DESCRIPTION
On February 7th and 8th 2016, Yarloop was hit by a devastating fire that destroyed 121 homes and also the irreplaceable
Yarloop Workshops Museum.
This museum used to house the largest collection of working steam engines in the southern hemisphere. It was very extensive
had amazing collection of wooden blanks of parts that were once used by various machines at the workshops.
All of the pictures we have of Yarloop were taken before the fire ravaged the town and will hopefully serve as a memorial
for the great losses that occurred. Sadly two people also lost their lives in the fire.
Prior to the fire, Yarloop had been the centre of a citrus and dairy production area.
The residents of the town voted to rebuild and carry on although there were some who could not face starting again and moved out of
the area.
Public access to the town was restored on August 11th 2016.
HISTORY
Once thought to have been called Yard Loop after a loop in the rail line, it is now believed that the name was Aboriginal in origin and comes
from the word 'yalup'. There is a Yalup Brook just 5 kilometres north which lends more weight to this view.
Joseph Logue began farming at nearby Cookernup in 1849 and soon afterward, W.J. Eastcott began some timber cutting operations in the area.
John Bancells moved into the area in 1886.
Charles and Edwin Millar established a timber mill in 1894 and workers lived either in the company town on the east side of the railway or
at a public town on the western side.
In 1896 a railway siding was established on the Perth to Bunbury railway.
The town was an important timber processing centre and at its peak, the mill employed about 500 people.
The mill had an extensive rail system and by the 1930s, it had become one of the largest private railway networks in the world.
There were 8 different rail systems with a total of 25 steam locomotives.
Waigerup mill is still in operation and the associated town was classified by the National Trust as a conservation area in 1984.
The town was not gazetted until 1962.
TALL TALES AND TRUE
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VIDEO
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OTHER INFORMATION
ATTRACTIONS
Logue Brook Dam, Yarloop Pool, Hoffman Mill, Hoffman Road Lookout.
BUILDINGS OF NOTE
Unknown since the 2016 fire.
ELECTORAL ZONES
State : Murray-Wellington
Federal : Forrest
OTHER INFO.
Postcode : 6218
Local Government : Shire of Harvey
PHOTOS
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