Ajana is a townsite within the Shire of Northampton in Western Australia. It is located at the junction of Ajana-Kalbarri Road and Ajana Back Road, 53 kilometres (33 mi) by road north of Northampton, 61 kilometres (38 mi) by road southwest of Kalbarri, and 531 kilometres (330 mi) west-northwest of Perth in the Mid West region.
| Ajana Western Australia | |
|---|---|
 Warribano Chimney | |
  Ajana | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 27°57′05″S 114°38′16″E / 27.951516°S 114.637724°E |
| Population | 51 (SAL 2021)[1] |
| Established | 1915 |
| Postcode(s) | 6532 |
| Elevation | 202 m (663 ft) |
| Area | 728.2 km2 (281.2 sq mi) |
| Location |
|
| LGA(s) | Shire of Northampton |
| State electorate(s) | Moore |
| Federal division(s) | Durack |
The name Ajana is Aboriginal in origin and is thought to be either the Nanda name for the area or to be derived from a similar word meaning "mine".[2]
History
editAjana was the terminus of an extension to the first government railway line in Western Australia. The line originally ran from Northampton to Geraldton; it was extended to Ajana to encourage the development of lead mining and agriculture in the area.[3] The station opened on 6 January 1913,[4] and the townsite was declared on 26 November 1915.[5] The railway terminated at the No 3 Rabbit Proof Fence, which ran through the townsite.[6]
A telegraph station, built in 1845 at nearby Mount View Station, provided early communications for the town.[7] A post office was established in 1922, and a school was built in the town in 1944.[7] The railway line and Ajana station closed on 29 April 1957.[8][9]
Barrel Well Aboriginal Community
editThe Barrel Well Aboriginal Community is located 3.7 kilometres (2 mi) west-southwest of the Ajana townsite, on Warribanno Chimney Road. It sits on Victoria Location 11991, within the registered Nanda People (WAD6136/98) native title claim area, and has a population of 26, including 10 children.[10]
The community is managed by the Barrel Well Nanda Aboriginal Corporation, a body incorporated under the Aboriginal Councils and Associations Act 1976 on 26 May 1992. The Management Order of Reserve 1457 Victoria Location 11991 Barrel Well was transferred from the Aboriginal Land Trust to the corporation on 28 June 2000.[10]
References
edit- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Ajana (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ "Landgate > History of country town names". landgate.wa.gov.au. Archived from the original on 19 May 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ^ Kennedy, Jane (10 March 2011). "WA's railway heritage breathes new life". ABC Mid West & Wheatbelt. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^ "A new railway". The Daily News. Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 10 March 1913. p. 4. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
- ^ "History of country town names – A". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
- ^ "Townsite of Ajana". Perth, WA: Department of Lands & Surveys. 13 November 1915. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ a b "Morowa Historical Society - Ghost towns of Western Australia" (PDF). 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
- ^ Rails to Ajana Milne, Rod Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, February, 2001 pp. 45–53
- ^ Taylor, Mary; Tower, Alfred; Northampton Friends of the Railway Inc (2008), The first government railway 1879-1957 and beyond: Geraldton-Northampton-Ajana, Mary Taylor, retrieved 26 May 2012
- ^ a b "Barrel Well - Ajana Community Layout Plan Report & Provisions" (PDF). Western Australian Planning Commission. Perth, WA. November 2004. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
