| Bencubbin Western Australia | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Monger Street, Bencubbin, 2018 | |
  Bencubbin | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 30°48′40″S 117°51′43″E / 30.811°S 117.862°E |
| Population | 203 (SAL 2021)[1] |
| Established | 1917 |
| Postcode(s) | 6477 |
| Elevation | 364 m (1,194 ft) |
| Area | 688 km2 (266 sq mi) |
| Location |
|
| LGA(s) | Shire of Mount Marshall |
| State electorate(s) | Central Wheatbelt |
| Federal division(s) | Durack |
Bencubbin is a town in Western Australia in the north eastern Wheatbelt, 275 km north-east of Perth. The town lies within the Shire of Mount Marshall and is home to approximately 294 people as of 2011.[2] Surveyor General John Septimus Roe first surveyed the region in 1836 and he was followed by sandalwood cutters and stockmen, but it was not until 1908 that the first permanent settlers arrived.[citation needed]
The name "Bencubbin" comes from the Aboriginal word for "place of the snakes" and is now applied to the rock to the north of the town. The aboriginal word is generally spelt "Gnylbencubbing" and is not the rock known as Mount Marshall. Mount Marshall is south-east of Bencubbin, whereas the rock known as Gnylbencubbing is at the northern edge of the township. Mount Marshall is named after Captain Marshall MacDermott, who was the first manager of the Western Australian branch of the Bank of Australasia. These two rocks and Wiacubbing Hill are three of the largest outcrops around Bencubbin.
The name was suggested for the railway station at terminus of the Wyalkatchem to Mount Marshall railway line, by J Hope, the Chief Draftsman, in 1913. The townsite was gazetted later in 1917.[3] The first Bencubbin police station was founded in 1923.
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.[4]
The town supermarket was destroyed by a fire in 2006 which started early in the morning. The fire was brought under control in two hours causing no injuries and causing over A$100,000 damage.[5] The Police Station (staffed by two officers) saw them mobilise and assist to keep the town running. A makeshift store was set up to provide valuable supplies to the community.
The surrounding areas produce wheat and other cereal crops. The town is a receival site for Cooperative Bulk Handling.[6]
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Bencubbin (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ York, Joshua. "mr". qpzm.
- ^ "History of country town names – B". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2007.
- ^ "Country elevators". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 6 July 1932. p. 10. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
- ^ "Fire destroys Bencubbin supermarket". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 31 August 2006. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- ^ "CBH receival sites" (PDF). 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
