The main street of Dowerin

Dowerin
Typical small wheatbelt service town
Located 156 km north east of Perth, Dowerin is a typical wheatbelt town with a tiny population of around 400 and the usual mandatory hotel, railway siding, wheat bulk handling facilities and small shopping centre to service the surrounding wheat and sheep farmers.

It is thought that the word 'Dowerin' comes from the word 'Daren' which, according to local folklore, is the name the local Aborigines gave to the lakes to the south of the town.

Although the town wasn't settled until 1895 it had been a watering hole and stopover point before then. Prospectors travelling through the area on their way to the goldfields took advantage of the reliable water in the area.

There was a time when Dowerin was a substantial centre. In 1936 it had a population of over 1600. But mechanisation has made wheat and sheep farming a lot less labour intensive and the town has reduced to its current size.

The town's major period of growth occurred just before World War 1. In 1906 the railway reached the town and in 1912 the local road board was formed.

Things to see:  

Dowerin Museum
Dowerin has a fascinating museum which offers visitors an opportunity to see what life on the wheatbelt was like in the 1930s. Located at 16 Cottrell Street (the key is held by Mrs Howard next door at Number 18) the house was built in 1912 and owned by the O'Shaughnessy family. The local historical society have preserved it as a typical example of a Western Australian wheatbelt home of the 1920s. It is a typical businessman's residence. Apart from vast amounts of interesting furniture and clothing one of the most fascinating aspects of the house is the pressed metal walls. Other things of interest are the old style swimming costumes, the hilarious old under garments and the children's room.

Agricultural Field Day
Dowerin's major claim to fame is its annual field day for agricultural machinery. Said to be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere it attracts over 400 firms which display hundreds of millions of dollars of equipment for crowds of up to 15 000 people.

	Tourist Information
	Dowerin Tourist Information Centre Shire of Dowerin 13 Cottrell St Dowerin WA 6461 Telephone: (08) 9631 1202 Facsimile: (08) 9631 1193
	Motels
	Caratel Park Motel Government Rd Dowerin WA 6461 Telephone: (08) 9631 1135 Rating: **
	Hotels
	Commercial Hotel 4 Stewart St Dowerin WA 6461 Telephone: (08) 9631 1206
	Caravan Parks
	Caratel Caravan Park Government Rd Dowerin WA 6461 Telephone: (08) 9631 1135 Rating: **