MORAWA

DESCRIPTION

 

For most visitors, Morawa is most often seen during wildflower season (July-September). There are a number of attractions in the shire including heritage buildings and attractive natural scenery.

 

43 kilometres north of Morawa is the tiny town of Canna. The local store operated from 1929 to 2003 and is unusual as there is a tree growing out of one of the side walls. Today the store still operates but as a farm merchandise retailer and not a general store.

 

5 kilometres west of Gutha turnoff on the Morawa - Mullewa road approx 20km north of Morawa is Bilya Rock. A large stone cairn on top of the rock is said to have been placed there by John Forrest's exploration party in the 1870s.

 

Overnight stays are allowed at Koolanooka Springs with picnic facilities, including toilets and BBQs being installed in the 1980s. There is another roadside rest area 23km north of Morawa at Gutha.

 

Morawa is part of the Monsignor John Hawes Heritage trail that includes the towns of: Carnamah, Perenjori, Mullewa, Geraldton, Northampton, Yalgoo, Nanson and Bluff Point.

 

The local Visitor Centre provides an interesting booklet describing the heritage walk through the town. Each building is described and photographs are included as well as a town map. The booklet also contains details of attractions outside the town.

 

HISTORY

 

The first conditional purchase lease in the area was taken up by F. Waldeck in 1868 and the first wheat farm was established by John Stokes in 1910.

 

The town site was gazetted in 1912 but the town boundaries were only finalised in the following year. It started life as a railway station on the Mullewa – Wongan Hills line that opened in 1915.

 

The railways department was not happy with the name, as is was said to be too similar to Mullewa. They suggested using Wooltanar but this was too similar to a town in Queensland. Merkanooka was then suggested and the name change was made in January 1922. For what ever reason the railway siding still maintained the name Morawa even though it was the railways department that had agitated for the name change. In June 1922 the town name went back to being Morawa again.

 

The name is Aboriginal in origin and meanings suggested include Dalgite (a small burrowing marsupial) or even ‘place where men are made’.

 

Iron ore was discovered in the area in 1961 and the first shipment of ore from Australia to Japan came from here. It was mined for eight years from the date of discovery. The Koolanooka mine site was discovered by geologists J. Lalor and D. Barr in 1961. Experimental drilling started in the same year. The first consignment of iron ore left Geraldton for Japan on March 16, 1966. The old open cut mine site includes picnic facilities and a lookout.

 

 

TALL TALES AND TRUE

 

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MAP

 

 

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OTHER INFORMATION

 

ATTRACTIONS

 

Church of the Holy Cross, Koolanooka Hills Mine site, Koolanooka Springs, Museum, Wildflowers in season, Mt. Campbell Lookout, Bilya Rock, Pintharuka Dam, War Rock, Museum.

 

BUILDINGS OF NOTE

 

Church of the Holy Cross, Presbytery 1932, Former police station 1937, Town Hall 1939, Shire Offices 1930, St. Davids Anglican church 1932, Hotel 1926, Former Bank of NSW 1926, Masonic Hall 1930, Lutheran church 1956.

 

ELECTORAL ZONES

 

State : Moore

Federal : Durack

 

OTHER INFO.

 

Postcode : 6623

Local Government : Shire of Morawa

 

PHOTOS

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