Overview
Westonia is named after Alfred Weston, a sandalwood cutter who discovered gold in the area in 1910. Since then, Westonia has experienced the highs and lows of gold mining, with a peak population of around 2,000 in 1917. Today, the Westonia community relies on broad acre agriculture and mining to sustain it.
Westonia is located 312km east of Perth in Western Australia, where the Wheatbelt region meets the Goldfields. The Edna May Gold Mine has opened and closed over the years, but is now operated by Ramelius Resources, with the current phase pouring gold since 2010 and focusing on resource development across the region.
Population: 302
Useful Links:
Council – Shire of Westonia
Facilities
From recreational facilities to local eateries, Westonia provides everything you need to settle in to quality country life.
The Shire Office on Wolfram Street is open Monday to Friday, and operates a fully-equipped gym free for residents in or near Westonia. The gym is located inside the Westonia Recreation Complex.
The Westonia Community Resource Centre provides a range of facilities including internet access, tourist information, printing and much more.
Westonia is serviced by the visiting Royal Flying Doctor Service on a six-weekly cycle. A Southern Inland Health Initiative Nurse Practitioner also services the shire on a weekly basis, consulting at the Shire of Westonia Doctor’s Surgery.
Westonia has an unsealed Airstrip located near the town, which is regularly used by the visiting Royal Flying Doctor Service and others.
Recreation facilities include a complex, oval, playground and skatepark, Wanderers Stadium, tennis courts, a golf course and two historic public halls.
Westonia Memorial Swimming Pool is located in Diorite Street and is open from early November to late March every Summer season.
The Shire of Westonia Library stocks a wide range of resources, which is primarily stocked by the State Library of Western Australia.
A bus travels daily to St Mary’s school in Merredin, which caters to students from Pre-Kindergarten (3 years old) to Year 6.
A bus travels daily to Merredin College, which caters to students from Kindergarten through to Year 12.
The closest TAFE campus to Westonia is Merredin, in the Central Wheatbelt.
Located all on Wolfram Street are the Westonia Community Cooperative, post office and bank.
Westonia Tavern and Motel offers full bar facilities as well as dine in and takeaway meals. All rooms have reverse cycle air conditioning, tea/coffee making facilities, fridge, microwave and TV. Carrabin Hotel, Motel and Roadhouse is located on Great Eastern Highway, 9km south of Westonia and provides full bar facilities as well as fuel.
Activities
Westonia is surrounded by beautiful nature reserves to explore, including the lookout to the Edna May Gold Mine.
Sporting facilities to suit a range of activity levels are abundant and freely available for enjoyment.
The Westonia Gallery and Café showcases unique art from locals, pairing perfectly with the barista style coffee on offer.
Chiddarcopping Reserve covers 5262ha, just 50km north of Westonia with abundant and unique flora and fauna; or visit Elachbutting Rock, a giant wave shaped formation and 40m rock tunnel you can walk through, situated 100km from Westonia; while Sandford Rocks Nature Reserve is 10km north-east of Westonia with amazing granite outcrop and seasonal wildflowers. Silver Mallee and Purple Peacock Beetles are thought to exist only on the granite outcrops in this reserve. Try your luck at locating many species of birds from the newly constructed bird hide located on the walk trail, on the edge of the ephemeral rock pool.
The Westonia Hood Penn Museum contains a large historical collection from the Hood-Penn family and houses a vibrating mine tunnel that aims to replicate life in an early Westonian gold mine.
Just outside the entrance to the caravan park you will find the start of the Woodlands and Wildflowers Heritage Trail. This 4km walk trail will take you through the Westonia Common woodland and back to town past historic points of interest. The Westonia Common is 5600ha of salmon gum, morrell and gimlet woodlands and has many places worth exploring. Boodalin Soak is located 6km west of town in the Common and has great historical value as a stopping place for travellers from York to Kalgoorlie. Baladjie Rock is a popular camping and picnic sport on the Southern edge of the Baladjie salt lake system. Yanneymooning Reserve is located on the corner of Elachbutting and Echo Valley Roads and is a 512ha reserve comprising of granite rock formations and bushland.
Visitors to the Edna May Operations mine lookout experience a box seat view of the gold mining operation. The lookout is located just off Warrachuppin Road on the northern edge of the townsite and provides great views of an operating open pit gold mine.
Joan’s Leap is an uncovered mine shaft of approximately 200ft in depth. As the story goes, a young schoolgirl named Joan was running along and decided to jump over the mine shaft. She landed on the other side; hence the shaft became known as Joan’s Leap.
Westonia’s War Memorial Room can be found inside the Old Miners Hall on Wolfram Street, which holds the WWI Roll of Honour and WWII Roll of Honour.
Events
Join in on the fun in town by checking out a local Westonian event.
Wessy on the Green (25 April): Markets, food vans, cricket, bands on the back of a truck and much more.
The WA Hang Gliding Championships (annually): Hosted by the Goldfields Dust Devils, the annual championships at Westonia occur during February or March, and are open to all HGFA registered pilots.
Wildflower season (August to October): every year you can revel in the seas of everlastings, orchids, flowering trees and shrubs putting on a magnificent show.
Current Job Vacancies
There are currently no vacancies.