Mundrabilla, Western Australia

Mundrabilla is in a very sparsely populated area in the far south east of Western Australia. The two significant features are Mundrabilla Roadhouse and Mundrabilla Station, which are approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) apart. At the 2016 census, Mundrabilla had a population of 23, 32% male and 68% female.[1] The time zone in use is UTC+08:45.[2]

Mundrabilla
Western Australia
Mundrabilla Roadhouse, 2017
Mundrabilla
Coordinates31°49′3.70″S 128°13′31.19″E
Population23 (2016 census)[1]
Established1872
Postcode(s)6443
Elevation20 m (66 ft)
Location
  • 1,368 km (850 mi) from Perth
  • 644 km (400 mi) from Norseman
  • 67 km (42 mi) from Eucla
LGA(s)Shire of Dundas
State electorate(s)Eyre
Federal Division(s)O'Connor
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
24.6 °C
76 °F		 11.2 °C
52 °F		 237.4 mm
9.3 in

Mundrabilla Roadhouse

Mundrabilla Roadhouse was built by Roger and Pat Warren-Langford, who initially managed Mundrabilla Station. It is now a small roadhouse community located on the Eyre Highway in Western Australia, on the Roe Plains (at a lower level and south of the Nullarbor Plain), 66 kilometres (41 mi) west of Eucla and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of the Great Australian Bight.

Mundrabilla Station

Mundrabilla Station (31°50′34.55″S 127°51′25.09″E), the first sheep station in the Nullarbor region, was established by William Stuart McGill (a Scotsman) and Thomas and William Kennedy (two Irishmen) in 1872. Thomas Kennedy died in 1896. McGill's first wife Annie Harkness (née Crawford) died in childbirth in 1879. Annie McGill and Thomas Kennedy are both buried on Mundrabilla Station. McGill remarried Ellen Angel Fairweather of Adelaide in 1889.

Climate

Mundrabilla has a typical arid climate; however it is cooler in summer than much of the Australian desert due to its proximity to the ocean. Despite this, Mundrabilla Station still holds the record for the equal 4th hottest temperature in Australia, 49.8 °C (121.6 °F) recorded on 3 January 1979.[3]

Climate data for Mundrabilla Station
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 49.8
(121.6)		 48.6
(119.5)		 44.8
(112.6)		 40.4
(104.7)		 36.4
(97.5)		 27.6
(81.7)		 30.1
(86.2)		 33.5
(92.3)		 39.0
(102.2)		 43.1
(109.6)		 46.0
(114.8)		 45.7
(114.3)		 49.8
(121.6)
Average high °C (°F) 29.6
(85.3)		 29.4
(84.9)		 27.4
(81.3)		 26.0
(78.8)		 22.2
(72.0)		 19.5
(67.1)		 19.2
(66.6)		 20.5
(68.9)		 22.5
(72.5)		 25.5
(77.9)		 27.3
(81.1)		 28.7
(83.7)		 24.8
(76.6)
Average low °C (°F) 15.7
(60.3)		 15.9
(60.6)		 14.7
(58.5)		 12.5
(54.5)		 10.3
(50.5)		 8.0
(46.4)		 7.0
(44.6)		 7.3
(45.1)		 8.3
(46.9)		 10.5
(50.9)		 12.2
(54.0)		 13.7
(56.7)		 11.3
(52.3)
Record low °C (°F) 8.3
(46.9)		 3.9
(39.0)		 7.3
(45.1)		 4.2
(39.6)		 2.7
(36.9)		 0.1
(32.2)		 −1.0
(30.2)		 −0.2
(31.6)		 −1.2
(29.8)		 0.2
(32.4)		 2.7
(36.9)		 6.5
(43.7)		 −1.2
(29.8)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 15.9
(0.63)		 19.2
(0.76)		 19.3
(0.76)		 21.4
(0.84)		 25.9
(1.02)		 25.9
(1.02)		 22.2
(0.87)		 22.9
(0.90)		 18.8
(0.74)		 18.3
(0.72)		 16.0
(0.63)		 18.2
(0.72)		 244
(9.61)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2mm) 2.6 3.3 4.6 5.2 7.8 8.2 7.7 7.2 5.6 4.2 3.5 3.2 63.1
Source: Bureau of Meteorology[4]

Present day

Like other locations in the Nullarbor Plain area, the area consists of nothing more than a roadhouse, open 06:00 to 9.30pm each day. The roadhouse includes a small wildlife park with emus, camels and an aviary. Pastoral activities continue in the area.

Meteorite

The Mundrabilla meteorite, the largest meteorite found in Australia, weighing 12.4 tonnes, was found by geologists R.B. Wilson and A.M. Cooney during a geological survey at Mundrabilla in 1966, and forms one half of the "Mundrabilla Mass". The next largest fragment weighs 5.08 tonnes. In all, 22 tonnes of fragments have been recovered, spread over a 60 km range making it one of the largest meteorite sites in the world. The fragments fell to Earth at least one million years ago.[5][6]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Mundrabilla (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  2. https://www.howderfamily.com/blog/australias-weird-little-time-zone/
  3. "Official records for Australia". Daily Extremes. Bureau of Meteorology. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  4. "Mundrabilla Station". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Bureau of Meteorology. April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  5. "Mundrabilla iron meteorite (main mass 12.4 tonnes)". Western Australian Museum. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  6. "Solar System information #6: Meteors and Meteorites". Perth Observatory. 1997–2009. Archived from the original on 12 November 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2009.

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