| ENEABBA WESTERN AUSTRALIA |
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(Information kindly supplied by Olga Tsurikov olga@eneabba.net In 1837 Lieutenant Grey carried out an investigation of the West Coast He was forced to travel by land after he lost his boats and as he passed through Eneabba area he named the Arrowsmith River. The area was settled around 1870 and according to the old story the settlers shepherded, trapped horses, pigs, dingoes and lived on wild game. Private settlers made very little progress in Eneabba until the Government moved in with the War Service Land Settlement Scheme. The Settlers were chosen because they were considered to be knowledgeable in farming and each was given a farm of 3300 acres valued at $42,000 on 1947-48 purchasing power, a two-bedroom house and stock and car allowance. A school was opened in 1960 in the appropriate building - machinery shed. Attendance on the first day was nil. Eneabba is the Aboriginal name of nearby springs. The meaning is said to be "small water" from ena meaning water, and abba meaning small. The spring was known as "Pocket Knife Spring" by the early settlers who told stories of the magical power of a pocketknife dropped in the spring. The place was also known as Windie paying tribute to strong easterly winds from the Slopeland Plateau. Eneabba area was known to contain 70% of the world mineral sands deposits. Mining in the area started in mid-seventies by 5 mining companies. Two of them decided to use the townsite of Eneabba, which was situated closer to their mining leases, two more opted for Leeman on the coast. A great consideration was given to the planning of the town at the time in order to avoid creation of a potential rural slum. The idea was to make a variety of recreational activities available to residents who will be able to mix with people other than their immediate workmates unlike the mining towns of the Northwest. The houses were constructed in Perth and transported to Eneabba, their design considered to be one of the best at that time. Mining and agriculture: Titanium pigment produced from rutile and ilmenite mined in the area valued as one of the most economical and non-toxic white pigments on earth and is used in paints, paper, plastics, toothpaste and cosmetics, titanium alloys in the aircraft airspace industries. Zircon another product is the most common opacifier in ceramics and tiles. Agriculture is another major activity in the area with wool, crops and environmentally clean cattle being the main produce. It became apparent over time that the mining and farming complement each other to make for a very solid little town to be proud of. Nature and Climate: The native vegetation is known as Kwongan, an aboriginal term for low hard scrub. Kwongan heathland of the Eneabba region is extremely diverse and contains many species, which are endemic to the region thus accounting for its being recognized by tourists and botanists as an area of interest and part of the route of the Northern wildflower tours. A few species are known to occur only in this area: Calytrix superba south of Eneabba, Banksia elegans near Lake Indoon, Verticordia affinity nitens in several locations. 41 species are considered to be rare or threatened; the most famous is Hidden Beard Heath ( Leucopogon objectus). CALM maintains records of the plants numbers and locations and each plant is marked with the blue flagging tape and a steel picket. Damage to Declared Rare Flora carries a maximum penalty of $60,000. There are also 25 species of reptiles, 78 species of birds and 10 species of native mammals. One species is considered to be an unusual or rare find ( Sminthopsia or hopping mouse). Blue tongue lizards and mountain horny devils are quite common sight within the town, kangaroos and emus graze on the playground in early hours of the morning, and echidnas can be seen near the Eneabba creek at dawn. Summer temperatures are frequently higher than at neighbouring towns and Eneabba frequently reports the highest temperature in the State during January-February. The World Meteorology Bureau recorded Eneabba as being the hottest place on Earth on one particular day. PLACES OF INTEREST: A lot of places of interest are located within a comfortable driving distance from Eneabba. Some are well known, such as Nambung National Park (Pinnacles), Mt Lesueur National Park, Coal Seam Mine Reserve, Lake Indoon and Yarra Yarra Lake . Others are less known, such as Lake Logue and Beekeepers Nature Reserves. Lake Logue is a chain of lakes fed by Eneabba creek and underground springs. It is a home to flocks of swans and other birds in springtime. Brumbies can still be seen there what¹s left of a thousand head of wild horses roaming in the Eneabba area in the fifties. Beekeepers Reserve was almost totally destroyed in the last year bushfire. Indian Ocean and the expanse of the Eneabba Sandplains can be seen from the top of the Ocean Hill, east of Eneabba. There are number of caves 20 km southwest of Eneabba, created by an underground river system, known as Stockyard Gully Caves. system Couple of them are easily accessible for instance Stockyard Tunnel is 200 m long and requires no gear except for the torch; Stockyard Cave is 800 m long, but slime and mud often coats most of the boulders, making them extremely slippery. Aiyennu Cave can boast a sheer drop of 40 meters and is not open to the public. Unfortunately, none of these places are developed for tourism; they can be accessed by 4-wd only. The sport complex includes a golf course, swimming pool, football/cricket ground, tennis courts and bowling green. The swimming pool is open from November to April and presents a great opportunity to have a refreshing dip while on the long haul from Perth to Geraldton. Dining is available at Sands Tavern and Shell Roadhouse. ACCOMMODATION & SERVICES:  USE ACCOMMODATION SEARCH 2 caravan parks nearby: Western Flora Caravan Park 20 km north on Brand Hwy. Ph: 08 9955 2030 Udale Caravan Park - Three Springs Rd 7 km east of town Ph. 08 9955 1016 Shell Roadhouse - Three Springs Rd (Ph: 08 9955 1183), Currently, Eurest Catering services considers providing accommodation and catering for tourists. INFORMATION CENTRE: Eneabba Tourist Information Western Flora Caravan Park Brand Hwy. Eneabba. WA 6518br> Ph: 08 9955 2030 HOW TO GET THERE: By car along the Brand Hwy. |
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© Copyright Peter W. Wilkins | |