Wyalkatchem, Western Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids WyalkatchemWestern Australia |
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Wyalkatchem Town Hall, 2013
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 Wyalkatchem
Location in Western Australia
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| Established | 1910s |
| Postcode(s) | 6485 |
| Area | 511.4 km2 (197.5 sq mi) |
| Location | |
| LGA(s) | Shire of Wyalkatchem |
| State electorate(s) | Central Wheatbelt |
| Federal Division(s) | Durack |
Wyalkatchem is a small town in the middle of Western Australia's Wheatbelt region. It's about 192 kilometres (119 mi) east-north-east of Perth. In 2021, about 358 people lived there.
Wyalkatchem is known for being a very neat and tidy place! It won the state's 'Tidy Town' award in 2000 and 2002. Then, in 2003, it even won the national 'Tidy Town' award for all of Australia!
Contents
A Look Back in Time
Wyalkatchem gets its name from an Aboriginal word. It was first used for a waterhole in the 1870s. Back then, it was spelled "Walkatching." The meaning of the name is not fully known today.
The town started to grow when a railway line was planned in 1908. Land was set aside for a future town near the "Wyalcatchem" waterhole. The town was officially named Wyalkatchem in 1911.
When the railway from Dowerin opened in February 1911, Wyalkatchem was just a small stop. But it quickly became more important. This was because it was chosen as the starting point for another railway line. This new line went north and then east to the Mount Marshall area.
A small village quickly grew around the railway station. The branch line to Bencubbin opened in 1915. The main line from Dowerin was also extended to Merredin in August 1911.
In 1932, the Wheat Pool of Western Australia decided to build two large grain elevators in the town. These elevators helped store and move grain from local farms.
Discovering Local Wildlife
In 2012, a special event called a "bioblitz" happened near Wyalkatchem. A bioblitz is when scientists and volunteers work together to find and identify as many living things as possible in an area.
About 54 people took part in this event. They found many interesting creatures. These included scorpions, pseudoscorpions (which look like tiny scorpions), isopods, spiders, and centipedes. They even found some species that had never been seen before!
What's in Town?
Wyalkatchem has some interesting old railway barracks. These are buildings where railway workers used to live. The local council now leases them. They are one of the few old railway barracks left in Australia that are still in good shape.
Today, these barracks are used for different things. They offer places to stay during the Dowerin Field Days, which is a big farming event. They are also the main spot for a hang-gliding club.
The area around Wyalkatchem is mainly for farming. Farmers grow a lot of wheat and raise sheep. There is also a large Cooperative Bulk Handling (CBH) point in town. This is where farmers bring their grain to be stored. It can hold almost 120,000 tonnes of grain!
Just outside of town, near Lake Cowcowing, there's a mine. This mine digs up gypsum, which is a mineral used in things like plaster and fertilizer.
Racewars Event
In 2013, Wyalkatchem hosted a cool event called "Racewars." This event brought together 200 competitors and over 3,000 spectators. People watched some of Western Australia's fastest vehicles race. They raced head-to-head and against the clock on a 1500-meter (about 1 mile) airstrip at the Wyalkatchem airport.
The first Racewars event was a big success! Because of this, Wyalkatchem has agreed to host the event for another five years.
Weather in Wyalkatchem
Wyalkatchem has a climate with hot summers and mild winters. Here's a quick look at the weather:
| Climate data for Wyalkatchem | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 44.0 (111.2) |
43.8 (110.8) |
41.1 (106.0) |
38.2 (100.8) |
33.4 (92.1) |
25.4 (77.7) |
24.2 (75.6) |
25.9 (78.6) |
34.4 (93.9) |
39.9 (103.8) |
41.3 (106.3) |
43.6 (110.5) |
44.0 (111.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.9 (93.0) |
33.3 (91.9) |
29.6 (85.3) |
24.4 (75.9) |
20.2 (68.4) |
17.0 (62.6) |
16.0 (60.8) |
16.7 (62.1) |
19.7 (67.5) |
24.3 (75.7) |
28.3 (82.9) |
32.4 (90.3) |
24.6 (76.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.7 (63.9) |
17.9 (64.2) |
15.8 (60.4) |
12.9 (55.2) |
9.5 (49.1) |
8.0 (46.4) |
6.7 (44.1) |
6.1 (43.0) |
7.1 (44.8) |
9.8 (49.6) |
12.6 (54.7) |
15.9 (60.6) |
11.7 (53.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 9.3 (48.7) |
9.0 (48.2) |
5.9 (42.6) |
3.3 (37.9) |
0.9 (33.6) |
0.8 (33.4) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
0.8 (33.4) |
0.7 (33.3) |
3.6 (38.5) |
7.0 (44.6) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 17.2 (0.68) |
16.8 (0.66) |
18.7 (0.74) |
23.1 (0.91) |
41.5 (1.63) |
54.1 (2.13) |
52.9 (2.08) |
40.1 (1.58) |
23.9 (0.94) |
17.1 (0.67) |
11.3 (0.44) |
10.3 (0.41) |
327.8 (12.91) |
| Average precipitation days | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 4.4 | 7.9 | 11.1 | 12.1 | 10.7 | 7.5 | 4.9 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 70.8 |
