Mollerin - Town & Siding Site

History

The Railway Advisory Board looked over all the country north of Koorda and east of Mollerin, out as far as the No. I Rabbit Proof Fence. On 1st November, 1928 it was reported that the Board had inspected the Mollerin area and was very impressed by the type of settler. Much work had been done and new settlers had from 300 to 700 acres in crop, including a considerable amount of fallow. It was difficult to obtain reliable rainfall records by the general look of the country and the large jam timber interspersed with the forest country seemed to indicate sufficient rainfall for wheat growing. Extension of the line to a point 62 miles east of Mollerin was recommended. Their report was considered very optimistic for what had always been a remarkably cautious body. Following this report, the Minister for Lands, F.M. Troy, and the Trustees of the Agricultural Bank visited the rich red loam, the new area east of Burakin. The East Mollerin Progress Association entertained the official party, W. Readhead was President and J. Shilcock Secretary. The party visited Vaughan Smith's and Frank Walker's properties and saw 800 acres expected to average 24 bushels. Over 5,000 acres were under crop north of Mollerin and there was wheat stacked at Mollerin waiting for the railway to open. It was decided definitely to extend the line to Bonnie Rock. The party was also entertained at Gorin's cafe at Kulja on the Sunday afternoon and the Minister outlined his scheme of a settlement of Murchison Miners on the new country east of Lake Hillman and north of Mollerin. It was also stated that the proposed new stock route from the Murchison would terminate at Kulja. Mollerin in 1928 was like a hive of bees with all the work of developing farms, agitating for roads and schools and work proceeding on the tank at Mollerin Rock. The Road Mail was extended out to Mollerin from Koorda and another was running to North Gabbin and East Mollerin from Gabbin. The Calderwoods opened a store. In August, 1929 A.C. Chapman convened a meeting at Mollerin Rock to form a Social and Sports Club. A committee resulted including J. Riley, J. Robb, J. Woods, Alex Aitken and A.C. Chapman as Secretary. Busy Bees erected sheds, swings and see-saws and cleared a space for picnic sports. The new cement tank at Mollerin Rock was full and overflowing on the 28th September when all roads led to Mollerin's Centenary Picnic Sports. That year Mollerin Rock looked over thousands of acres of magnificent crops, much of it on new land. Amongst those who had missed out on the good prices of the booming twenties were what was known as Troy's Murchison Miners'. F.M. Troy, Minister for Lands in the Collier Government was the member for the Murchison and a farmer. As mining dwindled he thought land settlement would once again be the solution. He'd been Minister for Lands and pushed along the construction of the Burakin/Bonnie Rock line. The 'Murchison' settlement was east of Lake Hillman and north of Mollerin. Harry Hoare King was a close friend of Troy and had been persuaded that there would be opportunities for his large family on the land. He was the only one of these families to continue farming in this area and to succeed, some returned to the Goldfields. As soon as there was a Mollerin Siding there were plans for a hall and meeting place, and a meeting was held in 1931. The idea was kept open and in 1935 a committee was formed with Harold Black President, H.O. Sayer Secretary and with Charles Manton, Dave Small, Vaughan Smith, E.C. Collins and R.G. King as committee to set about organising a hall for Mollerin. The old Oak Park Hall was for sale for £140 and within fifteen months it had been paid for, dismantled, carted to Mollerin and re-erected by voluntary labour. Money had been raised in all sorts of ways including a monster bottle and scrap iron drive. The word went around in Koorda "Don't leave anything lying around or it will end up in Mollerin Hall". The iron was carted and delivered to Tomlinsons in Lord Street. The dismantling of the hall had been supervised by Clarence Palmer and Bert Sayer and the carting from Oak Park done by the Ovens and Bradshaw boys. On October, 3rd all roads led to Mollerin. First there was a big picnic and sports with a bicycle race from Koorda to Mollerin won by R. Morton in just over 1 hour and 20 minutes. The sports were under officials Charlie Manton and Stan Bradshow with many helpers. Then a huge high tea for hundreds of people. Reserve 21703 was set aside for Golf Links at Mollerin and vested in the Road Board in June, 1937. The Mollerin Rock Sports Committee first asked for permission in August, 1935 in a letter written by John Arrow, who was the Secretary. After the War there was a very strong community at Mollerin with New Year's Eve balls at the hall and golf and other sports days at Mollerin Rock. There was a shop which closed in the late 1960's. The railway was closed for a short time but was re-instated. The school which had closed in 1941 re-opened in 1961. It closed again in 1985. Anne King was a teacher there for some time. By this time there was a new telephone, a bitumen road and a train service. Since then the shop has closed, the hall has been dismantled and apart from a very large wheatbin there is only a rock with a brass plaque commemorating a small town called Mollerin. The sports ground at Mollerin Rock is no longer used and the golf course is now overgrown and the clubhouse dismantled.

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