DESCRIPTION
Newdegate is about 400 kiloemtres from the state’s capital city of Perth.
It is one one of the most popular routes to Esperance and as such sees more passing traffic than other towns on different routes.
Newdegate is probably most famous for the annual Field Days event that takes place
each September. The event first started in 1973.
The Field Days are primarily an agricultural show that is held on the first Wednesday and Thursday of each September. Machinery, technology, livestock, outdoor and camping exhibits,
arts, fashion, food and wine, local produce and live entertainment make the Fields Days very popular with over 11,000 visitors arriving in town during the two day event.
Wheat and sheep are the main local industries and the wheat storage capacity in the CBH facility is listed as 260,855 tonnes. The silos have become part of the Art Silo Trail through te
addition of art work by Brenton See to their sides. Brenton is a local W.A. artist who had to overcome a fear of heights before starting to paint silos and other similar structures.
Brenton has been commissioned to put murals on many buildings all over W.A. His work generally features local flora and fauna and is bright and vibrant.
Brenton painted his first mural in 2015 and he completed the art work on the silos in Newdegate in 2018.
HISTORY
Settlement in the area dates from the 1920s and the townsite was gazetted in 1925 once the route of the railway from Lake Grace had been fixed.
The town was named after
Sir Francis Alexander Newdigate Newdegate,
Governor of W.A.
Although his surname appears to be just repeated, the spelling is different with the first iteration being spelled with an ‘i’ and the second with an ‘e’. This came about due to a clause in Charles Newdigate Newdegate’s will.
The 'i' version is Francis’ original surname.
The railway arrived from Lake Grace in 1926 and by 1928 Newdegate had four general stores, a hotel, baker, saddler, two garages, fruit shop and a town hall.
The annual field days, that started in 1973, attract agricultural exhibitors from far and wide and this is a good time to visit the town.
TALL TALES AND TRUE
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OTHER INFORMATION
ATTRACTIONS
Dragon Rock, Pioneer Museum, Lake Biddy, Dickman Rock, Namma Rock, Lake Bryde.
BUILDINGS OF NOTE
Hotel, Hainsworth Building,
ELECTORAL ZONES
State : Wagin
Federal : O'Connor
OTHER INFO.
Postcode : 6355
Local Government : Shire of Lake Grace
PHOTOS
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