Wheatfields near Morowa

Morowa
Typical wheatbelt service town
Located 370 km north of Perth (via Three Springs) and 187 km southeast of Geraldton, Morawa is a typical northern wheatbelt town servicing the surrounding farms and providing minimal facilities for the passer-by. It has, as most of the wheatbelt towns do, a hotel which has been converted to include some simple motel-style accommodation, a bulk loading facility and wheat silos, a railway line and a small shopping centre.

Morowa was settled as late as 1905 and officially gazetted as a township in 1912.

Undoubtedly the town's greatest attraction is the Church of the Holy Cross. Like Northampton, Mullewa, Yalgoo, Tardun, Geraldton, Perenjori and Nanson, Morawa can boast a number of religious buildings by the famous Western Australian architect-priest Monsignor John Hawes. Between 1915-1939 Hawes designed and helped to build a large number of churches and church buildings in the Central West. His contributions to Morowa include the Church of the Holy Cross and an unusual small stone hermitage known as the Old Presbytery.

The plans for the church were completed in 1932. At the time Hawes', who had spent years living with the disapproval of the previous Bishop of Geraldton, Dr Richard Ryan, was dramatically back in favour. The new Bishop, an ex-plumber James Patrick O'Collins, upon meeting Hawes had declared: 'So you're the architect. Well with your architecture and my plumbing we'll put churches all over the diocese.'

Morowa is a much simpler rural church than that at nearby Mullewa. It is still designed along Spanish Mission lines but it lacks a lot of the ornamentation which makes Mullewa so unusual. Built out of local stone and red Cordoba tiles it is an attempt to deal with the harsh summers of the area. The louvred shutters and heavy walls are designed to protect worshippers from the worst of the summer heat.

More interesting than the church itself is The Old Presbytery a one room lodge with just enough room for a bed, table and chair which Hawes used when visiting the town. There was no resident priest at the time. Local folklore suggests that it is the smallest presbytery in the world.

Approximately 20 km east of Morowa (on the Morowa East Road) is the Koolanooka Hills Mine Site. This iron ore mine was worked between 1966-74 by the Western Mining Corporation. Its main claim to fame is that the first shipment of iron ore from Australia to Japan was ore from Koolanooka.

The town's museum is located in Prater Street. Established in 1973 it is a typical wheatbelt museum in which the visitor can seen farm and domestic implements dating back to the turn of the century as well as interesting displays of old clothing and memorabilia.

In springtime the area around Morowa, like so much of the Central West, is ablaze with wildflowers.

Things to see:  

Church of the Holy Cross and the Old Presbytery
The plans for the church were completed in 1932. At the time Monsignor John Hawes', who had spent years living with the disapproval of the previous Bishop of Geraldton, Dr Richard Ryan, was dramatically back in favour. The new Bishop, an ex–plumber James Patrick O'Collins, upon meeting Hawes had declared: 'So you're the architect. Well with your architecture and my plumbing we'll put churches all over the diocese.'

Morowa is a much simpler rural church than that at nearby Mullewa. It is still designed along Spanish Mission lines but it lacks a lot of the ornamentation which makes Mullewa so unusual. Built out of local stone and red Cordoba tiles it is an attempt to deal with the harsh summers of the area. The louvred shutters and heavy walls are designed to protect worshippers from the worst of the summer heat.

More interesting than the church itself is The Old Presbytery a one room lodge with just enough room for a bed, table and chair which Hawes used when visiting the town. There was no resident priest at the time. Local folklore suggests that it is the smallest presbytery in the world.

Koolanooka Hills Mine Site
Approximately 20 km east of Morowa (on the Morowa East Road) is the Koolanooka Hills Mine Site. This iron ore mine was worked between 1966-74 by the Western Mining Corporation. Its main claim to fame is that the first shipment of iron ore from Australia to Japan was ore from Koolanooka.

Morawa Museum
The town's museum is located in Prater Street. Established in 1973 it is a typical wheatbelt museum in which the visitor can seen farm and domestic implements dating back to the turn of the century as well as interesting displays of old clothing and memorabilia.

In springtime the area around Morowa, like so much of the Central West, is ablaze with wildflowers.

	Tourist Information
	Morawa Tourist Information Centre 34 Winfield St P.O. Box 100 Morawa WA 6623 Telephone: (08) 9971 1421 Facsimile: (08) 9971 7010
	Motels
	Morawa Motel/Hotel Solomon St Morawa WA 6623 Telephone: (08) 9971 1060
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Bellaranga Farmstay Bed & Breakfast Old Three Springs Rd Morawa WA 6623 Telephone: (08) 9971 6038 Facsimile: (08) 9971 6041
	Caravan Parks
	Morawa Caravan Park White Ave Morawa WA 6623 Telephone: (08) 9971 1204 Rating: ***
	Restaurants
	Morawa Motel/Hotel Solomon St Morawa WA 6623 Telephone: (08) 9971 1060
	Cafés
	Rose Cafe 54 Winfield St Morawa WA 6623 Telephone: (08) 9971 1073