Merredin, 260km east of Perth on the route to the goldfields, is famed for its golden grain as a center of Western Australia’s wheat-growing industry.
Although first crossed in 1836 by Western Australia’s Surveyor-General John Septimus Roe, the settlement of Merredin did not develop until the 1890s, stimulated by the first discovery of gold further east at Southern Cross in 1890s, stimulated by the first discovery of gold further east at Southern Cross in 1888.
The availability of fresh water led to the choice of Merredin as a rail center, and the holding dam and water tower which still stand today were constructed when the railway reached Merrdin in 1893.
The Old Railway Station which is a feature of the town today was built in 1920, using pressed bricks salvaged from three original kalgoorlie loop line stations. According to legend, the bricks were made of clay which contained traces of gold which today would be regarded as a mineable grade.
The station has been carefully restored and now houses G117m the locomotive built in 1897 to haul the Kalgoorlie Express, the original merredin signal box and other rail artefacts.
The railway station is the starting point for the Merredin Peak Heritage Trail, an easy half-hour walk viewing the historic buildings in the town and a more strenuous 6km hike around the peak.
Merredin gained its name from the merit trees which grew in the vicinity and were used by the local Aborigines to make spears. A grove of merit trees stands near the center of the town today.
East of the town is Burracoppin Rock, a largest rock outcrop which is a popular picnic spot.
Photo courtesy: drivewa
