| Carnamah Western Australia | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Macpherson Street, Carnamah, 2012. | |||||||||
  Carnamah | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 29°41′20″S 115°53′13″E / 29.689°S 115.887°E | ||||||||
| Population | 314 (UCL 2021)[1] | ||||||||
| Established | 1913 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 6517 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 273 m (896 ft) | ||||||||
| Area | 1,464.2 km2 (565.3 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Location |
| ||||||||
| LGA(s) | Shire of Carnamah | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Moore | ||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Durack | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Carnamah is a town in the Mid West region of Western Australia, about 307 kilometres (191 mi) north of Perth along the Midlands Road. According to 2021 census, the population of the town is 407.
The town was gazetted in 1913, and is named after "Carnamah", the name of a pastoral property established by Duncan Macpherson in this location in the late 1860s. A telegraph station was established here in 1873, and is referred to in 1876 by the explorer Ernest Giles. Giles spells it "Cornamah" in his book, but "Carnamah" on his map. Macpherson's property "Carnamah" derives its name from Carnamah Spring. The name is probably Aboriginal of unknown meaning, or possibly is a Gaelic word meaning "cairn of the cattle" or "cattle rocks".[3]
The Midland Railway line was constructed through the area in 1894, and a siding was built close to the Macpherson's homestead. This in turn led to further settlement of the area. The Carnamah Progress Association was formed in 1912, and the Carnamah State School was established, and in 1913 the townsite was declared.[4]
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.[5]
The main industry in town is wheat farming, with the town being a Cooperative Bulk Handling receival site.[6]
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Carnamah (urban centre and locality)". Australian Census 2021.
- ^ a b c "Carnamah Climate Statistics (1887-2015)". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ "History of country town names – C". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2007.
- ^ "Carnamah Historical Society – The Early History of Carnamah". 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
- ^ "Country elevators". The West Australian. Perth. 6 July 1932. p. 10. Retrieved 6 April 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "CBH Receival Sites – Contact Details" (PDF). 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
