Wongan Hills is located 185km from Perth in the Shire of Wongan – Balidu in the Wheatbelt region.
The shire falls within the traditional lands of the Ballardong Noongar and Yued Noongar people.
The area’s granite outcrops, fauna, flora and water systems are deeply woven within indigenous culture and continue to be a source of deep spiritual connection for the Traditional Custodians.
The town is named after an Aboriginal word ‘Wongan Katta’ which means ‘Talking Hills’ referring to the sound of the wind whispering through the nearby hills.
The first Wongan Hills settlers arrived in 1905 and the first commercial wheat crop was grown the following year. The first store was opened in the town in 1909 and the railway arrived in 1911, the same year the town site was officially proclaimed.
The hills just North-West of the townsite are the largest single area of natural vegetation remaining in the northern wheatbelt. The area is extremely diverse with more than 1400 species of flowering plants, 24 species are unique to the Wongan Hills.
