Australia So Much to See

After driving through farmland, next stop was Dudinin, as small town within the Kulin Shire. With reducing population and services, there was little to see but a few houses and the grain receival bin.

Turning into Harrismith, this tiny town had no businesses remaining open apart from the small Oasis Hotel. There is a tiny council owned caravan park nearby which is managed by the hotel. The town has well set out displays for tourists and a wildflower walk trail.

On a now disused railway line, the siding shed now houses a display of photos and articles from the town’s past.

Old farm machinery is on display as an outdoor museum, including these two under cover displays.

2 Stand Ronaldson Tippet Shearing Plant

Donated by Bruce and Ray Halliday

Wagon 1890s - 1930s

Horse drawn

Used for carting wool and bagged grain

Donated by Allan Quartermaine

Originally owned by JW Hempel

Site of former CBH grain receival bin near railway siding at Harrismith

Platform at former railway siding at Harrismith

In a modern picnic shelter, the history of the rabbit proof fence is on display. A few plaques of local families indicate that there was local sponsorship of this building.

Original gate from the 2nd Rabbit Proof Fence No. 95 mile peg

Restored by Bob Taylor

From there my route followed the old railway line (no longer in operation) to the smaller town of Tincurrin, established 1915. A grain receival bin was operating, and this dominated the tiny town, which has a general store with post office agency, and little else.

My route continued through farmland on the Dongalocking Road to Wagin.

Wagin is a rural centre with most services, particularly those servicing agriculture. The showground is home of the Wagin Woolorama, a very successful and now large rural show held in March each year.

There is a pioneer village on display, and as you enter the town from the west, a giant Merino Ram is featured, with merino sheep and wool being a prominent part of Wagin’s agriculture.

The Sculptor, Andrew Hickson, spent eight months creating the ram, nine times the size of a live ram.

Build from steel with a fibreglass surface, this ram weighs four tonne, and stands nine metres high and was completed in 1985.

This concluded the short tour featuring art and wildflowers.

Read on to see "Where did I stay?"

Continue reading >

Wagin

Tincurrin

Harrismith

In the main street alone, heritage buildings are outstanding. Two examples are the Palace Hotel 1905 and the Mitchell Hall Hotel (formerly Federal Hotel) 1895 (below).

Continuing southwards along Tudor Street, are the Wagin Courthouse built 1912, and the Wagin Town Hall. The Town Hall, comprising the former lesser hall (old Agricultural Hall) and the former town hall, are on the corner of Tudor and Tavistock streets. What is known as the Lesser Hall is the old Agricultural Hall which is believed to have opened in 1896, and which served the function of town hall and office from 1909. In 1905, tenders were called for additions and alterations to the hall by architect, George Johnston of Albany. In 1928, a new town hall was added to the lesser hall.

Opposite the town hall is Moran’s Wagin Hotel, constructed from 1900 to 1904 on the site of the first Hotel in Wagin on the corner of Tudor and Tavistock streets. In September 1921, the hotel was taken over by James Moran. Moran held the licence until his death in July 1967. It is believed that he held the licence for a single hotel for the longest period in Australia. His family continued to run the hotel until December 2017 when the liquor licence was relinquished. The hotel and accommodation business also closed and the building remained vacant.

Heading down Tudor Street (Great Southern Highway) is the Piesse (Butterick) Building. This building has preserved the historic values, with shops underneath and typical of the era, living quarters above these shops. This was constructed in 1905 as commercial premises by the Piesse brothers. The Piesse family were also active business people in Katanning. Mr Butterick purchased the building from the Piesse's in 1906. It has changed hands several times in recent years.

Next to this complex is the National Australia Bank building. This majestic two storey structure was built in 1912 and was continuously operated as a National Bank branch until the branch was closed in 2021.

On the corner of Tudhoe and Tudor Streets is the Mitchell Hall Hotel (formerly Federal Hotel). This was built by Mr Mitchell in 1895-1896. A few years after the hotel was built, due to lack of their own space, the Wagin school used the dining room for lessons.

Ref: Inherit

A little east of the Mitchell Hall Hotel on Tudhoe Street is the Palace Hotel. This was built in 1905

for Paddy. B. Durack of the famed north-west cattle Durack family, who had a large estate east of Wagin called 'Behn Ord'.

Ref: Inherit

Update: In 2020-2021 this hotel with 21 bedrooms was advertised for sale as a deceased estate at $200,000.

Perth architect and former Wagin local Clancy White purchased the hotel with a goal of reopening it. The renovation is expected to take 18 months.