Jerramungup, Western Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids JerramungupWestern Australia |
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![]() Tobruk Road, Jerramungup, 2018
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Established | 1953 | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 6337 | ||||||||||||||
Elevation | 322 m (1,056 ft) | ||||||||||||||
Area | [convert: needs a number] | ||||||||||||||
Location |
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LGA(s) | Shire of Jerramungup | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Roe | ||||||||||||||
Federal Division(s) | O'Connor | ||||||||||||||
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Jerramungup is a small town and area in the Shire of Jerramungup. It is located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. Jerramungup is about 454 kilometers (282 miles) southeast of Perth. It is also just 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) west of the Gairdner River.
Contents
Discovering Jerramungup's Past
Europeans started settling in the Jerramungup area before 1848. The first farm, called Jarramongup Station, was built by John Hassell in 1848. His son, Albert Young Hassell, later took over the farm. The government bought the station in 1950.
How Jerramungup Town Began
The town of Jerramungup was officially created in 1953. It was built to support a special project called the war service land settlement. This project helped soldiers who had served in wars get land to farm. The town was officially named Jerramungup on August 12, 1957. However, some people still used the old name Jerramongup until the 1960s. The local school changed its name to Jerramungup in 1968.
Early Buildings in Jerramungup
Many important buildings were constructed in Jerramungup in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The town hall and the school were both built in 1958. Two houses were also built that same year. A large wheat bin for storing grain was finished in 1961. The town's first power station was completed in 1963.
What Does Jerramungup Mean?
The name Jerramungup comes from an Aboriginal word. It is believed to mean "place of the tall yate trees." A yate tree (Eucalyptus cornuta) is a type of evergreen tree. It can grow up to 20 meters (66 feet) tall and has orange buds and greenish-yellow flowers. These trees are common in the southwest part of Western Australia.
How the Name Was Recorded
The name was first written down by Surveyor General John Septimus Roe in 1848. He was exploring the area and heard local Aboriginal people call the area and river "Jeer-A-Mung-Up." Roe later named the river the Gairdner River.
The "Root Pickers Hall"
The town hall in Jerramungup opened in April 1958. It has a special nickname: the "Root Pickers Hall." This is because volunteers helped pay for its construction. They did this by picking mallee roots, which could then be sold.
Jerramungup Stone in London
A special type of stone from Jerramungup was used to build the Australian War Memorial in London. This memorial was opened in Hyde Park in 2003. About 200 tonnes (220 tons) of this stone, called Laguna Verde or Laguna Green monzonite, came from Jerramungup. The quarry where the stone was found is about 21 kilometers (13 miles) south of the town.