DESCRIPTION
You would think with a name like 'Clackline' that the place would somehow be related to a railway
but it turns out that the origin of the name is unknown.
A townsite was gazetted in 1896 and it was an important railway junction, in fact it was at one time called Clackline Junction.
The town was a base for a number of railway maintenance workers but the railway was closed down in 1966 when a
new line was developed through the Avon Valley.
The original railway houses were removed but other buildings eventually took up some of the area they once occupied.
A school operated at Clackline from 1896 to 1954.
Lions Park marks the spot where the school buildings once stood. A memorial was erected by the staff and students in 1929
to mark the 100th anniversary of European settlement.
The bridge spanning Clackline Creek was built in 1935 and incorporates concrete, steel and wood.
14 metres of the 122 metre bridge is a steel span. It carried traffic on the Great Eastern Highway until 2008 when the
road was re-aligned.
Although Clackline was developed as a townsite, today there is nothing to speak of except a few houses, a community hall
and a single store.
There was meant to be a train museum housed in a railway carriage but we never saw any sign of it being open. The carriage
came from the Kalgoorlie Express train.
There has apparently been some refurbishment recently and in 2018 the carriage was turned in to a community post office.
The area is known for the production of high quality oaten (export hay), olive production and for some emerging wineries.
In 1898 John Ford and James Murray discovered good quality clay when prospecting for gold and so the Clackline Firebrick
Company was started in 1900.
It was said that there was an almost limitless supply of clay but the refractory closed down and its more recent history
has not yet been documented. The closure of the railway may have contributed to the closure of the brickworks but nothing
is known for certain.
The old brickworks is located a little north west of the townsite on Refractory Road. Although listed on the state's
heritage register, the site has been allowed to deteriorate and it has been badly vandalised.
Just east of Clackline is Eadine Springs. This is a fairy pleasant picnic area with BBQ, Shelter, seats and tables.
To the south east of Clackline is a memorial commemorating the crash of an Avro Anson aircraft on October 9th 1942.
There is a cairn of granite boulders supporting a jarrah cross. Flying Officer Lynton Birt, Sergeant Geoffrey Debenham,
Sergeant Noel Nixon, and Sergeant Kenneth Hugo were all killed in the crash. They were all RAAF airmen.
Access is via Spencer's Brook Road, Gooch Road, Tighe Road, Leeder Road and Avro Anson Road.
Clackline Refractory: A Legacy of Fire and Clay
Tucked away in a valley near Great Eastern Highway, Clackline Refractory stands as a relic of Western Australia’s rich industrial past. Located on aptly named Refractory Road in Clackline, the site is now largely abandoned, its kilns and brick stacks whispering stories of a once-thriving industry. As of 2012, only scattered ceramic products remain, alongside aging kilns—some built for modern production, others crafted from brick and topped with corrugated iron roofs, held up by rusting metal poles. Looming over the site is a towering brick chimney, a silent sentinel to over a century of fire and craftsmanship.
From Gold Prospects to Firebrick Pioneers
In 1898, while searching for gold, prospectors John Ford and James Murray instead struck something just as valuable—fine-quality fire clay. Their discovery led to the formation of the Clackline Firebrick Company in 1900, transforming the area into a hub for firebrick production. The quarry they established boasted an almost limitless supply of premium clay, and the bricks they produced rivaled—and often outperformed—those imported from England and Scotland.
By 1901, Clackline’s firebricks were in high demand. Government departments, the Fremantle Gas Company, and gold mines across Western Australia relied on them for their heat-resistant properties. Railways, smelters, and gasworks all turned to Clackline for bricks that could withstand the extreme temperatures of industry.
An Expanding Industry
Despite its early success, the original Clackline Firebrick Company operated for only two years before being taken over by Bunnings in 1903. The Hunter family then managed operations for the next half-century, shaping the company’s legacy. By 1905, Clackline firebricks were proudly showcased at the Perth Australian Natives' Association (A.N.A.) Exhibition, demonstrating their durability and versatility. Among the featured products were firebox arches for railways, fire bricks for Perth’s gasworks, and heavy-duty foundry fire lumps used at the Midland Junction Railway Workshops.
By 1908, the company had mined thousands of tonnes of clay—yet the deposit remained seemingly untouched, a testament to its vastness. New machinery and drying sheds modernized production, allowing for a greater range of products, including paving bricks, garden tiles, and surface drain blocks. Some of these bricks even found their way into Wellington Street, Perth, where they paved the city’s walkways.
A Changing Landscape
The refractory saw another period of growth in the late 1960s, but expansion came with challenges. A shortage of local housing made it difficult to attract workers, leading to recruitment struggles.
Today, while the site may be in disrepair, its legacy endures. Clackline Refractory was more than just a brickworks—it was a cornerstone of Western Australia’s industrial development, its fire-hardened bricks playing a role in shaping the state’s infrastructure. Though now silent, the remnants of kilns, chimneys, and ceramic stacks stand as a tribute to the heat, skill, and determination that once defined this historic site.
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OTHER INFORMATION
ATTRACTIONS
Eadine Springs, Lions Park.
BUILDINGS OF NOTE
Bridge, Railway carriage, Store, Town hall, Lion monument, Avro Anson Memorial - Commemorates the deaths of Flying Officer Lynton Birt, Sergeant Geoffrey Debenham, Sergeant Noel Nixon, and Sergeant Kenneth Hugo.
All were airmen killed in the crash of a Avro Anson on October 9th 1942.
ELECTORAL ZONES
State : Central Wheatbelt
Federal : Pearce
OTHER INFO.
Postcode : 6564
Local Government : Shire of Northam
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