Dandaragan West Australia

Dandaragan The District That Has It All

Dandaragan is within easy reach of Perth and can be visited in a day. However, longer stays are also recommended, as there is so much to see and do.

Dandaragan is Diversity. A visit to this Shire is a must for everybody – whether they be old or young, ‘cool’ or old-fashioned, fishermen, ‘boaties’, gentle swimmers and paddlers, surfers, snorkelers, divers, windsurfers, bush walkers, nature lovers or sight-seers.

Dandaragan offers the visitor almost everything – ranging from fabulous farming scenery, national parks [native flora and fauna, extensive inland and ocean views], bush walks, unique Australian wildflowers, an emu farm and historical buildings, to aquatic playgrounds for pastimes such as swimming and snorkelling during the summer months, and fantastic all year-round fishing, skin-diving and windsurfing. It has something for everyone and for people of all ages, and the good news is that there is an excellent network of roads for both conventional and 4-wheel drive vehicles.
The weather is temperate, the climate Mediterranean.
The summer months – December, January and February – are hot and maximum temperatures can reach 40? Celsius.
Rainfall in the district ranges from 600 mm in the coastal areas to 350 mm in the inland area in the winter months – June, July and August – when the temperatures drop considerably.

The very isolation of Australia has led to the development of a unique indigenous flora, and Dandaragan, situated in the Central Midlands Area of Western Australia, has a wonderful array of wildflowers.
The best places to view them are the undeveloped areas where no clearing has been carried out for farming and other purposes.
To this end a number of national parks have been set aside to encourage the preservation of these, the native animals and birds, and the natural beauty of the landscape.

The time of the year when the wildflowers are at their best is between September and October when the temperatures rise with the advent of spring but the soil is still damp from the winter rains.
Please note that it is recommended if venturing into the parks on foot that visitors use insect repellent to avoid the kangaroo ticks which are prevalent.

Organised wildflower tours are also available from Perth.
For details/bookings regarding these visit the West Australian Tourist Bureau at the Perth Visitors’ Centre, Forrest Place, Perth or browse their web site at
www.westernaustralia.net.
Contact can also be made by phone on 1300 361 351 or by email at
welcome@tourism.wa.gov.au.

Places to Visit in the Dandaragan Region.

Regan’s Ford

Regan’s Ford is a pleasant, shady picnic spot on the bank of the Moore River about 200 metres from the Brand Highway, adjacent to the Regan’s Ford Bridge. It is the site of the an old stone crossing which was constructed in 1876 for Walter Padbury, an early settler who had taken up land further north in the early 1850s.

Padbury needed an all-weather crossing so that his bullock teams could carry produce from his property, ‘Yathroo’, south to market and return with stores and other needs. Edward Regan who lived on the nearby property, ‘Happy Valley’, built it with the help of a group of local Aborigines.

In spite of the success of this ford there were times when the winter flooding was such that the river was still impassable to smaller traffic, and even after it was bituminised in later years. This was finally rectified in 1959 with the construction of the modern Regan’s Ford Bridge.

Moore River

This river was named after George Fletcher Moore, Swan River settler, explorer, foundation member of the colony’s Legislative Council in 1832, and later, its Advocate-General. He visited the area in 1836 during an exploratory search for pasture, but pronounced it too far from the Swan River Colony for development at that time.

According to a legend belonging to the Yuat [Aboriginal] tribal group: In the creation time, the earth was flat and featureless. WAKAL, the water serpent rose up from the earth and began his long journey from the north. He came down through Watheroo and Moora, carving out the bed of the river as he went.

On his back he carried fish, water snakes, gilgies, turtles and all the creatures of the river. When WAKAL got to MOGUMBER he turned sharply west, gouging out deep holes which today are the deepest pools in the river, which the Nyungars call ‘MUR’ and the white people call the ‘Moore’.

Cataby

Cataby is a very small township on the Brand Highway about 32 kilometres north of Regan’s Ford and 160 kilometres north of Perth. It was originally known as West Dandaragan. Mineral sands mining began here in 1989.
It is a convenient refreshment stop. There are two roadhouses – the Ampol Roadhouse, which is open 24 hours a day and the BP Roadhouse, two kilometres further north and adjacent to the Cataby Hotel. Both roadhouses provide a range of facilities [including food items, refreshments, fuel, etc] and picnic areas for visitors.

The hotel has unit-style accommodation for up to 30 people and meals can be ordered from the roadhouse next door.

Cataby Ampol Roadhouse: [08] 9651 2024
BP Roadhouse : [08] 9651 2010
Cataby Hotel [reservations]: [08] 9651 2012

Dandaragan Township

Situated 20 kilometres east of Cataby, 33km west of Moora, 160km north of Perth CBD

The name comes from Dandara Spring, which was so named in 1849 by another explorer, Augustus Charles Gregory. It is the regional centre of the district and the seat of the Dandaragan Shire Council. This is an excellent example of a small Western Australian country town and it has several interesting historic buildings which are worthy of a visit.

St Anne’s Church,
Moora-Caro Road, Dandaragan [south of township]

This charming Anglican church, constructed between 1885 and 1887, was named after May Anne Nairn, mother of Walter Padbury’s wife, Charlotte. There is also an early well-site nearby.

The church has an interesting Gothic arch for its entry and is constructed of local soap stone which came from ‘Kayanaba’, a nearby property. This stone was soft when first quarried, so the blocks could be easily sawn into shape. Hardening occurred after contact with the air.
The building was opened as a church and school in 1888 and used for social gatherings and then, after 1890, for the Dandaragan Road Board meetings. Four extra rooms were added on at the rear circa 1900 to provide suitable accommodation for the teacher. Classes were held there until 1948 when it was condemned for use as a school. A transportable building was subsequently erected and used until a permanent school was constructed in 1952. Open to visitors.

Dandaragan Post and Telegraph Office and Quarters,
Moora-Caro Road

This very attractive building is also made from local stone and was designed by the famous architect George Temple Pool who was also responsible for some of Perth’s prominent buildings including the Central Railway Station. The Post Office opened for business in 1896 and in 1911 the Dandaragan telephone exchange was installed there. It is no longer open to the public and can only be viewed from the road.

Shire CRC, Dandaragan Road, Dandaragan
A much more modern building in the town is the Shire Office and Chambers. The Dandaragan area was part of the Victoria Plains Road Board District from 1871 to 1890 when the Dandaragan Road Board was formed. In 1961 it became a shire under a new Local Government Act of 1961.

This building, an excellent example of the architecture of its day, was opened on 22 June 1961 by the Minister for Local Government, LA Logan.

Old Road Board Secretary’s Residence, Moora-Caro Road, Dandaragan

Built of corrugated iron [and now in use as a sports’ storeroom at the Dandaragan Primary School], this building was the Road Board Secretary’s residence in the 1920s. It was originally situated on the other side of the road and was moved to its present location by the school’s P & C Association in 1959. Access to the public is restricted.

Wolba Cottage or Aggie’s Cottage, ‘Wolba Wolba’, Badgingara Road, Dandaragan

Now owned by the Shire, Aggie’s Cottage is used by local historical and craft groups. This brick, stone and iron cottage was erected around 1871 on land which was originally taken up by Thomas Jones. The surrounding area also became an important campsite during World War II when the army carried out extensive training exercises in the district.

Dandaragan Cemetery, Moora-Caro Road, Dandaragan [north of the township]

This site was laid out for burial purposes in the 1890s and is still in use. The entry gates [and brick pillars] and a number of the early graves are still visible. Many of these graves have iron railings and those headstones which are still legible, make interesting reading for the historically-minded tourist. Open to visitors.

Dandaragan Roman Catholic Cemetery, Dandaragan Road, Dandaragan
This cemetery is situated two kilometres south of the town on the west side of Dandaragan Road. It was set aside for use on 23 July 1860 but the first known burial was not until the 1890s when a group of locals erected a fence and the cemetery was officially opened. The date 26.6.1890 can be seen on one of the old posts. The cemetery was closed after the last burial took place on 10 April 1927. Only four headstones and a few timber crosses remain. It is open to visitors.

Bidgerabbie Estate Vineyard, Rowes Road, Dandaragan
This vineyard, which is run by JAV Brown and Sons, is situated 17 kilometres south-east of the Dandaragan township. This traditional wheat and wool property was taken up by Jack Brown in 1919 and the vines were planted in 1994 by his descendants.
Bidgerabbie Estate Vineyard produces a selection of white wines, Touriga [made from a Spanish-style grape] and a tawney port. Cellar sales are by appointment only. Phone [08] 9651 3027.

Redgum Village

Dandaragan Redgum Village in the township of Dandaragan and the Shire of Dandaragan West Australia.
165 km from the Perth CBD, 260 km from Geraldton, 19 km from Cataby and 33km from Moora “the heart of the Central Midlands”.

Informative Document on Dandaragan Shire Here

Dandaragan is a small town of around 200 people which can fluctuate to 295 if the Redgum Village was at capacity.
Entry to the Dandaragan Redgum Village from the southern end is via the first driveway on your left after the 60km speed limit, where you will see a sign “Dandaragan Accommodation Redgum Village”.
Built primarily for the working crews whom have projects in the Dandaragan Moora Region. Travellers, families or even wedding guests are also common guests here.
Work or pleasure, Dandaragan Redgum Village will supply the style of accommodation and meals package to suit your needs.

Make the most of our Function Room / Restaurant for a variety of occasions including

- Corporate Events and Team Building Activities
- Private Function
- Tool-box Meeting
- Conference and Seminars
- Mini Expo and Presentations
- Wedding and Celebration Events