Boddington, Western Australia: Travel guide and things to do

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Advertisement

This was published 9 years ago

Boddington, Western Australia: Travel guide and things to do

Boddington, WA

Boddington, WA

Boddington is located 123 kilometres south east of Perth in the heart of a timber and sheep district. In recent times the nature of the district has changed as a result of the establishment of the Worsley Alumina Project and the Boddington Gold Mine.

The Boddington area was settled in the mid-1860s and grew slowly to become well known for its wool and wheat production. The town itself was gazetted in 1912 (it was named after a local shepherd, Henry Boddington) when the railway line arrived in the district to meet a demand which had been created by the local timber industry.

The local Road Board was first established at Marradong to the south but after the arrival of the railway the Road Board was moved to Boddington in 1920. It became a Shire Council in 1961. The town declined slowly and by 1969 the railway had been closed and it had retreated to being a typical small service area for the surrounding district. Its recent revitalisation saw the establishment of a bauxite mining in 1979 and, most importantly, the establishment of the Boddington Gold Mine in 1986. These two events turned a small rural community into a thriving mining town in less than a decade.

Things to see

Grave of Quency Dilyan
Perhaps the most interesting historical attractions in the area are the lonely grave of Quency Dilyan, an Aborigine who helped Alexander Forrest and H. S. Ranford on their expeditions. Dilyan's grave, which is on the Boddington Road out of town, is marked by a Royal Historical Society plaque.

Marradong
Further along Bannister Road is the tiny settlement of Marradong. It was the major centre in the region until the railway arrived in Boddington. Today it is literally nothing more than tiny St Albans Anglican church (1894), the old agricultural hall and some palms which once stood outside the local hotel.

Touring the Area
The local shire, in an attempt to attract tourism to the town, has created a series of five tours around the district. These tours include a 35 km drive to Tullis Bridge, the site of a timber mill and trestle bridge which is now a picnic spot. There is also the Marradong, Quindanning and Lower Hotham 90 km drive which visits Dilyan's grave. the remnants of Marradong and the Worsley Bauxite Mining Project, the scenic Mooradung Circuit (45 km), Camballing Capers (35 km through pleasant forested areas) and the Tumlo and Long Gully Bridge route (90 km) which passes through forests and includes the Long Gully trestle bridge. With nearly half the Shire of Boddington being taken up with forests it is natural that most of these drives travel through the local forests which are promoted as ideal places to hike, picnic and search for wildflowers.

Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter

Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.

Most viewed on Traveller

Loading