Town in Western Australia
| Yornaning Western Australia | |
|---|---|
 Yornaning Dam | |
  Yornaning | |
| Coordinates | 32°45′00″S 117°09′00″E / 32.75000°S 117.15000°E / -32.75000; 117.15000 |
| Population | 49 (SAL 2021) |
| Established | 1907 |
| Postcode(s) | 6311 |
| Area | 114.6 km (44.2 sq mi) |
| Location | |
| LGA(s) | Shire of Cuballing |
| State electorate(s) | Central Wheatbelt |
| Federal division(s) | O'Connor |
Yornaning is a small town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, on Great Southern Highway, between Pingelly and Narrogin.
The surrounding areas produce wheat and other cereal crops. The town is a receival site for Cooperative Bulk Handling.
History
The name is believed to mean "land of many waters" in the local Noongar language and was first recorded as a place name in a survey of the area in 1869; it was previously spelt "Yornanmunging" or "Yernanunging". In the late 1890s, a siding on the Great Southern Railway called simply "Water Tank" was established here, and the name Yornaning was finally arrived at in 1905 after several renamings. A townsite was gazetted adjacent to the siding in 1907, and maintenance workers for the railway were encouraged to move there. The siding was important as a major water-taking stop for the steam engines passing through – an average of 30 passenger and freight trains passed through per week.
The Yornaning Hall, a wooden building, was opened in 1912 by the Minister of Agriculture. A dam had been constructed sometime prior to 1912 and had filled with a reasonable amount of water, so much so that the Fish Acclimatisation Society were considering stocking it with fish. In 1923 a young man named William Johnstone drowned in the dam.
The railway's decline brought an end to the town's progress and all that remains today is the wheat silo, community hall and one or two buildings.
In 1993, the Shire of Cuballing obtained the area on which the Yornaning Dam sits, and upgraded it for recreational use. There is a 1.5 kilometre (almost 1 mi) walk trail around the water area, as well as picnic and barbecue facilities.
References
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Yornaning (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- "CBH receival sites" (PDF). 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
- "History of country town names – Y". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2007.
- "Cuballing Notes". Sunday Times. Perth, Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 7 July 1912. p. 27. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
- "Cuballing notes". Sunday Times. Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 21 July 1912. p. 27. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
- "Family Notices". Western Mail. Perth, Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 22 March 1923. p. 27. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
- Shire of Cuballing. "History – Yornaning". Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2007.