Yeerakine Rock facts for kids
Yeerakine Rock is a huge granite rock formation. You can find it about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) south of Kondinin. It's also about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) northwest of Kulin. This special rock is located in the central Wheatbelt area of Western Australia. It's a great spot for families to visit and explore.
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Discovering Yeerakine Rock
Yeerakine Rock is a popular place for visitors. It has a parking area, so it's easy to get to. You can enjoy a picnic there with tables and barbeques. There are also walking trails with signs that tell you interesting facts. The rock is not too hard to climb. From the top, you get amazing views of the flat lands around it.
A Look Back in Time
The first European person to visit Yeerakine Rock was a surveyor named John Septimus Roe. He camped there in 1848. Mr. Roe used the water he found at the site. He also planned the next part of his journey from the very top of the rock. Later, when people started settling in the area, the rock was part of a large farm. This farm was owned by Michael Brown of Jitarning.
Water for the Town
In 1926, a special system was built on the rock. It was made to collect water for the town of Kondinin. This system was like a big dam on the rock. There was a pump-house near the top of the rock. This pump-house would pump water out of the dam. The water then went into another storage tank. From that tank, the water flowed downhill to the town. This is called being gravity-fed. Some nearby farms also got water this way.
Remembering Heroes
A special statue is placed on Yeerakine Rock. It's a silhouette, which means it's a flat shape that looks like a shadow. This statue honors the Light Horse Brigade. It was put there to remember 100 years since the Anzac landings. Every year on Anzac Day, people gather at dawn. They hold services at the rock. This is to honor the brave members of the Light Horse Brigade from the local area. These soldiers did not come back home from the First World War.
Plants and Flowers
Around Yeerakine Rock, you can find many beautiful plants. In spring, you might see colorful donkey orchids. There are also interesting spider orchids. Other plants include the granite honey-myrtle and the tall york gum trees. You can also spot the raspberry jam wattle. Its branches look a bit like raspberry jam. The one-sided bottlebrush has unique flowers. The black toothbrush grevillea and teatree also grow here.
