Australia So Much to See
Moorine Rock is located on the Great Eastern Highway and the railway line from Northam to Southern Cross. When the rail line was opened
in 1895 a railway station was established here and named Parkers Road after a nearby road. The road led to Parker Range an area where
Mr W M Parker made a gold find in 1888. In 1923 the district surveyor for the area reported there was a need to survey some lots at
Parkers Road station. The survey was carried out the following year and in 1925 the area was gazetted as the townsite of Parker Road.
In
1926 the local member of Parliament advised the name of the townsite was causing confusion because it was too similar to Parker Range
a nearby goldmining area and was also the name of a road in Southern Cross. He suggested the alternative name of Moorine after Moorine
Rock. This name was too similar to Moora but was accepted with the full name Moorine Rock. The change of name of the townsite was
gazetted in 1926. Moorine Rock is the Aboriginal name of some rocks around eight kilometres from the townsite, first recorded by an
explorer in 1865. The meaning of the name is not known.
Bodallin is thought to mean Big Round Rock, and like most Aboriginal place names it has had several different spellings.
This
tiny town has a roadhouse which has a small shop and is a post office agency, a few houses, and the old school building. The school
was opened in 1924 and closed in 2002. It is now used for seasonal worker accommodation.
Bodallin has been a stop on the
railway line since 1894 and still is. The is a CBH grain receivals bin by the railway line.
Bodallin grew near where one
of the railway dams was built to supply water for steam engines.
Camping is offered at the highway-side rest area, with a toilet
block and playground. This is near the roadhouse. For a quieter night camping by the old railway dam near a low granite
outcrop is an alternative. Turn south on Stephen Road about five kilometres west of Bodallin, with the track into the dam around
one kilometre from the highway. Tight turnaround so for larger rigs walk in and check first. There is a very old stone
bakers’ oven in the vicinity of the dam.
Above right is a lovely tiny Ericksonella saccharata, Sugar orchid.
To the right is Phebalium filifolium, Slender Phebalium. Phebalium are a mostly cream or white flowering genus of flowers with long stamens. Foliage is usually bumpy or 'warty'. Filifolium mean fine leaves.
Above right is Hakea francisiana, one of many Hakea species we saw. Pink Pokers is one of a number of different common names for this species, seen here with some blooms still opening.
