DESCRIPTION
This is a tiny town between Moora and Coorow on a road known as the Midlands Scenic Way.
There is a general store and limited accommodation but apart from the Watheroo National Park there is little to attract visitors to the town.
The area relies mostly on wheat and sheep farming.
HISTORY
Gerald de Courcey Lefroy visited the area in 1848.
James Oliver settled in the area in 1851 but had sold up and moved on selling his property to Joseph Purser. Some sources say that Purser never
moved in to his new property but others say he arrived in 1860.
Other leases were taken up by E. McIntosh, T.B. Ridley, E. Collin, Walter Padbury, Father Aragon, and Father Francis Salvado who were monks at
New Norcia.
In 1868 the Benedictine Community of New Norcia purchased Marah from the estate of Joseph Purser. (Presumably he had died).
John Forrest led an expedition through the area in 1870.
Watheroo became part of the Midland to Walkaway railway in 1894 and the townsite was declared in 1907.
The first school opened in 1912 and Watheroo Primary School opened in 1914.
In 1929, the area's first sporting club was established.
By 1933 a branch of the CWA had started operating in town. It was to continue until 1992.
The first bulk-handling wheat bin was constructed in town in 1938.
A new school opened in 1950 but it wasn't as impressive as it sounds as there was only one room. The school was gradually upgraded over the
next 10 years.
In 1964 the town was connected to the Country Water Supply Scheme.
The name is said to originate with an Aboriginal word meaning seaweed but it is so far from the sea that this does seem rather odd. The first recorded use was
Watheroo Spring in 1873. Two different versions of the towns name have been put forward, 'Wardo' meaning little bird in the local Aboriginal dialect or 'Wardoro' meaning water.
TALL TALES AND TRUE
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OTHER INFORMATION
ATTRACTIONS
Watheroo National Park, Old observatory, Edawa Lake, Little Salt Lake campsite, 18 hole golf course, Wildflowers in spring.
BUILDINGS OF NOTE
Unknown
ELECTORAL ZONES
State : Moore
Federal : Durack
OTHER INFO.
Postcode : 6513
Local Government : Shire of Moora
PHOTOS
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