A Timeline of Local History

Information provided to the Shire of Wongan-Ballidu by John Rogers. 

The first one hundred and fifty years of white settlement...

A Timeline

(1829-1988)

1829 Swan River Settlement.

1836 Robert Dale and George Fletcher Moore, Advocate General, explored North of Northam and saw the Wongan Hills.

1836  Surveyor General John Septimus Roe (pictured right) surveyed the Wongan Hills area naming Mount Matilda after his wife. 

1842 John Gilbert, a Naturalist came to the Wongan area to study the teeming wildlife (memorial pictured below).

1843 Slaters increased their extensive pastoral leases from Goomalling to the Wongan Hills borders at Kalguddering.

1846 The Benedictine Monks from New Norcia extended their missionary and grazing interests from the West of the Wongan Hills area.

1844  Scientists and Botanists came to list the Flora and Fauna of the area. Professor Drummond (pictured right) and M Darlacher.

1845 First recorded shipment of Sandalwood by Bullock Train from the area.

1846 Bishop Salvado started the Mission at New Norcia.

1853 First recorded freehold land in Wongan Hills 100 acres at Dumbo Well.

1858 Similar grant at Kalguddering.

1870’s Clunes, Kings, Brown, Conner, Quinlan and Twine took Grazing Right over most of the Wongan Hills area.

1871 Lyell, a Government Geologist looked for minerals in the Wongan Hills Area

1873 Bishop Salvado, Clune, and Henessy acquired water holes, consolidating their holdings.

1881 Bishop Salvado bought Dumbo Mission, 72,000 acres leasehold, 400 acres freehold.

1882 Bishop Salvado explored the Wongan Hills area.

1889 First wire fencing was used

1894 Agricultural Board was established in Wongan Hills

1901 Grazing leases ran out and the land opened for settlement and all known springs were reserved for the use of settlers.

1903 Wongan Hills area opened for settlement. 

           Twine, Quinlan and Slater took up squatters' rights.

1905 Wave of pioneer farmers.

          The first recorded shipment of wheat.

          Stickland and Hornsby blocks surveyed.

1907 Mrs Hancyy, the first white woman in the area, arrived by Bullock train.

1908 First selections made at Kondut and Ballidu

1909 New settlers demanded roads, mail and food supplies be made available.

1910 Storekeeper, Ivan Royal arrived in conjunction with First National Bank. Royal's store operated from a tent, awaiting the railway line. An erect tent was used as a boarding house. Edward Joseph and Millicent Rogers had already set up the tent store and stables near the railway line site prior to Royal's arrival.

Ivan Royal's tent store (pictured above).

 

Inaugural Progress Picnic September 10, 1910 (pictured above).

1911 Township gazetted.

         Reverend Sullivan started his Ministry in Wongan Hills (Photo from 1922).

         Extension of the Railway to Wongan Hills officially opened to traffic.  

         No permanent buildings in the township yet.

         The first Steam train arrived.

         

         The water tower was built for the steam trains (pictured below). Fresh water came from Lake Ninan initially.

1912 Eddie J Rogers purchased Royal's tent store and built the first commercial buildings in the town, a General Store, Boarding House, Bank and Post Office, and stables.

         The railway line to Mullewa started construction, with works starting in Wongan Hills and Mullewa to eventually meet in the middle. 

         Railway barracks were built.

         First public telephone.

1913 Kondut named.

         Rail water tank and stand were built, with water piped from the Railway Dam.

1913 The first school at Wongan Hills was opened in June. Ms Cullerton was the first teacher. She travelled from Kondut and stayed in Wongan from Monday to Friday.

1914 Drought, 431 points for the year (4.3 inches) average wheat crop yield 3 bushels ( 1 bag) an acre ( 0.2 tonnes per hectare). Average rainfall is 1527 points (388mm) and good crops in the 1960’s were 10-12 bags per acre.

         Wongan Agricultural Hall was built, a timber building that was later used as the supper room after the new hall was built.

         First recorded burial in the Wongan Hills Cemetery.

         First State Hotel and Billiard Room built.

1915 Station Master's house built.

1916 Local Government was established. Ballidu Kondut Wongan Hills district formed, 1307 square miles, original boundaries enclosing Goomalling Dalwallinu Koorda and Dowerin

         There were 683 votes cast in the local election as shown below.

         First Melbourne Road Board meeting.

1917 Wongan Hills Farmers Co-op opened.

         675 mm (26 inches) highest rainfall ever recorded at Wongan Hills.

1920 Railway Station Buildings were erected.

1923 Shire purchased a horse-drawn grader. Ballidu School was opened.

1925 Power plant supplied DC current to the town.

        A State farm was established to research crops and stocking for the Wheatbelt.

1926 Melbourne Road Board was officially renamed Wongan Ballidu Road Board.

1928 Permanent Post Office built in Wilson Street.

         Shops built Corner Quinlan and Fenton Street. for Mr Norman Stonestreet.

         National Bank was built of local stone on Quinlan Street.

         Golf club built near the Railway Dam.

         Masonic Lodge was built.

1929 Church of England hall built.

1930 Wongan Hills Hospital opened on the corner of  Mitchell Street and Camm Street, currently the Wongan Hills Pioneer Museum.

1932 St Peters Anglican Church was built.

         First Petrol Bowser.

         The bakery moved from Wilson Street to the corner of Fenton Street and Quinlan Street.

         First tennis courts.

         Farmers Co-op burnt down.

1936 Dr Lovegrove came to Wongan Hills.

1940 Town flooded.

          A new wing was added to the hospital.

1941 Wongan Hills State Hotel was built in an Art Deco style on the site of the old hotel.

1947 Volunteer Fire Brigade was established.

1953 New Primary School opened on Quinlan Street.

1954 Town Library.

         Infant Health Centre.

1955 Diesel trains started the run to Mullewa.

         Catholic Church opens Moore Street.

         Water supply.

1957 CWA restroom.

         Methodist Church and hall built.

1959 Drive-in theatre opened, owned by Vic Basham.

         A New Post Office opened on Elphin Street.

1960 - 1988 Lake Ninan, originally fresh water, was used for Water Skiing Sailing and a Rowing Regatta until the Lake dried up in 1988.   

1960 Caravan Park. Septic Tanks. Bowling Club.

1963 Wongan Hills Olympic Swimming Pool, Pistol Club, New Shire Offices were opened

1964 Police Station opened.

1965 The current Wongan Hills Hospital was built.

1966 Wongan Aero Club developed on Jack Ackland's property. Fire station built on Fenton Street.

1969 Wongan Hills Airstrip was built, moving from the Wongan Aero Club on Jack Ackland's property. Lake Hinds State Electricity Commission took over the supply of power. 

1970 Deep Sewerage. St Johns Ambulance subcentre.

1975 Squash Club and Courts New Civic Centre.

1976 New basketball Courts. Old Hall demolished.

1988 Lake Ninan dried up as a result of farming practices and climate change.