Pingelly, Western Australia

Pingelly is a town and shire located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, 158 kilometres (98 mi) from Perth via the Brookton Highway and Great Southern Highway. The town is also located on the Great Southern railway line.

The surrounding areas produce wheat and other cereal crops. The town is a receival site for Cooperative Bulk Handling. At the 2006 census, Pingelly had a population of 814.

History

The town was originally a railway siding along the Great Southern Railway line, built by the Western Australian Land Company, and opened in 1889. Later the same year the company designed the town and made land available. In 1896 the state government purchased the railway and the land and gazetted the townsite in 1898. It name is Aboriginal in origin and is the name of the Pingeculling Rocks found to the north of the town. The name was first recorded in 1873, and the original settlers referred to the area as Pingegulley for years before the town was gazetted.

In early 1898 the population of the town was 89, 52 males and 37 females.