Southern Cross, Western Australia

Last updated

Southern Cross
Western Australia
Southern Cross Community Centre, 2017 (02).jpg
Southern Cross Community Centre
Australia Western Australia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Southern Cross
Southern Cross, Western Australia
Coordinates 31°13′50″S119°19′40″E / 31.23056°S 119.32778°E / -31.23056; 119.32778
Population523 (UCL 2021) [1]
Established1890
Postcode(s) 6426
Elevation355 m (1,165 ft)
Area555.2 km2 (214.4 sq mi)
Location
LGA(s) Shire of Yilgarn
State electorate(s) Central Wheatbelt
Federal division(s) O'Connor
Mean max tempMean min tempAnnual rainfall
25.5 °C
78 °F		10.7 °C
51 °F		294.9 mm
11.6 in

Southern Cross is a town in Western Australia, 371 kilometres (230.5 miles) east of state capital Perth on the Great Eastern Highway. It was founded in 1888 after gold prospectors Richard Greaves and Ted Paine during their October 1887 expedition successfully found gold, [2] [3] and gazetted in 1890. [4] It is the major town and administrative centre of the Shire of Yilgarn. [5] At the 2016 census, Southern Cross had a population of 680. [6]

Contents

The town of Southern Cross is one of the many towns that run along the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme pipeline from Mundaring to Kalgoorlie, engineered by C. Y. O'Connor, [7] and as a consequence is an important location on the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail.

A succession of gold rushes in the Yilgarn region near Southern Cross in 1887, at Coolgardie in 1892, and at Kalgoorlie in 1893 caused a population explosion in the barren and dry desert centre of Western Australia.

It is named after the Southern Cross constellation, and the town's streets are named after constellations and stars. [8] [9] [10]

The surrounding areas produce wheat and other cereal crops. The town is a receival site for Cooperative Bulk Handling. [11]

Southern Cross is in the Federal electorate of O'Connor. [12]

Climate

Climate data for Southern Cross Airfield (1996-2023)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)46.3
(115.3)		46.7
(116.1)		42.6
(108.7)		39.0
(102.2)		34.0
(93.2)		28.6
(83.5)		26.0
(78.8)		31.3
(88.3)		36.8
(98.2)		40.3
(104.5)		44.6
(112.3)		45.7
(114.3)		46.7
(116.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)34.8
(94.6)		34.0
(93.2)		30.6
(87.1)		26.2
(79.2)		21.4
(70.5)		17.9
(64.2)		16.8
(62.2)		18.6
(65.5)		22.0
(71.6)		26.6
(79.9)		30.0
(86.0)		33.1
(91.6)		26.0
(78.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)17.9
(64.2)		17.9
(64.2)		15.5
(59.9)		11.8
(53.2)		7.3
(45.1)		4.6
(40.3)		3.7
(38.7)		4.0
(39.2)		5.7
(42.3)		9.5
(49.1)		13.2
(55.8)		15.8
(60.4)		10.6
(51.0)
Record low °C (°F)8.5
(47.3)		7.5
(45.5)		1.8
(35.2)		1.4
(34.5)		−3.4
(25.9)		−5.0
(23.0)		−4.8
(23.4)		−3.8
(25.2)		−3.2
(26.2)		−1.7
(28.9)		0.7
(33.3)		5.8
(42.4)		−5.0
(23.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches)27.5
(1.08)		26.2
(1.03)		34.5
(1.36)		23.6
(0.93)		27.1
(1.07)		26.7
(1.05)		34.1
(1.34)		31.8
(1.25)		19.7
(0.78)		17.8
(0.70)		17.3
(0.68)		13.9
(0.55)		300.2
(11.82)
Average rainy days (≥ 1 mm)2.42.53.334.15.16.55.642.92.82.144.3
Average afternoon relative humidity (%) (at 3 pm)33.232.329.22520.616.915.617.220.124.83124.524.2
Average dew point °C (°F)5.8
(42.4)		8.0
(46.4)		7.1
(44.8)		7.3
(45.1)		6.6
(43.9)		5.1
(41.2)		4.9
(40.8)		4.1
(39.4)		3.9
(39.0)		2.4
(36.3)		2.5
(36.5)		5.1
(41.2)		5.2
(41.4)
Source: [13] (humidity and dew point at 3pm 1996-2010 [14] )

Railway station

Southern Cross railway station is on the standard gauge railway from Perth to Kalgoorlie. The construction and opening of the line from Perth was completed on 1 May 1967, and the connection to Kalgoorlie via Koolyanobbing was completed by 4 November 1968. [15]

The Prospector and Indian Pacific passenger trains service the town.

Narrow gauge route

The former narrow gauge route of the Eastern Goldfields Railway reached Southern Cross on 1 July 1894, [16] [17] [18] and the Southern Cross to Coolgardie narrow gauge railway (via Boorabbin) was closed 29 November 1971. [19]

In 1932 the Wheat Pool of Western Australia announced that the town would have two grain elevators, each fitted with an engine, installed at the railway siding. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalgoorlie</span> City in Western Australia

Kalgoorlie is a city in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, located 595 km (370 mi) east-northeast of Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway. It is sometimes referred to as Kalgoorlie–Boulder, as the surrounding urban area includes the historic townsite of Boulder and the local government area is the City of Kalgoorlie–Boulder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Anstey</span>

Harry Francis Anstey was a metallurgist and gold prospector who led the prospecting expedition that discovered gold in the Yilgarn, leading to the gold rush that established Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Eastern Highway</span> Highway in Western Australia

Great Eastern Highway is a 590-kilometre-long (370 mi) road that links the Western Australian capital of Perth with the city of Kalgoorlie. A key route for road vehicles accessing the eastern Wheatbelt and the Goldfields, it is the western portion of the main road link between Perth and the eastern states of Australia. The highway forms the majority of National Highway 94, although the alignment through the Perth suburbs of Guildford and Midland, and the eastern section between Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie are not included. Various segments form parts of other road routes, including National Route 1, Alternative National Route 94, and State Route 51.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merredin, Western Australia</span> Town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia

Merredin is a town in Western Australia, located in the central Wheatbelt roughly midway between Perth and Kalgoorlie, on Route 94, Great Eastern Highway. It is located on the route of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, and as a result is also on the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Railway (Western Australia)</span> Railway line in Western Australia

The Eastern Railway is the main railway route between Fremantle and Northam in Western Australia. It opened in stages between 1881 and 1893. The line continues east to Kalgoorlie as the Eastern Goldfields Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coolgardie, Western Australia</span> Town in Western Australia

Coolgardie is a small town in Western Australia, 558 kilometres (347 mi) east of the state capital, Perth. It has a population of approximately 850 people.

<i>The Prospector</i> (train) Passenger train between East Perth and Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

The Prospector is a rural passenger train service in Western Australia operated by Transwa between East Perth and Kalgoorlie. On this service, two trains depart almost at the same time in opposite directions, one travelling between East Perth and Kalgoorlie, and the other between Kalgoorlie and East Perth. The original vehicles ordered in 1968 for trains providing this service were replaced in 2004 with vehicles capable of reducing journey times to 6 hours 45 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doodlakine, Western Australia</span> Town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia

Doodlakine is a town 220 km (140 mi) east of Perth, Western Australia. It is within the Shire of Kellerberrin along the Great Eastern Highway. The town has a crossing loop for trains on the Perth-to-Kalgoorlie railway and serves as a stop on the MerredinLink rural train service.

Yellowdine is a town located 402 kilometres (250 mi) east of Perth, Western Australia on the Great Eastern Highway. The townsite is in the Goldfields-Esperance region, situated in the Shire of Yilgarn.

Koolyanobbing is located 54 km (34 mi) north-northeast of the town of Southern Cross, Western Australia. Iron ore has been mined here since 1948 by a series of companies, with a break between 1983 and 1993. The ore is currently railed to the port at Esperance for export. The current owner and operator of the lease is Mineral Resources Limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Goldfields Railway</span> Railway line in Western Australia

The Eastern Goldfields Railway was built in the 1890s by the Western Australian Government Railways to connect Perth with the Eastern Goldfields at Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mundaring Weir</span> Reservoir in Mundaring, Western Australia

Mundaring Weir is a concrete gravity dam located 39 kilometres (24 mi) from Perth, Western Australia in the Darling Scarp. The dam and reservoir form the boundary between the suburbs of Reservoir and Sawyers Valley. The dam impounds the Helena River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goldfields Water Supply Scheme</span> Pipeline and dam project in Western Australia

The Goldfields Water Supply Scheme is a pipeline and dam project that delivers potable water from Mundaring Weir in Perth to communities in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields, particularly Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie. The project was commissioned in 1896 and completed in 1903.

The Eastern Goldfields is part of the Western Australian Goldfields in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, covering the present and former gold-mining area east of Perth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Westonia</span> Local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia

The Shire of Westonia is a local government area in the eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about 310 kilometres (193 mi) east of Perth, the state capital. Its seat of government is the small town of Westonia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalgoorlie railway station</span> Railway station in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

Kalgoorlie railway station is the easternmost attended station in Western Australia, located at the eastern terminus of the Eastern Goldfields Railway. It serves the city of Kalgoorlie. Beyond Kalgoorlie, the line continues east as the Trans-Australian Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold mining in Western Australia</span>

Gold mining in Western Australia is the third largest commodity sector in Western Australia (WA), behind iron ore and LNG, with a value of A$17 billion in 2021–22. The 6.9 million troy ounces sold during this time period was the highest amount in 20 years and accounted for almost 70 percent of all gold sold in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Australian gold rushes</span> Gold prospecting in Western Australia

In the latter part of the nineteenth century, discoveries of gold at a number of locations in Western Australia caused large influxes of prospectors from overseas and interstate, and classic gold rushes. Significant finds included:

Southern Cross railway station is located on the Eastern Goldfields Railway in Western Australia. It serves the town of Southern Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Australian Government Railway lines and operations centres</span>

Western Australian Government Railways railway system during its peak operational time in the 1930s to 1950s was a large system of over 6,400 kilometres (4,000 mi) of railway line.

References

  1. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Southern Cross (urban centre and locality)". Australian Census 2021.  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. ↑ "WHO DISCOVERED GOLD AT SOUTHERN CROSS?". Western Mail . Vol. XXI, no. 1, 048. Western Australia. 27 January 1906. p. 45. Retrieved 22 January 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  3. ↑ "A PIONEER PROSPECTOR". The West Australian . Vol. XXXII, no. 4, 356. Western Australia. 18 March 1916. p. 8. Retrieved 22 January 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  4. ↑ "History of country town names – S". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  5. ↑ "Shire of Yilgarn, Western Australia". Shire of Yilgarn. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  6. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Southern Cross (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 September 2017. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  7. ↑ "Southern Cross". Heritage Australia. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  8. ↑ "History of country town names – S". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
  9. ↑ "YAS – Information Southern Cross". yilgarn.com.au. 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  10. ↑ "Southern Cross". The Sydney Morning Herald . 8 February 2004. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  11. ↑ "CBH receival sites" (PDF). 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  12. ↑ "Australian Electoral Commission website". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  13. ↑ "Summary statistics SOUTHERN CROSS AIRFIELD (Site number: 012320)". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Commonwealth of Australia , Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  14. ↑ "Summary statistics SOUTHERN CROSS AIRFIELD (Site number: 012320)" (CSV). Commonwealth of Australia , Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  15. ↑ Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R; Australian Railway Historical Society. New South Wales Division (2000). Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000. Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division. p. 63. ISBN   978-0-909650-49-0.
  16. ↑ Milne, Rod Wheat, Gold and Humming Birds: Southern Cross in Diesel Days Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, December, 2001 pp443-449
  17. ↑ Searle, M. J (January 1983). "The Eastern and Eastern Goldfields Railways [Series of parts] Part 1: construction and opening". RIM: Western Australian Railways Institute Magazine. 80 (Jan 1983): 3–8. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  18. ↑ Searle, M. J (February 1983). "The Eastern and Eastern Goldfields Railways [Series of parts] Part 2. – Constructions of extensions-". RIM: Western Australian Railways Institute Magazine. 80 (Feb 1983): 2–3, 5–6. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  19. ↑ page 67 Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R; Australian Railway Historical Society. New South Wales Division (2000). Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000. Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division. ISBN   978-0-909650-49-0.
  20. ↑ "Country elevators". The West Australian . Perth: National Library of Australia. 6 July 1932. p. 10. Retrieved 6 April 2013.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Southern Cross, Western Australia at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.