Published on Friday, 13 May 2022 at 8:40:29 AM
Mullewa Township – 150 years a town, 50,000 + years of culture
Mullewa – the name is believed to mean ‘Swan’ based on the Mullewa Spring, or accepted as the ‘place of fog’ from the word Mooloowa in Wajarri language. The area is part of the Southern Yamatji group which extends from Mount Magnet towards Gascoyne River.
Evidence of Aboriginal cultural artefacts in this region date back to more than 50,000 years prior to the European Settlement. In mid to late 1800’s, the town developed large buildings and infrastructure as land became more viable for pastoral farming.
Through the establishment of the Aboriginal reserve in the Town’s north east, a greater challenge became prevalent for the Indigenous population to access water holes; often requiring an arduous journey from the outskirts of the town.
By 1894, a railway line was laid to reach Mullewa from Geraldton, an east-ward movement en-route to the Murchison Goldfields.
It wasn’t until the 1920’s however that the town saw an increase in population due to the resettlement of returning soldiers, soon to decline again due to those serving in Second Wold War.
Today, inhabitants of the town continue to engage with agriculture, and mining nearby. Tourism has developed through greater interest shown in the wildflower season of the Mid-west.
Caption by Naz Bairaghi
Image #P 11324
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