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Statistics
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Km from Perth |
339 |
|
Population |
190 |
|
Rainfall |
338mm (100.3) |
|
Max Temp |
24.4C (48.2) |
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Min Temp |
9.6C (-5.6) |
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Autogas |
Yes |
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Telecentre |
Yes |
Caravan
Parks
Tressie's
08 9889 5043
Wave
Rock 08 9880 5022
Services
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Hospital |
08
9889 1000 |
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Police |
08 9889 1100 |
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Tourist Bureau |
08
9880 5182 |
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RAC
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08
9880 5048 |
Attractions
Wave Rock, Wildlife Park,
The lace Place, Bate’s Cave, Hippos Yawn, The Humps, Gnamma Hole, King
Rocks, Mulka’s Cave, Rabbit proof fence, Stargate Observatory, Lake Magic,
Hyden Dam.
Buildings of note
Unknown
Calendar of events
March,
Family Fair. Easter: Car rally gilgie races day (Karlgarin). September
- October: Hyden Humps. Wave n Rock opera. November: Wave n
Rock romance.
(C)
gladysclancy
(C)
gladysclancy
(C)
Don Copley
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Description
Hyden is a
fairly non-descript wheat belt
town made famous by its proximity to Wave Rock.
The area was settled in the mid 1920s and once was totally reliant on wheat
and sheep farming. Rock formations close to town are now drawing more and
more tourists to the area.
The town's name is supposed to come from a sandalwood cutter called Hyde.
(Another source suggests a German prospector Carl Heiden as the source of
the name.) Hyden is the most recent of the towns in the central wheat belt.
Farming didn't start until 1922 and the railway only arrived in 1932 when
the townsite was finally gazetted.
Located near the town of Hyden, Wave Rock is 15 metres high, 110 metres long
and shaped like a
wave just about to break. The rock is the result of 3000 million years of
wind and rain erosion. The vertical bands on the rock face are created by
water run off and the resulting mineral and algal deposits.
The rock was 'discovered' by the world thanks to a
photograph in an issue of National Geographic in 1967. Over 100,000 tourists
a year visit the rock and account for about 15% of the income generated in
the area.
The rather ugly retaining wall on top of the rock was built in the 1950s to channel
water to a nearby reservoir.
Aboriginal art was found in a nearby cave but there was no sign of
Aboriginal people in the area when white settlers first arrived. Mulka's
Cave - as it is now known - was said to belong to an Aborigine who had been
cast out of his tribe because the union of his parents was against tribal
law. Mulka is said to have been cross eyed and could not hunt with a spear
because of his poor vision. Cast out of his tribe and unable to hunt, Mulka
began to eat the tribe's children and when his mother confronted him he
killed her and fled. The tribe hunted him down and killed him near the present site of
Dumbleyung. Not being worthy of proper burial
his corpse was dragged to an ant hill and left to be eaten by the ants. The
area then became taboo to the Aborigines who moved elsewhere.
So far we have not seen a tourist information sheet that says there is a fee
charged to see Wave Rock. We feel it is highly dishonest not to mention this
fee. As of 2004 the fee is $7 a vehicle. The rock is actually quite
spectacular and really does look like a wave about to break.
Granite
Woodlands Discovery Trail.
This trail
leads you from Hyden to Norseman over 300
kilometres of mostly unsealed roads. The trail is suitable for most vehicles
including those towing caravans. There are 16 designated stopping points
along the trail.
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