Cunderdin, Western Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cunderdin Western Australia
Aerial view of Cunderdin
Cunderdin Location in Western Australia
Established	1906
Postcode(s)	6407
Elevation	237 m (778 ft)
Area	[convert: needs a number]
Location	156 km (97 mi) east of Perth 46 km (29 mi) west of Kellerberrin 54 km (34 mi) south of Dowerin
LGA(s)	Shire of Cunderdin
State electorate(s)	Central Wheatbelt
Federal Division(s)	Durack

Cunderdin is a small town in the Wheatbelt area of Western Australia. It is about 156 kilometers (97 miles) east of Perth. You can find it along the Great Eastern Highway.

Cunderdin is also part of the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail. This is because the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme runs right through it. The town is a farming community. It has a high school and a special college for agriculture.

Cunderdin's Past

The first European to visit this area was Charles Cooke Hunt in 1864. He wrote down the name Cunderdin. This name comes from the Nyungar Aboriginal people. It was the name of a nearby hill. The name Cunderdin might mean "place of the bandicoot" or "place of flowers."

Like many towns nearby, Cunderdin grew during the gold rush in Western Australia. People were heading to the goldfields. In 1894, the railway arrived, which helped the town grow. The Goldfields Water Supply Scheme was built in 1901. This project, designed by C. Y. O'Connor, brought more people to Cunderdin. The town was officially recognized in 1906.

In 1932, the Wheat Pool of Western Australia decided to build two grain elevators in Cunderdin. These were used to store grain from local farms. The first one was built in 1933. Later that year, new tennis courts opened. The local hospital also got an X-ray machine.

Learning in Cunderdin

Cunderdin Agricultural College

The Cunderdin Agricultural College is also known as WACoA. This stands for the Western Australian College of Agriculture Cunderdin. It has great facilities for learning about farming. There are classrooms, training centers, and dorms for 125 students. These students are in years 11 and 12.

The college is one of five public agricultural colleges in Western Australia. In 2014, Cunderdin was named WA Secondary School of the Year. It also won a national award for its vocational education programs. This means it's great at teaching job-ready skills.

The college farm is getting bigger. It will expand by over 1000 hectares. This will give students more chances to learn about growing crops and raising animals. The farm will then be over 3000 hectares in total.

Students at WACoA gain important qualifications. They learn about safety, chemical handling, and first aid. They also get to show off their skills at big events. These include the Dowerin Field Day and the Perth Royal Show. Students can join teams for shearing, fencing, or engineering. Their hard work is often shared in local newspapers.

Cunderdin's Population

The number of people living in Cunderdin has changed over the years. Here's a look at the population from 2002 to 2013:

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2016

Cunderdin's Economy

Cunderdin Airstrip

The Cunderdin Airstrip is located on the college farm. It is still used today. This airstrip was built during the Second World War. It was first a flying school base for the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force). It was also used for bomber planes.

Later in the war, it became home to the No 25 Squadron. This squadron used Liberator bombers. The airstrip was kept in good condition. In 1941, it was called the No 9 Elementary Flying Training School. It had many officers, airmen, and aircraft.

The Cunderdin air base was important for planes flying between Perth and Australia's east coast. Today, the airstrip is owned by the Shire of Cunderdin. The Gliding Club of Western Australia now runs and maintains it. There are even places for people to stay. An Automatic Weather Station (AWS) is also at the airfield. It collects important weather data.

Farming in Cunderdin

Cunderdin is mainly a farming town. Many farms surround the town and the Agricultural College. In 2011, over 661,000 hectares of land were used for farming. Farms in Cunderdin had thousands of cattle, sheep, and pigs. The Agricultural College grows wheat, barley, canola, and oats every year.

The Golden Pipeline brings water to Cunderdin. About 40% of the water in the pipeline goes to farming areas. Cunderdin is one of 24 pump stations along the pipeline.

There is also an organization called WANTFA in Cunderdin. This stands for the Western Australian No-Tillage Farmers Association. It studies and experiments with different ways of growing crops. WANTFA started in 1992. It is the largest farmer group in Western Australia. Farming is very important to Cunderdin's success.

Fun Places to Visit

Cunderdin has many interesting places to explore:

• Cunderdin Museum - This museum is in an old pumping station. It was part of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme.
• Cunderdin Hill Lookout – You can see amazing views of the whole area from here.
• Railway Water Tower
• Cunderdin Golf Course – It's next to the Cunderdin Reservoir.
• Cunderdin Pool
• Historic sites of Youndegin and Doodenanning
• Cunderdin Town Oval
• Balga
• Golden Pipeline
• C Y O'Connor Park

Youndegin's History

Youndegin is a historic spot about 19 kilometers (12 miles) south of Cunderdin. It was one of the first settlements in the area. An old police outpost was built here from stone and mud. It had a thatched roof.

Constable Allerly was the first police officer in charge. Later, in 1880, Constable Alfred Eaton took over. He lived there with his wife. People in the area enjoyed eating parrot pie back then! When the railway was built, Constable Eaton left the police force. He became one of the first farmers in the Cunderdin area.

Local Plants

Cunderdin daviesia (Daviesiacunderdin) is a special shrub. It grows up to 1.6 meters (5 feet) tall. This plant is only found in the Cunderdin area.

Cunderdin's Weather

Train Services

Transwa's MerredinLink and Prospector trains stop in Cunderdin. There is at least one train service each day.

Preceding station	Transwa			Following station
Meckering towards East Perth		MerredinLink		Tammin towards Merredin
		Prospector		Tammin towards Kalgoorlie