Watheroo, Western Australia

Watheroo
Western Australia
Watheroo; Western Australia
	Watheroo Hall, 2013.
	Watheroo
Coordinates	30°17′52.4702″S 116°03′31.4046″E / 30.297908389°S 116.058723500°E
Population	137 (SAL 2021)
Established	1907
Postcode(s)	6513
Elevation	263 m (863 ft)
Area	783.4 km2 (302.5 sq mi)
Location	214 km (133 mi) north of Perth ; 38 km (24 mi) north of Moora ; 98 km (61 mi) east of Jurien Bay ;
LGA(s)	Shire of Moora
State electorate(s)	Moore
Federal division(s)	Durack

Watheroo is a small town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. There are 137 residents, according to the 2021 census.

History

Land in the area was settled by James Oliver in 1851, the area was surveyed in 1871 and the name Watheroo was charted for the first time. Watheroo is a thriving farming Wheatbelt town, farming livestock and grain. The town was an original station on the Midland Railway Company railway line to Walkaway. The townsite was gazetted in 1907.^[2]

Railway

Following flooding along the Moore River in 1907, the railway lines between Watheroo and Moora were closed for some time when parts of the track were washed away.^[3] Rail services were again affected in 1917 when 1.7 inches (43 mm) of rain fell in three hours causing more flooding, washways and the railyard in town to be submerged.^[4]

Etymology

The name is Indigenous Australian in origin and was the name of a nearby spring. The word Watheroo is derived from the word wardo which means little bird or more specifically the willy wagtail or from the word wardoro which means water.^[5]

Climate

Climate data for Watheroo (1918–1959)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	33.9 (93.0)	33.8 (92.8)	31.0 (87.8)	26.5 (79.7)	21.3 (70.3)	18.1 (64.6)	17.2 (63.0)	18.3 (64.9)	21.1 (70.0)	23.7 (74.7)	28.1 (82.6)	31.5 (88.7)	25.4 (77.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	15.9 (60.6)	16.3 (61.3)	14.8 (58.6)	11.4 (52.5)	8.0 (46.4)	6.2 (43.2)	5.0 (41.0)	5.4 (41.7)	6.5 (43.7)	8.0 (46.4)	11.2 (52.2)	13.8 (56.8)	10.2 (50.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	9.4 (0.37)	16.9 (0.67)	22.1 (0.87)	23.4 (0.92)	58.8 (2.31)	84.6 (3.33)	78.4 (3.09)	54.6 (2.15)	30.1 (1.19)	20.8 (0.82)	9.4 (0.37)	9.3 (0.37)	417.2 (16.43)
Source: ^[6]

References

^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Watheroo (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
^ "History of country town names – W". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
^ "A town under water". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 3 August 1907. p. 10. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
^ "The Midland Line". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 6 August 1917. p. 6. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
^ "Shire of Moora – Watheroo". 2006. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
^ "Climate statistics for Watheroo". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 13 July 2014.

External links

Media related to Watheroo, Western Australia at Wikimedia Commons

[1] Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Watheroo (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.

[2] "History of country town names – W". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2008.

[3] "A town under water". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 3 August 1907. p. 10. Retrieved 8 April 2013.

[4] "The Midland Line". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 6 August 1917. p. 6. Retrieved 8 April 2013.

[5] "Shire of Moora – Watheroo". 2006. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2008.

[6] "Climate statistics for Watheroo". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 13 July 2014.

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