DUDININ

DESCRIPTION

 

There are a lot of very small towns in W.A. that aren't covered in this guide and the main reason for that is the lack of information about them.

 

I have to admit that I had never heard of Dudinin and had no idea where it was until I discovered a book on the town in the Narrogin library.

 

The town lies south east of Wickepin and is well off the beaten track in the Shire of Kulin.

 

It developed, as did many towns, as a result of the construction of the railways. The name is Aboriginal in origin and is said to mean 'place of much water.' A little hard to imagine in the dry central wheat belt.

 

Today the town a just a shadow of its former self. Children no longer play in the school yard and the only time the town really seems to come to life is during the wheat harvest, when trucks and trains make their way to and from the silos.

 

There is a small rather basic caravan facility in town with toilets but no sign of showers or power.

 

HISTORY

 

The town site was surveyed in 1914 and gazetted a year later.

 

A railway dam was constructed in 1912 and the railway opened on March the 16th 1915.

 

In 1919 the Wogalin School building and hall were relocated to Dudinin and b 1921 the town was expanding.

 

The Great Depression and World War Two took their toll on the town's development and it was 1953 before a church was constructed.

 

Dudinin is one of those country towns that has taken a long time to get good basic services. Scheme water didn't arrive until 1970 and it wasn't until 1973 that the town's electricity was supplied by the S.E.C. Automated telephone services finally arrived in 1979.

 

Dudinin's fate is the same as many small towns. In the early days there was a great deal more social activity and there were more people needed to work the land. With modern farming techniques and better transportation people began to drift to larger centres and gradually services (like the local school that closed in 1973) were withdrawn from the town.

 

In 2002 the Dudinin Action Group was formed to try and help further the development of the town but the population has continued to decline and by 2012 even the Country Women's Association (always a mainstay of country towns) ceased its monthly meetings.

 

TALL TALES AND TRUE

 

Sailors not welcome!

 

In the early days there was no store in town with a license to supply alcohol, but an enterprising gent operated a 'sly grog shop' out of his house in the main street.

 

This was well patronised by the locals but one day a stranger arrived in town claiming to be a sailor taking a holiday. He spent some time chatting with locals and looking around town and it wasn't long before the police arrived and the 'sly grog shop' was out of business.

 

The locals were none too pleased at this, and from then on, strangers in town were viewed with quite some suspicion.

 

When another 'sailor' was heard to be staying with a local family he was bailed up by some locals who insisted he prove his credentials. Happily for him he was able to do so and avoided being run out of town.

 

MAP

 

 

VIDEO

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OTHER INFORMATION

 

ATTRACTIONS

 

Unknown.

 

BUILDINGS OF NOTE

 

Unknown.

 

ELECTORAL ZONES

 

State : Wagin

Federal : O'Connor

 

OTHER INFO.

 

Postcode : 6365

Local Government : Shire of Kulin

 

PHOTOS

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