of 14 sites around the world used throughout the project. The only other Australian site was No...
was established about 4 kilometres (2 mi) SSW outside of town as part of NASA's Mercury project. In 1962, the first Australian to speak with a space traveller did so from the Muchea facility. The station was closed in 1964.