29-408: Corrigin is a town in the central Wheatbelt region of Western Australia , 229 kilometres (142 mi) east-southeast of the state capital, Perth , Western Australia, along State Route 40. It is mostly a farming community focused on crops and sheep, and holds the world record of "the most dogs in a ute ". The name "Corrigin", of Noongar Aboriginal origin, was first recorded in 1877 relating to
58-459: A number of subdivisions such as the Avon Wheatbelt (AVW), and a further breakdown of Avon Wheatbelt P1 (AW1) and Avon Wheatbelt P2 (AW2), Jarrah Forest , Geraldton Sandplains and Mallee regions. Near the coast, the region receives relatively high rainfall and mild temperatures, and its 150 kilometres (93 mi) of coastline is a significant tourist area. In contrast, the eastern fringe
87-493: A railway siding was built, and named "Dondakin" by railway authorities due to conflict with the name elsewhere. However, after much local protest, the siding was renamed Corrigin and gazetted on 15 May 1914. The railway line from Wickepin, Western Australia opened a month later, and the main office of the local Road Board moved to the town. In 1915, a school was built. In 1932 the Wheat Pool of Western Australia announced that
116-442: A range of climate and economic changes in the region, considerable effort is made by government at all levels to cope with the decline of some communities, and create opportunities for ventures that keep population in the region. Cultural change with population changes in many localities has been identified by local museums and historical societies, including online documentation. Also the literary tradition of writers including
145-543: A town in the south-west of Western Australia called Dwellingup . His father was an industrial arts teacher, and his mother was a teacher-librarian . Educated at the Independent Pioneer Village School, Silvey describes the experience as unusual in that it is located in Armadale's Pioneer Village which is an open-air museum "...in the style of an 1800s gold mining town with an old mine shaft". "It
174-439: A well in the area. The meaning of the name is unknown. Before 1908 Corrigin's only connection with the rest of the state was the railway track that ran to Merredin and it was difficult to get anyone to take up land near the rabbit proof fence . Most of the land was once held by George Walton on a pastoral lease , which he ran from his homestead at Wogerlin rock. The first settlers to the area were Mr A. W. Goyder (the son of
203-404: Is Silvey's most successful novel, selling well (half a million copies), and having won or been shortlisted for several prominent literary awards. A film adaptation of the novel , based on a screenplay written by Silvey and Shaun Grant, was released in 2017. The film was directed by Rachel Perkins and stars Toni Collette , Levi Miller , Aaron McGrath , and Angourie Rice . In 2010, Silvey
232-627: Is an Australian novelist. Silvey has twice been named one of the Best Young Australian Novelists by The Sydney Morning Herald and has been shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award . His 2009 second novel was selected by the American Library Association as Best Fiction for Young Adults in their 2012 list, and was made into the movie Jasper Jones in 2017. Silvey grew up in
261-554: Is now home to around 11% of Australia's critically endangered plants. A number of nationally threatened birds reside in the Wheatbelt, including the endangered Carnaby's black cockatoo and the vulnerable malleefowl . The Wheatbelt encompasses a range of ecosystems and, as a result, there are a range of industries operating in the region. In the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia there are
290-430: Is very arid, and is mainly used for pastoral farming of sheep. Mining of gold , nickel and iron ore also occurs. The remainder of the region is highly suited to agriculture , and is the source of nearly two thirds of the state's wheat production, half of its wool production, and the majority of its lamb and mutton , oranges , honey , cut flowers and a range of other agricultural and pastoral products. With
319-513: The Peel region. Altogether, it has an area of 154,862 square kilometres (59,793 sq mi) (including islands). The region has 42 local government authorities, with an estimated population of 75,000 residents. The Wheatbelt accounts for approximately three per cent of Western Australia's population. The area, once a diverse ecosystem, reduced when clearing began in the 1890s with the removal of plant species such as eucalypt woodlands and mallee ,
SECTION 10
#1733085414389348-510: The Great Southern, Goldfields-Esperance and Mid West regions that are dominantly grain growing areas. There are numerous subdivisions of the Wheatbelt, and in most cases the separation is by local government areas. The Wheatbelt Development Commission (WDC) breaks the region up into five sub-regions with four offices: Most of the Wheatbelt is included in the larger Australia's Golden Outback. Due to their proximity to Perth, however,
377-605: The South Australian Surveyor General), who took up the area on which the town now stands. He was followed by Jack Crossland then by Messrs Gayfer and Jose Bros. In 1909, the Government planned to build a railway from Brookton on the Great Southern Railway to the town of Kunjin , 17 km west of Corrigin. Some time after, a line from Wickepin was also proposed, and the Government decided to locate
406-528: The Wheatbelt region. Six main highways radiating out from Perth serve the Wheatbelt: Brand Highway (north-west to Geraldton ), Great Northern Highway (north-east to Wyndham ), Great Eastern Highway (east to Kalgoorlie ), Great Southern Highway (east to York , then south to Cranbrook ), Brookton Highway (east-south-east to Brookton ), and Albany Highway (south-east to Albany ). A network of main roads connects towns within
435-496: The Wheatbelt to each other, the highways, and neighbouring regions, with local roads providing additional links and access to smaller townsites. Roads are often named after the towns they connect. The following list is the shires listed in the Wheatbelt as designated by the Wheatbelt Development Commission. Some shires in adjoining regions are traditionally considered part of the Wheatbelt – there are shires in
464-401: The crossing point at Corrigin. A storm swept through the area in 1913 lashing the area with hailstones over 30 mm (1 in) in diameter. The town was also deluged with over 89 mm (3.5 in) of rain in a few hours. Standing crops were flattened, fences in low-lying areas were washed away and most of the town was submerged under at least 61 cm (2 ft) of water. In 1913,
493-521: The east of town is Corrigin Rock . About 5 km west of town is the Corrigin dog cemetery, containing over 80 buried dogs. Corrigan, the fictional town in which the 2009 Craig Silvey novel Jasper Jones and the subsequent film are set, derives its name from Corrigin. Wheatbelt (Western Australia) The Wheatbelt is one of nine regions of Western Australia defined as administrative areas for
522-637: The following shires are instead promoted as part of the Destination Perth region. The tourist precincts are included: Finally, the northwestern Shire of Dandaragan is promoted as part of Australia's Coral Coast region due to the presence of the larger seaside towns of Cervantes and Jurien Bay , which developed independently of wheat-growing. The Wheatbelt is separated into other designations at various times as well: 32°S 118°E / 32°S 118°E / -32; 118 Craig Silvey Craig Silvey (born 1 January 1982 )
551-663: The same name, was released in September 2024. He currently lives in Fremantle . Silvey is a musician and outside of writing novels is a singer and songwriter who plays the electric ukulele in The Nancy Sikes!, an indie band. Rhubarb was selected as the inaugural book for the "One Book" series of events at the 2005 Perth International Arts Festival , and was included in the Australian national "Books Alive" campaign. Jasper Jones
580-733: The state's regional development, and a vernacular term for the area converted to agriculture during colonisation. It partially surrounds the Perth metropolitan area , extending north from Perth to the Mid West region, and east to the Goldfields–Esperance region. It is bordered to the south by the South West and Great Southern regions, and to the west by the Indian Ocean , the Perth metropolitan area, and
609-472: The state. The town still had no adequate water scheme, there was no lack of well water but the water drawn was very hard . The wheatbelt was struck by drought for much of 1939 and nearly all of 1940, described at the time as "the worst in the states history" until heavy rains arrived in December of that year. Corrigin received 118 mm (4.63 in) of drought-breaking rain over a couple of days. The town
SECTION 20
#1733085414389638-424: The town would have two grain elevators , each fitted with an engine, installed at the railway siding. The bulk handling facility had been installed by November the following year and the first trial load of wheat was satisfactorily loaded. By 1937 the town boasted a hall that cost £8,000 to build, a large state hotel, commercial buildings, bowling green, tennis course, golf course and one of the best showgrounds in
667-500: The wheatbelt in their writing included: Lesser known writers also have the wheatbelt environment in their writing such as Lilian Wooster Greaves . The Wheatbelt once had an extensive railway system , which transported bulk wheat grain. It has been reduced in part, while the main lines are being supported. Grain is transported on those lines to ports for export from the CBH grain receival points (grain silos ), which are primarily located in
696-621: Was certainly weird", says Silvey. "The girls had straw hats and big white socks, the boys had black cricket-style caps. Other than that it was standard private-school fare. The classes were small and the teachers great." Silvey's secondary education was at the independent Frederick Irwin Anglican School in Mandurah . Rather than going to university, Silvey took on menial labouring and cleaning jobs to support his writing. He published his first novel, Rhubarb , in 2004, after writing it when he
725-440: Was lashed by a violent storm on New Year's Day in 2013. Destructive winds and 60 mm (2 in) of rain tore through over the course of an hour leaving behind fallen powerlines, uprooted trees, sheds torn apart and roofs ripped from homes. Corrigin has a population of 903 and is a key agricultural centre for a district focused mainly on wheat and sheep farming. It is the location of a CBH management zone office, and in 1973
754-681: Was once again named one of The Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelists of the year. Silvey says of his literary influences that "I've always been attracted to Southern Gothic fiction. There's something very warm and generous about those regional American writers like Twain and Lee and Capote , and it seemed to be a literary ilk that would lend itself well to the Australian condition." Australian authors Silvey admires include Shaun Tan , Markus Zusak , Christos Tsiolkas , Tim Winton and Gail Jones who he says "write such distinct, brave and beautiful books that simply render me awestruck". A film, Runt , based on Silvey's novel of
783-633: Was only 19 years old. This novel would place Silvey on The Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelists list in 2005. Silvey's second novel Jasper Jones was completed in early 2008 with the aid of an Australia Council for the Arts New Work Grant. The novel was described as conforming "to the conventions of Australian Gothic, which projects contemporary experience onto … dysfunctional families in small, remote towns.... where young protagonists encounter violence or death, and where outsiders are punished for their difference". Jasper Jones
812-792: Was shortlisted for the 2011 International Dublin Literary Award . The novel was shortlisted for the Michael L. Printz Award in 2012 by the American Library Association . Honeybee won the Fiction prize at the 2021 Indie Book Awards and was shortlisted for the 2021 Literary fiction book of the year at the Australian Book Industry Awards . Runt won the Book of the Year and the Children's prize at
841-464: Was the location of a "type B" wheat bin. It contains a district high school (originally opened 1915 as a primary school), National Australia Bank branch, shopping facilities, accommodation (hotel, motel, caravan park), council offices and a telecentre . Each year, it hosts an agricultural show. The town is a stop on the Transwa bus service to Esperance via Kulin/Hyden. A large rocky outcrop just to
#388611