Wundowie, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Wundowie is a town in Western Australia
located between Perth
and Northam
in the Darling Range. It was the location of an iron works, and siding and stopping place on the Eastern Railway.
It was named in 1907 and was a siding on the Chidlow
to Northam
section of the railway. The origin of the name is from nearby Woondowing Spring which is an Aboriginal word thought to come from Ngwundow, meaning "to lie down".
Following the decision of the government to construct the blast furnace
and wood distillation
plant (to produce charcoal
) in 1943 at Wundowie, plans were made to develop the townsite. Lots were surveyed in 1946 and the town was gazetted in 1947.
The iron works commenced production in 1948, and the railway station was opened in 1949.
In 1974 the plant was sold to Agnew-Clough Ltd and upgraded. By 1979, a shortage of hardwood timber resulted in the saw mill being closed. By 1981 the mill ceased operation.
The railway line was continued for a while from Northam to service Wundowie - after the main closure of the Chidlows route and the opening of the Avon Valley route in 1966.
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 between Perth
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 Northam
Northam, Western Australia
Northam is a town in Western Australia, situated at the confluence of the Avon and Mortlock Rivers, about north-east of Perth in the Avon Valley. At the 2006 census, Northam had a population of 6,009. Northam is the largest town in the Avon region...
in the Darling Range. It was the location of an iron works, and siding and stopping place on the Eastern Railway.
It was named in 1907 and was a siding on the Chidlow
Chidlow, Western Australia
Chidlow is a small community in the Shire of Mundaring approximately 45 kilometres east of Perth, Western Australia.-History:The Chidlow townsite was originally named Chidlow's Well after a small waterhole near the old Northam road. The watering place had been known to travellers for many years and...
to Northam
Northam, Western Australia
Northam is a town in Western Australia, situated at the confluence of the Avon and Mortlock Rivers, about north-east of Perth in the Avon Valley. At the 2006 census, Northam had a population of 6,009. Northam is the largest town in the Avon region...
section of the railway. The origin of the name is from nearby Woondowing Spring which is an Aboriginal word thought to come from Ngwundow, meaning "to lie down".
Following the decision of the government to construct the blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
and wood distillation
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
plant (to produce charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
) in 1943 at Wundowie, plans were made to develop the townsite. Lots were surveyed in 1946 and the town was gazetted in 1947.
The iron works commenced production in 1948, and the railway station was opened in 1949.
In 1974 the plant was sold to Agnew-Clough Ltd and upgraded. By 1979, a shortage of hardwood timber resulted in the saw mill being closed. By 1981 the mill ceased operation.
The railway line was continued for a while from Northam to service Wundowie - after the main closure of the Chidlows route and the opening of the Avon Valley route in 1966.
Further reading
- Clayden, B. J. (1958) A short history of the wood distillation, charcoal, iron and steel industry, Wundowie: the plant and the town, Thesis - Graylands Teachers College - held in Battye LibraryJ S Battye LibraryThe J S Battye Library is an arm of the State Library of Western Australia...
- Seabrook, Benjamin (2000) Wundowie the charcoal town. (reminisces about the town over the last 40 years). Avon Valley Advocate, 26 January 2000, p. 14
- Saunders, D. M. and Pearce, D. G. (1978) The financial viability to Westrail of railing iron ore from Koolyanobbing to Avon and Wundowie for Agnew Clough Perth, W.A. Westrail, Management Services Bureau, Planning Division