Cunderdin is a town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia 156 km east of Perth, along the Great Eastern Highway. Due to it being on the route of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme it is also on the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail. The meaning of the name is thought to mean either "place of the bandicoot" or "place of flowers" (Shire of Cunderdin, 2014). Significantly in 1894 the railway arrived signalling the earliest settlement in the town (Shire of Cunderdin, 2014). The townsite was gazetted in 1906.

In 1932 the Wheat Pool of Western Australia announced that the town would have two grain elevators, each fitted with an engine, installed at the railway siding. An elevator was duly erected the following year next to the Westralian Farmers grain-shed.

In late 1933 the local tennis courts were first opened in front of a crowd of about 100 players, a tournament was held the same afternoon. The local hospital also had an X-ray plant installed and commissioned a week later.

Education

Cunderdin Agricultural College

Cunderdin Agricultural College is formally known as the Western Australian College of Agriculture Cunderdin- WACoA (Western Australian College of Agriculture Cunderdin, 2015). According to the Department of Education the college has well-maintained facilities for practical agricultural training, the trade training centre, an academic classroom area, and a residential campus which houses 125-year 11 and 12 students. The Shire of Cunderdin (2014) states The Western Australian College of Agriculture is located 158 km east of Perth and is a part of the wheatbelt region. It is one of the five recognised public agricultural colleges of Western Australia, and Cunderdin was awarded WA Secondary School of the year in 2014 (Department of Education, 2015) This will result in the college farm holding more than 3000 hectares, with the addition of the additional 1000 arable hectares (Department of Regional Development).

Economy

Cunderdin Airstrip

The Cunderdin Airstrip is situated in the middle of the college farm at the Western Australian College of Agriculture and still functions today. (Western Australian College of Agriculture Cunderdin, 2015). In the later stages of the War, the airstrip became known as the No 25 Squadron, which was used for operating Liberator bombers and kept well maintained so it could be of use in later years (RAAF Museum, 2009). In 1941, the airstrip was formally known as the No 9 Elementary Flying Training School and consisted of 34 officers, 500 airmen, and 51 aircraft (Shire of Cunderdin, 2014). It is run, and maintained by the Gliding Club of Western Australia and includes housing for those using it over an extended period of time (Shire of Cunderdin, 2014).

The Golden Pipeline runs through Cunderdin and provides water for the town (Shire of Cunderdin, 2014). WANTFA stands for the Western Australian No-Tillage Farmers Association and is an organisation set up to study and experiment with broad acre cropping systems (WANTFA, 2015). WANTFA was initiated in 1992, and is known to be the largest grower group in Western Australia (WANTFA, 2015). - based in the former Pumping Station Number Three for the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme

  • Cunderdin Hill Lookout – panoramic views of the area
  • Railway Water Tower
  • Cunderdin Golf Course, which is situated next to the Cunderdin Reservoir, itself part of the Goldfields water supply scheme
  • Cunderdin Pool
  • Historic sites of Youndigin and Doodenanning
  • Cunderdin Town Oval
  • Balga
  • Golden Pipeline
  • C Y O'Connor Park

Youndegin

Youndegin is a historic site along the Cunderdin- Quairading road, just 19 km south of Cunderdin town and represents the first settlement in the area (Shire of Cunderdin, 2014). Following the death of E.J. Clarkson, an early settler in the Cunderdin district, the old original police output was constructed from stone and mud with a thatched roof (Shire of Cunderdin, 2014).

Climate

Rail services

Transwa's MerredinLink and Prospector services stop at Cunderdin, at least one service each day.

References

  • Shire of Cunderdin
  • Community Groups of Cunderdin and Meckering