Shire of Gnowangerup

Shire of Gnowangerup Heart of the Stirlings It covers an area of approximately 5,000 square kilometres and is a prosperous grain growing and sheep producing area.

The Shire of Gnowangerup is situated in the Great Southern area, approximately 354 kilometres from Perth and 140 kilometres from Albany via the Chester Pass Road. The area is noted Australia wide for its merino sheep and attracts large crowds to the annual Stud Field Days. There are three towns in the Shire of Gnowangerup, which service the local community and a growing tourism node at the edge of the Stirling Range National Park. In the 19th century Sandalwood cutting played an important role in the Shire's history, with a sandalwood cutters camp being established in the Borden area in the 1840's. Colonists named the camp 'Poilyenum' the Noongar word for sandalwood. This provided jobs and income during the depression of the 1870's. George Cheyne was actually the first person to acquire land in the Shire in the 1850's where the fertile slopes of the Pallinup River provided excellent grazing. Land clearing spread in the Shire after the opening of the Gnowangerup to Ongerup railway in 1913. Borden
The small town of Borden first developed as a siding on the Gnowangerup-Ongerup railway. The townsite was declared in 1915 and by the 1920's it was a thriving centre. The area to the south of the town was opened up for settlement by returned soldiers at the end of World War One. Ongerup
The name Ongerup is derived from 'Yongerup', the Noongar word meaning 'place of the male kangaroo'. The first white man to trek across parts of the Ongerup district was Surveyor General Roe when he passed through in 1848. Settlement in the area commenced with the Moir family who took up land along the Warperup Creek in 1870. In 1910 the land was surveyed into 1,000 acres (405 hectare) blocks, and these were priced at ten shillings per acre. With the opening of the railway at Ongerup in 1913 the settlement increased until drought and the First World War brought a halt to Government assistance. Many holdings were abandoned. In the 1930's, the years of the depression, kangaroo hunters and mallet bark st*****rs came to the district. The bark, which was used for tanning was sent to Germany while the skins were railed from the siding and provided a meagre living for the unemployed. Gnowangerup
The name Gnowangerup is derived from the Aboriginal word 'Ngow', meaning Malleefowl. For thousands of years the plains were hunting grounds for the Goreng Noongars - evidenced by stone implements still found along the creeks. The last full blood Noongar died in 1965, however descendants are still in the area. While some settlement in the region took place in the second half of the 19th century it was around 1905 that the Land Department was requested to survey the area, now known as Gnowangerup, for town lots. Stirling Range
The first ship known to visit the coast was the Dutch ship 'Guilden Seepaart', in 1627. One hundred and ninety five years later, it was the English Captain Matthew Flinders on HMS 'Investigator' who recorded the first sighting of the inland mountain range on 5 January 1802, calling them 'Mount Rugged'. The Stirling Range National Park was named by John Septimous Roe on 4 November 1835 after Captain James Stirling the first Governor of Western Australia

Tomorrow (Thurs 17) at the sporting complex. Ride Wild Ride Safe is a community initiative funded by the Road Safety Com...
16/09/2026

Tomorrow (Thurs 17) at the sporting complex. Ride Wild Ride Safe is a community initiative funded by the Road Safety Commission to ensure the youth in our communities get an opportunity to learn how to ride safely. Tomorrows workshop includes
🔧 bike maintenance
🚴‍♂️ riding lessons
🪖free helmet including an opportunity to decorate

All welcome! Come along to the complex

UPCOMING WORKS | YOUGENUP ROAD 🚧Western Power works will take place on Yougenup Road on Thursday, 1 October, from 7am to...
15/09/2026

UPCOMING WORKS | YOUGENUP ROAD 🚧

Western Power works will take place on Yougenup Road on Thursday, 1 October, from 7am to 5pm.

Traffic management will be in place and the affected section of footpath will be closed. Motorists are asked to follow signage and directions from traffic controllers.

Enviro Sweep will be undertaking street sweeping works on the following datesGnowangerup 16th and 17th of SeptemberOnger...
14/09/2026

Enviro Sweep will be undertaking street sweeping works on the following dates
Gnowangerup 16th and 17th of September
Ongerup and Borden 18th of September

Hazard reduction activities - Gnowangerup Townsite. Visit the Shire website for more information.
14/09/2026

Hazard reduction activities - Gnowangerup Townsite. Visit the Shire website for more information.

You don't want to miss this! 👀 Monday night sports is wrapping up the term with a huge night of indoor inflatables!! Usu...
11/09/2026

You don't want to miss this! 👀 Monday night sports is wrapping up the term with a huge night of indoor inflatables!! Usual session times, free event! See you there 😎 This Monday 14 September, Gnowangerup Sporting Complex

September Newsletter out now 🗞️📢😀
09/09/2026

September Newsletter out now 🗞️📢😀

Australian National Flag to fly at half-mast | Wednesday 9 September 2026 | His Majesty King Harald V. Following the dea...
08/09/2026

Australian National Flag to fly at half-mast | Wednesday 9 September 2026 | His Majesty King Harald V. Following the death of His Majesty King Harald V of Norway on 28 August 2026, as a mark of mourning and respect, the Australian National Flag will be flown at half-mast all day on Wednesday 9 September 2026 Australia wide

Why do girls stop playing sport, and what can clubs do about it?Due to high demand of the workshop, the Game On, Girls: ...
02/09/2026

Why do girls stop playing sport, and what can clubs do about it?

Due to high demand of the workshop, the Game On, Girls: Why Girls Drop Out webinar is giving more clubs the chance to hear from Monica Beazley and explore practical ways to help girls feel welcome, connected and supported in sport.

Whether you're a parent, coach, volunteer, administrator or committee member, you'll come away with ideas to help create an environment where girls can thrive as players, leaders and lifelong participants.

When: 6:00pm – 7:30pm, Wednesday 9th September 2026

Where: Online event

Cost: Free

To register for this event, click on this link:

Girls are leaving sport, but clubs can make a difference. Learn practical, proven strategies to improve retention and strengthen club culture.

To help clubs build stronger, more sustainable volunteer programs, the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sp...
01/09/2026

To help clubs build stronger, more sustainable volunteer programs, the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport are partnering with Volunteering WA, to deliver a free 4-part webinar series.
The sessions will explore practical approaches to volunteer support, recognition and future planning.

📅 16 September | Introduction to succession planning
📅 13 October | Growing your volunteer team
📅 4 November | Supporting people who support your club
📅 2 December | Celebrating the season and shaping what's next

🕔 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm

💻 Online and free to attend

There are 4 opportunities available through this program you can attend. Sessions are presented non-sequentially, so you can join the ones that suit your needs.
Who Should Attend
• sporting clubs
• state sporting associations
• state active recreation organisations
• club committee members
• club volunteers
• community organisations that work with volunteers.

You can register for an individual session or the full series:

The Volunteer Advantage Webinar Series delivered by CITS in partnership with Volunteering WA in 2026

Please be advised that the CEO Review Committee Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 23 September 2026 at 3pm
28/08/2026

Please be advised that the CEO Review Committee Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 23 September 2026 at 3pm

Address

28 Yougenup Road
Gnowangerup, WA
6335

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9am - 4:30pm
Friday 9am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+61898271007

Website

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