Watheroo, Western Australia

Watheroo is a small town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. There are 181 residents, according to the 2016 census.

Watheroo
Western Australia
Watheroo Hall, 2013.
Watheroo
Coordinates30°17′52.4702″S 116°03′31.4046″E
Population181 (2016 census)[1]
Established1907
Postcode(s)6513
Elevation263 m (863 ft)
Location
  • 214 km (133 mi) north of Perth
  • 38 km (24 mi) north of Moora
  • 98 km (61 mi) east of Jurien Bay
LGA(s)Shire of Moora
State electorate(s)Moore
Federal Division(s)Durack

History

Land in the area was settled by James Oliver in 1851, the area was surveyed in 1871 and the name Watheroo was charted for the first time. Watheroo is a thriving farming Wheatbelt town, farming livestock and grain. The town was an original station on the Midland Railway Company railway line to Walkaway. The townsite was gazetted in 1907.[2]

Railway

Following flooding along the Moore River in 1907, the railway lines between Watheroo and Moora were closed for some time when parts of the track were washed away.[3] Rail services were again affected in 1917 when 1.7 inches (43 mm) of rain fell in three hours causing more flooding, washways and the railyard in town to be submerged.[4]

Etymology

The name is Indigenous Australian in origin and was the name of a nearby spring. The word Watheroo is derived from the word wardo which means little bird or more specifically the willy wagtail or from the word wardoro which means water.[5]

Climate
Climate data for Watheroo (1918-1959)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 33.9
(93.0)		 33.8
(92.8)		 31.0
(87.8)		 26.5
(79.7)		 21.3
(70.3)		 18.1
(64.6)		 17.2
(63.0)		 18.3
(64.9)		 21.1
(70.0)		 23.7
(74.7)		 28.1
(82.6)		 31.5
(88.7)		 25.4
(77.7)
Average low °C (°F) 15.9
(60.6)		 16.3
(61.3)		 14.8
(58.6)		 11.4
(52.5)		 8.0
(46.4)		 6.2
(43.2)		 5.0
(41.0)		 5.4
(41.7)		 6.5
(43.7)		 8.0
(46.4)		 11.2
(52.2)		 13.8
(56.8)		 10.2
(50.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 9.4
(0.37)		 16.9
(0.67)		 22.1
(0.87)		 23.4
(0.92)		 58.8
(2.31)		 84.6
(3.33)		 78.4
(3.09)		 54.6
(2.15)		 30.1
(1.19)		 20.8
(0.82)		 9.4
(0.37)		 9.3
(0.37)		 417.2
(16.43)
Source: [6]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Watheroo (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  2. Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of country town names – W". Retrieved 17 October 2008.
  3. "A town under water". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 3 August 1907. p. 10. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  4. "The Midland Line". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 6 August 1917. p. 6. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  5. "Shire of Moora – Watheroo". 2006. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
  6. "Climate statistics for Watheroo". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 13 July 2014.

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