Local Government
Woodanilling
Region
Great Southern
Douglas Rd Kenmare
Woodanilling
Great Southern
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 18 Mar 2003 | Category 4 | |
The lake is a significant feature of the landscape. It also is connected with early pioneers.
It is part of a chain of lakes which when they overflow discharges water into the ill defined east branch of the Beaufort River.
The name is derived from the Aboriginal word 'mear' meaning spear thrower The land west of the railway line between Lime Lake and Round Pool had not been thought worthy of selection by the WA Land Company agents when they picked the best land for the company along the railway at the time of its construction in the 1880's. Tom Cornwall, owner of the Beaufort and Queerearrup Stations, was quoted as telling the Douglas brothers when they were working for him in 1895 that no other land in the area apart from Queerearrup and the Beaufort would ever be taken up as it was too poor. However, the efforts of the pioneers and subsequent generations has proved this judgement incorrect. Pioneers of this area were the Douglas family. Joe Douglas and his five sons all selected land, built homesteads and farmed in the Lakes country - stretching east from Harry's selection ('Dowlering'), Jim ('Miripin' - Murapin Lake), George ('Grandfather Swamp' near Queerearrup Lake), Harold ('Kenmare' near hall), Joe ('The Lakes') and Archie ('Little Kojonolokan' - later 'Adadalef'). In addition, their relatives - brothers Linley, Arch and Rene Thompson; and friend Sammy Roberts were other pioneers in the area. J.T. (Jim Douglas selected land between Martinup and Murapin Lakes and the north of Murapin to the SW edge of Lake Charling and between Murapin and Little Murapin. Jim was one of the younger brothers and arrived at the Lakes with his father Joe and brother Harold in 1900. Jim named his farm 'Miripin' and extended it to about 1300 acres. Like his father, he was a lover of horses and enjoyed the challenge of breaking in the brumbies which he and his brothers caught, being content to let Arch handle the marketing of them. He married a cousin, Hilda, from SA but she was not happy on the farm and in 1921 they moved to Albany. Jim obtained a job on the construction of the Eclipse Island Lighthouse. When this was finished the construction of the Albany Woollen Mills began and again Jim worked through the entire project. While Jim was always hopeful of returning to Miripin, the unpaid rates on the property built up and eventually the Road Board demanded payment. When Sam Roberts offered to pay the rates in return for the farm, Jim had no choice. Jim and his family moved to Perth in 1929. During the Second World War he worked on the Fremantle slip servicing US navy submarines. An accidental fall into the water precipitated his death a short time later. The property was later purchased by Dick Wilcox and then to his son Trevor Wilcox, the current owner.
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Bird, "Round Pool to Woodanilling"' pp 95, 96, 272. | 1985 | ||
| 6/3-6/5 John Bird, "Round Pool to Woodanilling" p 44, map 100 | 1985 |
Landscape
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Original Use | FARMING\PASTORAL | Other |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY | Exploration & surveying |
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