Wickepin - Places to See

A.B. Facey¹s House

In March 2000 A.B. Facey's house was moved into the main street of Wickepin and it was formally reopened, staffed by volunteers, in October 2000. The house is open from 10.00 am-- 4.00 pm seven days a week. In the summer months (December, January and February) it is only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This is the house that Facey walked out of during the Depression. The fascination of the building, apart from its connection with the literary history of the area, is that nearly all the rooms have the original Facey furniture in them. The house is much more than just another wheatbelt dwelling. It is a unique opportunity to view the harsh and simple lifestyle of the small wheatbelt farmer in the early 1930s. If the building is closed it is possible to gain access by visiting the nearby Wickepin Newsagency or by contacting the Wickepin Shire Council on (08) 9888 1005.

A.B. Facey¹s Heritage Trail
There is an excellent Albert Facey Heritage Trail brochure for people who loved A Fortunate Life or are just interested in the early history of the Wickepin district. The Heritage Trail, which is 86 km long, includes the Wickepin Boarding House where Facey stayed in 1912 while working for the Western Australian Water Supply, the Wickepin Hotel, and Archie McCall¹s Farm where Facey lived before being sent out to Cave Rock to work when he was only eight years old.

The trail also covers the history of the area looking at Tarling Well, Tarling Hall and the Inkiepinkie School. Most interesting of all are the instructions which describe the locations of the various farms - the Meikles, the Phillips, Moran¹s Farm and the Bibby¹s Farm - where Facey worked. Anyone familiar with the book will find this Heritage Trail brings the story to life and is a powerful reminder of the harshness which characterised life on the wheatbelt around the turn of the century.

Remarkably Facey is not the only major literary figure to have emerged from the area. The poet and playwright, Dorothy Hewett was born in Wickepin on 21 May 1923 and many of her plays and poems deal with the area.

Other Attractions
Other attractions in the area include Lake Yealering which is noted for its abundance of water birds. It is also an ideal place for a picnic or for aquatic activities - swimming, boating, and windsurfing.

In season the wildflowers in the area, like so much of the wheatbelt are spectacular. They are particularly impressive around the lakes.