G is for GOOMALLING and GNOWANGERUP

These are two farming towns in Western Australia (both of which we have visited):

GOOMALLING is a townsite in the wheatbelt region of Western Australia 142.5 kilometres north-north-east of Perth; a 90-minute drive.  The name Goomalling was first shown on maps for a spring found by explorers Hilllman and Lefroy in 1846.  Hillman noted on his plan "rich grassy country" and squatters subsequently moved into the area.  George Slater was the first in the Goomalling area, establishing a property around Goomalling Spring in the early 1850s.  When the Northam-Goomalling railway line was opened in 1901 the government decided to establish a townsite at Goomalling.  It was gazetted in 1903.  The name of the town comes from an aboriginal word which means "the place of the silver-grey possum". Goomal is the 'noongar' word for this possum (isn't he just so cute?):

The surrounding areas produce wheat and other cereal crops.  The town is a wheat receival site for Co-operative Bulk Handling.   During the spring there are many beautiful wildflowers to be seen in the area:

Many years ago we took our 2-person tent to the wheatbelt and spent a delightful few days in Goomalling and other wheatbelt towns.



GNOWANGERUP township is situated in the Great Southern part of Western Australia, 354 kilometres south-east of Perth and 140 kilometres north of Albany via the Chester Pass Road which passes through the beautiful Stirling Ranges.  The Shire also includes the towns of nearby Borden and Ongerup.  We have passed through Gnowangerup several times on our way home from Albany and at least once stopped for a coffee and snack about here:

Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Ranges wearing a mantle of low cloud:

Snow on Bluff Knoll (we seldom get snow in W.A. but occasionally the Stirling Ranges does, although it is not very long lasting).  When he was quite young my son and a friend of his climbed to the top of Bluff Knoll and were delighted to find patches of snow under the bushes up there.:

Gnowangerup was first gazetted in 1908 under the spelling of Ngowangerupp.  Local dissatisfaction with this spelling led to it being altered to Gnowangerup in 1913.  (I can't say I blame them for wanting to simplify the town name somewhat).  The name of the townsite is Aboriginal, being derived from nearby Gnowangerup Creek and Spring, both names being first recorded in 1878.  The name means "place where the mallee hen (Gnow) nests".  The bird is the Shire emblem:

The surrounding areas produce wheat and other cereal crops and, as with Goomalling, it is a wheat receival site for CBH.  There are 150 wildflowers species to be seen in this area.

I wanted to include these two small towns under G as they are a very important to Western Australia as primary producing areas.  I am also going to post Geraldton-Greenough as we have been there and they are both very interesting.