Tammin
Tammin townsite
Tammin is located in the central agricultural region, 184 kilometres (114 mi) east of Perth, Western Australia and midway between the towns of Cunderdin and Kellerberrin on the Great Eastern Highway.
History
The first European to settle in the area was John Packham in 1893. The railway to Southern Cross was constructed through the area in 1894-95, and Tammin was one of the original stations when the line opened in 1895. As the surrounding area developed for agriculture, there was sufficient demand for land in the area for the government to declare a townsite, and Tammin townsite was gazetted in 1899.
Tammin is an Aboriginal name derived from the nearby Tammin Rock, a name first recorded by the explorer Charles Cooke Hunt in 1864. The rock possibly derives its name from the “Tammar”, the Aboriginal name of the “Black Gloved Wallaby” which was once found in this area. Another source records it as possibly meaning “a grandmother or a grandfather”. It also serves as a stop on the Prospector and Avonlink rural train services.
Shire of Tammin
Tammin Hall
Shire of Tammin is a Local Government Area located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. Its seat of government is the town ofTammin, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of Merredin and about 180 kilometres (112 mi) east of Perth, the state capital. Originally the area was governed by the Meckering Road Board (now the neighbouring Shire of Cunderdin). In 1948, the Tammin Road Board was gazetted, and on 1 July 1961, it became a Shire Council following changes to the Local Government Act.
Wards
The shire has never had wards, and all 6 councillors sit at large. The Shire President is elected from amongst the councillors.
Hunts Well
Hunts Well is a historical site located a few kilometres south of Tammin. It was once used as a watering point for prospectors and others en route to the Goldfields. It is worth stopping to see this important part of the state’s history whilst out viewing the regions wildflowers. The well is named after explorer Charles Cooke Hunt (1833 to 1868) who passed by the area a number of times on his explorations out from York. Wells and dams such as Hunts Well can be found intermittently along the routes he travelled.
Hunts Well
Most of the wells have fallen into disrepair. However, Hunts Well and nearby Tammin Tank have been restored by the local community to reflect their original appearance. It is a pleasant spot to stop for a picnic utilising the tables provided. Tammin is a three hour drive north east of Perth.
Tammin Hydrology Model and Amphitheatre – Kadjininy Kep
Kadjininy Kep was officially opened in April 2005 – a project that features an interactive working Hydrology Model depicting a typical wheatbelt landscape showing how farming land is being lost to salinity and offering some long term solutions. The 500 seat amphitheatre is used for numerous local artistic and cultural events. Shady grassed areas with barbeque facilities are also available for day trips or when passing through.
Charles Gardner Nature Reserve
This 799 hectare reserve is just 15 km south of Tammin and is popular during winter and spring when the reserve is ablaze with a variety of wildflowers, some of which are not found anywhere else in Western Australia. Charles Gardner Nature Reserve was classified as an ‘A’ class conservation reserve in 1958 and is a floristically diverse nature reserve of value both botanically and historically. A district herbarium is established in the old railway station, enabling tourists and landcare groups to identify local flora and assist in collection of seeds of endangered species. Named after Charles Gardner, who was Western Australia’s Government Botanist from 1929 to 1950. Gardner contribution included defining the plant regions of the state and his 1935 ‘West Australian Wildflowers’ (West Australian Newspapers Ltd) an extremely popular publication, going through several revisions and is still in print as ‘Wildflowers of Western Australia’. Over his 50 years, collecting, identifying and naming plants, he described eight new genera and about 200 new species. As well as his publications, his greatest legacy is his plant specimens, estimated to be between 9,000 to 10,000, which form the Western Australian Herbarium.
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