Katanning
| Katanning Western Australia |
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 Katanning playground |
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 Katanning
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| Population: | 3,808 (2006)[1] | ||||||
| Established: | 1898 | ||||||
| Postcode: | 6317 | ||||||
| Elevation: | 311 m (1,020 ft) | ||||||
| Location: |
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| LGA: | Shire of Katanning | ||||||
| State electorate: | Wagin | ||||||
| Federal Division: | O’Connor | ||||||
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Coordinates: 33°41′13″S 117°34′30″E / 33.687°S 117.575°E
Katanning is a town located 277 km south east of Perth, Western Australia on the Great Southern Highway. At the 2006 census, Katanning had a population of 3,808.[1]
History
The meaning of Katanning is unknown but it is thought to be a local aboriginal word that is either ‘Kart-annin’ that literally means “meeting place of the heads of tribes”,[2] or ‘Kartanup’ that means “clear pool of sweet water”. [3] Others suggest that the place is named after a local aboriginal woman.
The first Europeans to explore the Katanning area were Governor James Stirling and Surveyor General John Septimus Roe who travelled through the area in 1835 en route from Perth to Albany.
In about 1870, sandalwood cutters moved into the area but they did not settle. It was not until the arrival of the Great Southern Railway from Perth to Albany in 1889 that the township came into existence.
The townsite was initially developed by the same company that built the railway, the Western Australian Land Company. The state government purchased the railway and the townsite in 1896 and later formally gazetted the town in 1898.[4]
Katanning remains an important centre on the Great Southern Railway to Albany.[5]
A roller flour mill, later known as the Premier Flour Mill, was constructed close to the centre of the town in 1891 by brothers, Frederick Henry Piesse and Charles Austin Piesse; [6] this in turn encouraged the local farmers to grow wheat which was at the heart of the town’s early economic success. The mill is now a museum.
An earthquake was centred just south of Katanning at 8:00 am 10 October 2007. The earthquake measured 4.8 on the Richter scale, and is rated as the largest earthquake in the region for four decades.[7]
Features
A statue of Frederick Henry Piesse (by sculptor Pietro Porcelli) was erected in 1916 and stands beside the railway line in Austral Terrace. The Piesse family constructed a regal mansion which was named “Kobeelya” and after being used for many years as a girls’ boarding school, is now a conference centre managed by the local Baptist church.
Katanning features a unique playground of over-sized structures named the “All Ages Playground”. The town has many other attractions, including a state of the art recreation, leisure and function centre.
Katanning has a relatively large Muslim population, of about 350 people, and consequently has a mosque. The vast majority of local Muslims originated in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and travelled to Katanning to work in the local abattoir, which was established in the late 1970s.
Other religious buildings include churches from Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Seventh Day Adventist, Uniting, and Wesleyan denominations, along with a Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall.
The town also has a castle-like structure which was built as a winery. The town’s entrance features an antique truck loaded with imitation wool bales, a windmill, and several sculptures of sheep made from corrugated iron.
The town has become a regional service centre for the Great Southern and services the nearby towns of Broomehill, Tambellup and Woodanilling plus several more.
Notable residents
- Kevin O’Halloran, gold medallist in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne was born and raised in nearby Kojonup, and the pool is named after him.
- Percy Gratwick, posthumous Victoria Cross recipient in World War II was born in Katanning.
- Mark Williams, Essendon footballer.
- Lydia Williams, Football Goalkeeper for the Westfield Matildas, Australian Women’s National Football Team.
References
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). “Katanning (Urban Centre/Locality)”. 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=UCL513000&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- ^ Western Australian Land Information Authority. “History of country town names”. http://www.landgate.wa.gov.au/corporate.nsf/web/History+of+country+town+names. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
- ^ “SMH Travel – Katanning”. The Sydney Morning Herald. 2004-02-08. http://www.smh.com.au/news/Western-Australia/Katanning/2005/02/17/1108500208517.html. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
- ^ “BHP Skills.net – Katanning”. 2006. http://www.netfx.com.au/skillsnet/TownImages2002/katanning.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
- ^ Katanning on the Great Southern Railway Milne, Rod Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, March, 1993 pp 59-69
- ^ “Register of Heritage Places – Katanning Roller Flour Mill” (PDF). 1994. http://register.heritage.wa.gov.au/PDF_Files/K-L%20Reg/Katanning%20Roller%20Mill%20(I).PDF. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
- ^ “ABC News WA earthquake rocks southern Wheatbelt”. ABC Online. 10 October 2007. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/10/10/2055826.htm.
External links
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- Towns in Western Australia
- Australian Aboriginal placenames
- Great Southern (Western Australia)
Katanning
Related posts:
- Gnowangerup to Katanning 1993
- Tambellup to Katanning 2007
- Katanning to Wagin 1993
- Katanning to Dumbleyung 2007
- Albany Western Australia – A seaside holiday destination for all
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