(C) Don Copley

MUKINBUDIN

HEMA Map reference 74/A7

30° 55' 00" S 118° 12' 31" E

Statistics

Caravan Parks

Mukinbudin             08 9047 1103

Services

Attractions

Many granite rock outcrops. Wildflowers in season, Mangowine homestead,   Yanneymooning Hill, Quanta Cutting Reserve, Weira Reserve, Pioneer Botanical Walk, Wattoning Historical Site, Lloyd George Grain Silo.

Buildings of note

Unknown

Calendar of events

September, Spring Festival, Mangowine Concert.

Description

The first European explorer through this area was than man ‘Roe’ again. He led an expedition in 1836 that reached a point overlooking the current shire but got no further east due to a lack of provisions. It was usual for explorers to set off in the cooler months (May-August) to ensure adequate fodder and water but Roe had decided on this occasion to head off in October and continued in to November.

Next came the Gregory brothers in 1846 (trained by Roe) who described the area as: ‘seventy miles of barren waste.’ This expedition was followed in 1854 by R. Austin who was similarly unimpressed by what he saw. 1864 saw Clarkson, Harper and Lukin who reported their journey as being unsuccessful.

Despite the gloomy reports about the area the first pastoral leases were taken up in 1867. Clarkson and Lukin were to take up leases and expand them over time even though their original reports has been less than enthusiastic.

Settlement increased in the 1870s with a series of huge sheep runs averaging over 20,000 acres each. By 1910 wheat was also being grown in the district.

Settlers in the area proposed the name Barlbarin but they changed their minds and then wanted Muckenbooding. This was shortened to its current form and was gazetted in 1922

The name Muckenbooding Rock was first recorded in 1889 but the meaning is not known. Another rock feature called Beringbooding Rock had a large water catchment tank bored into in in 1937. It was built by workers on 'susso' or sustenance support during the Great Depression. The tank holds 2.25 million gallons and is the largest rock catchment tank in Australia. It cost 10,000 pounds to construct.

Another rock of note in the area is Elachbutting Rock which has a standing wave formation similar to that found at Hyden's Wave Rock. Elachbutting Rock is a popular campsite.

Lake Brown and Bonnie Rock were also gazetted townsites within the shire but a combination of factors including the Great Depression eventually led to them being abandoned in favour of Mukinbudin.

In most W.A. country towns local vehicles will bear a number plate that identifies it as local. For example HC 1002 would be from Halls Creek. When, in 1933, the Road Board decided to use the letters MUK there was a huge outcry from many residents. Some even registered their vehicles in nearby shires in protest.

A letter of complaint in a newspaper read: ‘The members all ought to have their heads read if they do not alter it from MUK. My tart says they must be a funny lot of blokes.’

Odd that MUK seemed so offensive to the writer but he could happily refer to his girlfriend as ‘My tart’.

The complaints continued but the Road Board resisted change for two years but the weight of public indignation was too much and eventually the MUK plates vanished to be replaced with MBL – although where the ‘L’ comes from We don’t know??

The 1981 census showed clearly what the primary industry in the area was, with only 931 people and 147,000 sheep. Wheat is another of the area's main income earners.

You may talk of New York city, you may sing of gay Paree
You may say that dear old London is the best
But the name which sets me thinking when the sun is slowly sinking
Is good old Mukinbudin in the West.
It hasn’t got the beaches of a Manly or Bondi
Nor the sound of breaking surf on tropic shore
But there’s something very homely that just gets you when you’re lonely
In the name of Mukinbudin . . . nothing more.

Grace Conroy.

There are reports about a local alcoholic drink called ‘Muka Muck’ said to be made from a rare Chinese type of grape called ‘Chew-en-spew’ grown out back of the local pub. We haven’t been able to verify the existence of this ‘rare drop’ but are not sure we would remember even if we had managed to sample some.
 

(C) Don Copley