Brief History

Lt James Septimus Roe, Surveyor General of the Swan River Colony explored the Mt Marshall district in 1836. Other explorers, Robert Austin, AC Gregory, FT Gregory, John Forrest, Surveyor H King made records of all the water points and named them, along with many hills and rocks as they travelled through on their way to Shark Bay and other far off places. In 1889 Surveyor H King traversed the Mt Marshall district and it was not long after this that land was thrown open to agriculture in the areas around Bencubbin.

It is recorded that shepherds were in the district from 1870 and it is thought the sandalwood cutters came in the 1880's after a boom in sandalwood prices. The area was opened to pastoral leases as far north as Datjoin in 1872. Sandalwood cutters were very active in the district around Beacon from 1880's and they extended further north in the 1920's when the industry was thriving. The sandalwood cutters used the water points recorded by the early explorers and in later days the sandalwooders tracks were used by early settlers linking them to many areas.

Surveyors had been at work since 1921, dividing the country into 1000 acre blocks. A number of blocks were allocated after the paying of a fairly stiff survey fee. George Shemeld is acknowledged as being the earliest Beacon pioneer, taking up land in 1922. Interested settlers formed the North Bencubbin Railway League in 1924 to extend the railway line to the Beacon Rock area. Land at Beacon was not officially opened for selection until 1926 with further development of the area 25 km north of Beacon coming about after the railway line was laid from Kulja - Bonnie Rock in 1931. More land was opened for farming in the Tampu - North Beacon area out to the vermin fence in 1965.

Click here to read more Beacon history …

Location & Maps

320 km north-east of Perth
142 km north-west of Merredin
140 km north-east of Wongan Hills

Beacon is a small town in the north-east wheatbelt in the Shire of Mt Marshall. Beacon is approximately 320 km north-east of Perth, located 42 km north of Bencubbin and the M40-Wyalkatchem-Southern Cross Rd, 140 km north-east of Wongan Hills, 142 km north-west of Merredin. Beacon is approx 70 km south of the Emu Proof Fence. The district is made up of both pastoral and cropping country and has numerous granite outcrops and nature reserves that put on a magnificent wildflower display in season.

How to get here: www.mainroads.wa.gov.au
Other maps: (under construction)

Beacon experiences hot dry summers from December to February with average day time temperatures ranging from 25°C to 45°C.  The mild to cool wet winters average day time temperatures from 9°C to 24°C.  Overnight temperatures can be very cold, 0°C  to 5°C, with frosts common during July and August.

The town is influenced by strong east to north-easterlies from spring to summer, variable in autumn and south-west to southerly winds in winter. During late spring and autumn it is usual to expect thunderstorms. Summer nights can be very hot and winter nights bring frosts. Beacon has an average annual rainfall of 300mm.

Beacon (population 100) acts as a service centre for the large surrounding district, a total of approx 300 people, and in turn is reliant on agriculture – mainly wheat and mixed grains along with sheep for wool and meat. Secondary industries and businesses that support agriculture dominate the town economy. The town is made up of a diverse group of people from stock and station agents, spraying contractors, panel beater, mechanics, Co-op, Silver Chain Clinic, Country Club, CBH, transport businesses, contractors, school teachers, shire staff, farmers, retirees, shearers, bus contractor and other business employees.

The Beacon township has excellent facilities which include the Visitor Centre/Community Centre/Community Resource Centre/Town Hall, Primary School, Recreational Complex, Grassed Oval, Caravan Park, Motel Units and Barracks Accommodation. Community organisations and sporting bodies are numerous within the district.

District Statistics

Shire of Mt Marshall

Distance From Perth:	273 km
Shire Area:	10134.0 sq km
Length of Sealed Roads:	307.0 km
Length of Unsealed Roads:	1440.0 km
Population:	649
Number of Electors:	494
Number of Dwellings:	405
Total Rates Levied:	$840000
Total Revenue:	$4198000
Number of Employees:	25
Roadwise Participant:	Yes
Major Industries:	Agriculture
Tidy Towns Participant:	Yes
LCC Participant:	Yes
Zone Member:	Great Eastern
Regional Organisation:	North Eastern Wheatbelt Regional Organisation of Councils

Places of Interests

Beacon is the most north-easterly town in the Wheatbelt, situated adjacent to extensive native bushland and pastoral country. When good seasonal opening rains are experienced the district is set up for a brilliant display of wildflowers from July to October, including masses of white, pink and yellow everlastings, up to 20 varieties of orchids and many  trees and shrubs such as wattles, melaleucas, hakeas, grevilleas, and climbing clematis vines. Granite outcrops and shady clumps of eucalypt forest around Beacon invite picnickers and campers to explore. For directions call the Beacon Visitor Centre, 9686 1014, Monday to Friday.

Beacon Botanical Park

The Beacon Botanical Park was established in 1999 as a collaborative project between the Mt Marshall Land Conservation District Committee and the Beacon Primary School. This park contains several species of native flora that were propagated from local areas. It is great for a quiet leisurely walk or an opportunity to select native plants that would suit your own garden. The Park entrance is located on Broadbent St, which leads to a parking bay.
		Botanical Park

Birdwatching
Granite outcrops and remnant bushland provide excellent birdwatching sites.
See: www.birdingwa.iinet.com.au/sites/beacon.htm

Butcher Bird

Bustard Male

Beagley's Breakaway
One of a number of crumbling remnants of the protective capping of this ancient landscape, widespread throughout the district , Beagley’s Breakaway is a spectacular example of this rock formation dating back millions of years, adjoining Tampu Well Reserve.

Head west from Beacon for 3 km along Burakin - Wialki Road and turn north onto Bimbijy Road.  Travel on Bimbijy Rd for 36 km to an entry track on left hand side of the road. Travel 2 km along the track to a gate, open and close the gate, turn right and follow a farm track along the fence & power line for another 2 km, entering a large circular clearing at the breakaway and picnic sites. Alternatively, instead of entering the picnic site area, visitors may turn left at that point and continue on the farm track for 700 m  enjoying panoramic views of farm land and nature reserve areas from the ridge of the breakaway.  Beware of overhanging rocks, steep drops and loose stones near the edge of the breakaway. Please be advised - NO VAN ACCESS

Dinosaur Head

This area is private property and you are asked to respect the owners property, fences and roads. Please keep to the breakaway reserve area and farm tracks. Camp fires are only permitted between the months of April and September. No pets, No shooting, No camping. Please take your rubbish with you. Ring Beacon Visitors Centre 9686 1014 or Mr Beagley 9686 1012 for more information.

There are no services at this rock. Nearest services in Beacon.

Crimpy’s Tank
Head west from Beacon for 3 km along Burakin - Wialki Road and turn north onto Bimbijy Road.  The turnoff to Crimpy's Tank is signposted about 25 km from Beacon.  Of 1million gallons (4.5 million litres) capacity, built of reinforced concrete in 1966, Crimpy's Tank stores rainwater collected by a low rock wall surrounding the nearby granite..  Crimpy’s is a good picnic site and boasts a variety of wildflowers in season.  There are traces of sandalwood cutters tracks on the east and north-east of the rock.  This is also a good site for birdwatching.

Mallee Fowl - Courtesy of Frank O'Connor

Honey-Eater

Tampu Bin
On the Bimbijy Rd about 30 km from Beacon, the Tampu bin is the only ‘off-line’ grain receival point in the Mt Marshall Shire. The grain is hauled by road transport to the railhead in Beacon. It derives it’s name from Tampu Well (see listing below). Five kilometres to the east the natural gimlet and salmon gum forest begins.

Tampu Well
Located on Bimbijy Rd, about 38 km from Beacon, Tampu Well is an old Government well that was used by sandalwooders, prospectors and shepherds. It is an excellent wildflower and birdwatching site. www.birdingwa.iinet.com.au/sites/beacon.htm

Click on thumbnails below to enlarge.
Black Red Cockatoo	Pink Grey Galah
Gallery of Galahs

Vermin Proof Fence
The vermin proof fence bisects the Shire from east to west and marks the south boundary of the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve (300,000 ha). The fence was constructed in the late 1950’s. This fence is important in keeping both emus, goats and wild dogs out of farming areas.

Vermin Proof Fence

Bimbijy Station
Bimbijy Station lies 100 km to the north of Beacon. Bimbijy Station no longer operates as a tourist destination, however, camping may be possible by arrangement with the owner Mr L. Timms (08) 9667 1022. To reach Bimbijy Station, head west from Beacon for 3 km along Burakin-Wialki Rd then turn north onto Bimbijy Rd. Continue north on Bimbijy Rd for 100 km.

Billiburning Rock
Surveyed by surveyor, Harry Sanford King around 1889-90, Billiburning Rock is situated in the north-east of the Shire near the vermin proof fence. This rock is part of quite a large reserve. It has attractive wildflowers, a good view from the top of the rock and is a good picnic area. It is an ideal location for watching birds and other native fauna and offers many photographic opportunities. To get to Billiburning Rock, take Ingleton Rd north from the Beacon townsite for 30 km to the intersection of White Rd and Huckstep Rd.  Travel north along White Rd for another 3 km to the Billiburning Rock entrance on the west side of the road.

Sunday picnic at Billiburning

Billiburning Rock

Kunzea Pulchelle Flowers

Karroun Hill Reserve
“Paradise On The Edge” excerpts from LANDSCOPE Magazine article by Tony Friend, Senior Research Scientist at CALM Wildlife Research Centre Woodvale WA.

Karroun Hill Nature Reserve occupies 309,678 hectares (one sixth of the area of state forest in Western Australia) in the north of the Shire of Mt Marshall extending eastward from Lake Moore to the rabbit proof fence, the emu-proof fence on its south, and lies along the Wheatbelt’s north-eastern limit. Karroun Hill is the largest (and probably the least widely known) nature reserve in the south west of Western Australia. Here, a rich array of vegetation supports an equally diverse animal wildlife, much of which has escaped the influence of long-established agricultural, pastoral and gold mining communities that surround it. Karroun Hill Nature Reserve is an extremely valuable asset in Western Australia’s conservation estate. As well as conserving a highly significant array of eastern Wheatbelt wildlife, it has the potential to provide a sufficiently large area in which to reconstruct the mammal fauna that has been lost from the region. A profusion of wildflowers varies from year to year and usually provides a memorable sight with displays of everlasting daisies and other annuals transforming woodland areas in July to September.

Mouroubra Rd to Payne's Find Road
Runs north off the Burakin-Wialki Rd through the sheep station country. It is quite passable except on rare occasions when flooding has occurred. Signs will warn when the road is impassable or closed. The road runs through Remlap, Mouroubra and Maranalgo stations and quite close to the Maranalgo Homestead and then joins the Great Northern Highway at Paynes Find.

This road is an alternative route to and from Perth other and southwest towns for travellers travelling to and returning from their sojourns in the north of that State passing through pastoral country along the eastern side of Lake Moore. The road is unfenced and care should be taken with lifestock, kangaroos and emus.

Road conditions can be checked by contacting Shire of Mt Marshall (08) 96851202 Mon – Fri.

Taken on Remlap Station

When good winter rains are experienced in the north-eastern Wheatbelt and lower Murchison areas, a brilliant display of wildflowers can be found along Mouroubra Rd. July to October is usually the best time to experience the diverse range of flowers including of masses of white, pink and yellow everlastings.

Travelling through the Wheatbelt and want to know more? Visit www.wheatbelttourism.com

Wildflower Update

There are very few annual wildflowers this year due to the poor winter rainfall. The bush flowers are appearing and putting on a nice display.

For more information call the Beacon Visitor Centre, 9686 1014, Monday to Friday.

Updated 25-Sep-2010

Community Calendar

The Building of Beacon

The North Bencubbin Railway League formed in 1924. In 1927 it became redundant and the North Bencubbin Progress Association was formed. Meetings were held at Warkutting and by 1929 meetings were being held in Beacon, then known as Beacon Rock. Thus the Beacon Rock Progress Association was formed. In 1931 the township of Beacon Rock was officially renamed Beacon. The name was shortened to Beacon because of postal confusion with another siding. The Beacon Progress Association went into a short recess in the late 1970’s.

The Progress Association is still in action today and it has worked extremely hard for Beacon for 80 years improving the life of the community by obtaining necessities such as water, electricity, telephone, rail services, roads, grain facilities, Local Government representation and most of the other community facilities we have in Beacon today.

Beacon has been established over the past 80 years by the very strong, active and caring spirit of the pioneers of Beacon and the community of today.

The name Beacon Rock is still in existence today. It is the Beacon Rock water catchment area 5 km north of the Beacon township where storage tanks were built and it was used as a railway water supply. Today the tanks and the catchment are owned by the Water Authority and the scheme water supply links into to it and supplies the townsite and surrounding farmers. The scheme water supply was opened in Beacon on 16th December 1970 after 6 years of hard lobbying of the Government and other bodies.

The first train came to Beacon on 4th May 1931. The train was a welcome means of supply and communication for the tradespeople of the community. The township was just beginning to flourish with buildings springing up. Beacon had at times a: store, bakery, butchery, garage, greengrocer, barber shop, greengrocer, Buffalo Lodge, progress association, cricket and football teams.

Beacon's first school, a one room building, was the North Bencubbin School that was re-erected at Beacon in 1932 for the cost of 79 pounds. The school was closed in 1945 due to low attendance but re-opened in 1946. In 1954 the Cleomine School building was erected at Beacon for 1210 pounds. The new school was opened on 23rd July 1954. The old CWA room across the road from the school was used to house the junior grades in 1962 and in 1963 the children moved to a portioned section of the Progress Hall. On 27th November, 1964 the building of permanent additions to the school was started. This project was at a cost of 11,498 pounds. In 1967 the old Cleomine school building was removed and re-sited in Dunne Street. It is used as a private residence today. In 1967 - 68 there were 100 children in attendance at the school and in 1969 the there were 143 children at school. The school library on site at the north end of the school was the old Wialki school building. After the closure of the Wialki school the building was dismantled and transported to Beacon and rebuilt by the Beacon Primary School P & C and the Headmaster, Richard Bushell, in 1994.

The original Hall was a structure of bush timber. The roof and walls were of corrugated iron with hessian partitions with a dirt floor. The site of the old hall was on the north side of the railway line in Kirby Street where the Shire yard now stands. The first talking pictures shown in the Beacon were projected at the Hall in 1936. Up until 2004 the building also housed the Telecentre (known as the Beacon Central Community Resource Centre from 2010), with the need for better access to technology these services collocated in March 2004 to new modern facilities at Beacon Central.

Beacon Central, 11 Rowlands St, was built in 2003 with the assistance of Federal, State and Local Government funding, Lotteries funding , community funding and voluntary work. The centre was opened on 14 March 2004. The new facility houses the Beacon Central Community Resource Centre, Beacon Bulletin Newspaper, Beacon Library, Beacon Landcare Office and a meeting and conference room. Beacon Central is owned and managed by the Beacon Progress Association. The day to day operations at the Beacon Rural Transaction Centre is operated by the Beacon Central Community Resource Centre.

The original Beacon Country Club, situated in Rowlands Street at the rear of the existing Country Club was built in the 1950's. The current Country Club was built in 1967. Additions to cater for patrons children were built in the mid 1980's. The old building was used by Beacon Bulletin newspaper and Library up until 2004 but with the need for better access to technology these services collocated in March 2004 to new modern facilities at Beacon Central. The community now uses the old library room as a Youth Centre  to provide a 'space' for teenagers to congregate , socialise and 'hang out' during school holidays and other organised times.  The Youth Committee makes the decisions on maintenance, operating, activities and membership.

The local veterinarian, who travels from Dalwallinu holds a clinic in the building once a month and the Theatre Arts group and the Country Club use several rooms at the old building for storage.

The original Club Manager's house is situated opposite the old Country Club at 32 Rowlands Street. The club updated their Manager's housing in the late 1970's when they purchased a home at 97 Shemeld Street. This home was built in the late 1960's by Mr & Mrs Crabbe Snr. In 1998 the Country Club built a new transportable home for the Manager at 101 Shemeld Street directly opposite the Country Club.
The Beacon Bulletin, the local newspaper, was first published in 1976. The paper was originally started as a Football Bulletin after the re-formation of the Beacon Football Club in 1976. Today this paper is the life line of the community. It is edited, printed, assembled and managed on a voluntary basis by the women in the Beacon community.

The original football/sporting oval was situated on the north side of the railway line in Kirby Street in the early 1930's. This was a dirt oval and the football shed was a bough shed. In the early 1960's the Shire made funds available for the club to build a corrugated iron shed. Change rooms and hot water facilities were added in 1975. The sports ground and facilities were also used as a caravan park. A new caravan park was eventually built in Lucas Street in 1982. Work began on a new Beacon Sporting Complex in Shipway Drive in June 1978. The building was officially opened on 31st March 1979 and the first football match was played on the ground on the 28th April 1979. The farmers and the local community transported most of the materials for the building and the oval. The community raised a self supporting loan to assist in the payment for the cost of the building. Renovations to the building to provide a ladies changeroom, storeroom and a squash court were carried out in 1994. The community fully self funded this project.

The first mention of football played by a team from Beacon appears to be in 1930 against a team at Kulja. In 1938 it is recorded that they played a match against Marindo and beat them 15.2 to 2.1. It was a pretty rough and ready game with no umpire to uphold the rules. The Beacon Football Club officially formed in 1961. They went into recess at end of 1969 and then reformed for the 1976 season. From the period of 1976 -2003 the Beacon Football Club played in 24 grandfinals and won 13. Of these, 7 were in consecutive years from 1991 to 1997.

Similarly Beacon has supported a very successful ladies hockey team. The ladies formed a side in 1975. During the period from 1988 to 2004 the hockey team participated in 16 consecutive grandfinals. Of these they won 11 premierships, 10 of them in a row.
Beacon Rock people formed a tennis club in 1930 and built tennis courts north of the railway line near the hall. (Opposite the old Football oval which is now the Shire yards). Previous to this they played at Warkutting. New tennis courts were built next to the Country Club in Rowlands Street in the early 1950's, next to where the CWA is now situated. When the new sporting complex was built the club moved to the new facility in 1979 and in the early 1990's built themselves new transportable club rooms.

Beacon supported two cricket teams, Beacon & Wialki until 2008. Both these teams have been very successful over the many years since their formation in the 1930’s. Beacon/Wialki merged in 2008 and have continued their success in the Central Wheatbelt cricket competition.

The building that houses the Old Beacon Bakehouse Café business was built in early 1930's as a bakery and private dwelling. This building is of cement brick and later fibro additions were made to it. In the mid 1950's the premises was turned into a private home for the school teacher. In the 1960's it became a hardware store/stock and station agency. In 2002, despite the worst drought in the area in 50 years or more, Marilyn Dunne, a farmer, established the “Old Beacon Bakehouse Café” in this building. As there was no similar establishment within 200 km or more, the success of this Café far exceeded Mrs Dunne expectations as well as those of the community. The Café had several Managers through the 2000's but is now closed.

The Beacon CWA was formed on 3rd June 1933. In 1934 their membership was 16. Early meetings were held in the President’s home and then later in a small room in town. A cement brick rest room was built in 1939 by volunteer labour. School children used the room one afternoon a week to make and sell leather work. The Beacon CWA was very active in all activities and fund raising events and made substantial contributions to the war effort. The CWA numbers varied from 15 to 20 during the 1930's & 1940's. The members built new transportable CWA rooms in 1970's at 39 Rowlands Street. The Beacon CWA went into recess in 2008 and CWA House is now owned and operated by Beacon Progress Association and managed by Beacon Central Community Resource Centre for function and meeting bookings. The building continues to be available as a rest room.

The Silver Chain Centre was built in 1962. This building is constructed out of brick with a tiled roof and houses the medical clinic.  A new transportable family home was build at 15 Lindsay Street in early 1999 and renovations were carried out to upgrade the centre. The hospital is 100 km from Beacon and another 50 km further for the northern residents of the Beacon district. The Silver Chain Centre is an essential and much valued service in the community.

Beacon Co-op in Lindsay Street was erected in 1964 as a general store and purchased by the community in May 1998. . The current success of this store is due to the committed support of the Beacon community. The Co-op is managed by a volunteer committee with a full time store manager employed.

The community established the Beacon Community Centenary Park in the centre of Beacon that caters for residents, touring families and families visiting town for community activities or business.

Last modified 27-Sep-2011