Dongara, Western Australia

Dongara is a town in Western Australia, 351 km north- west of Perth. It lies on the Brand Highway. The city is located at the mouth of the Irwin River. In recent years, Dongara became known as " the capital of the Australian rock lobster " (Latin Jasus edwardsii ).

Dongara is the seat of the Shire of Irwin. Shire live about 3500 people, including 2343 in Dongara and Port Denison.

History

The name " Dongara " is the English version of " Thung - arra ," the name of the local watts Andee - people for the areas adjacent to the city estuaries. " Thung - arra " means something like " Sea Lions Square ".

The European colonization of the area around the estuary began in 1853, when the port commander Edward Downes was stationed there, to look for passing ships out. He was employed by the Cattle Company, which built 15 km inland large pastoral stations. In the 1860s, ex-prisoners took the local river levels can claim and worked as farmers. A newly built mill ( Irwin and Smith 's Mill ) was already running. In 1871 it became an autonomous region. A police station and a public school were established. In the 1880s, the Anglican Church of St. John the Baptist and Methodist church were built.

The larger mill Royal Steamroller Flour Mill was built in the 1890s, built directly on the new railway line, which connected the region with Perth. The city developed slowly, and although it was relatively small, they owned several shops and churches, a police station, a public school, and even a city hall. The area was settled by small wheat and sheep farmers, who settled for the most part in the hamlets Bookara, Irwin and Strawberry. There were also some fishermen and some Chinese who lived in Port Denison.

Personalities

• David Brand (1912-1979), Prime Minister of Western Australia
• Carmen Lawrence ( born 1948 ), Prime Minister of Western Australia