Shire of Dalwallinu
| Area | ~7,236 square kilometres, located ~250 km north of Perth. |
| Towns | Buntine, Dalwallinu, Kalannie, Pithara and Wubin |
| Average Temperature | Mean daily maximum temperature over 30 years 1990 – 2019 35.3°C (Jan) and 16.9°C (Jul). |
| Annual Rainfall | Average annual rainfall over 30 years 1990 – 2019 288 mm (BoM 2020). |
| ABS Profile | Dalwallinu ABS profile |
| Shire Website | Shire of Dalwallinu |
Around 1,400 people live in the Shire of Dalwallinu, about half of whom (~700 people) live in the town of Dalwallinu itself (ABS 2016).
The population in the Shire of Dalwallinu increased by 11.5% between the last census in 2011 and the most recent census in 2016, and is projected to decrease by 5.5% by 2031 (DPLH 2016).
Approximately 16% of residents of the Shire of Dalwallinu were born overseas and approximately 5% are of Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander descent.
Estimates of the resident populations as at 30 June are released annually for Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Australia by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The estimates are generally revised 12 months later and final estimates are available after the following census. Visit the ABS website for further details.
The economy of the Shire of Dalwallinu depends primarily on agriculture and related services, alongside a thriving plastics and concrete manufacturing sector. Local farming includes the production of cereal crops (wheat, canola, lupins, oats) and livestock (primarily sheep). Wildflower tourism is a growing area of the economy.
The main land use in the Shire of Dalwallinu is agriculture.
Nature Reserves
Xantippe Nature Reserve
The Xantippe Nature Reserve covers ~255 ha and is located near Lake De Courcy. The reserve is a good spot for spring wildflowers, including orchids.
Snake Gully Nature Reserve
The Snake Gully Nature Reserve covers ~403 ha and is located in the Xantippe area. The reserve forms part of the Yamatji conservation estate.
Sawyers Nature Reserve
The Sawyers Nature Reserve covers ~22 ha and is located north west of Kalannie.
Old Store Nature Reserve
The Old Store Nature Reserve covers ~84 ha and is located south east of Kalannie.
Nugadong and East Nugadong Nature Reserve
The Nugadong Nature Reserve covers ~14 ha and the East Nugadong Nature Reserve covers ~1 108 ha. Both reserves are located north of Dalwallinu.
Jibberding Nature Reserve
The Jibberding Nature Reserve covers ~332 ha and is located on the edge of Lake Goorly.
Goodlands Nature Reserve
The Goodlands Nature Reserve covers ~1 805 ha and located near the edge of Lake Moore.
Carlyarn Nature Reserve
The Carlyarn Nature Reserve covers ~3 475 ha and is located on the edge of Lake Moore.
Buntine Nature Reserve
The Buntine Nature Reserve is a large remnant covering ~2 500 ha of upland plant communities. The reserve is an important habitat for native frogs and wildflowers, including several orchid species. Buntine is one of the largest remnant vegetation patches within the farmland portion of the Northern Agricultural Region and is also home to a population of Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata.
Geology
The shire lies on the South West Terrain, which forms part of the Yilgarn Craton and consists of granite rock, gneiss and minerals rich in iron and magnesium. Soils are a mixture of loamy calcareous earth, deep sands and sandy earth. Sodic subsoils of loamy and red loamy duplexes also occur in the area. The landscape of the shire is characterised by undulating sandplain, valley floors and alluvial flats and a salt lake chain associated with an ancient drainage system.
Environment
The shire is located within the Tallering (YAL02) and Merredin (AVW01) IBRA sub-regions and is characterised by low open woodlands and proteaceous scrub. One Priority Ecological Community occurs in the shire – the Red Morrell Eucalyptus longicornis woodland of the Wheatbelt.
Groundwater Areas
Gascoyne Groundwater Area
The Gascoyne Groundwater Area extends north to Kalbarri and bounds the Arrowsmith Groundwater Area east to pastoral country. The largest groundwater aquifer occurs in the Yarragadee Formation, which has an estimated yield of 22.5 million m³/year. Groundwater from fractured rock aquifers in the eastern, inland part of the region is predominantly saline, with poor yields.
Rivers
Moore River
Drainage Basin Length (km) Catchment Area (km2) Average Stream Salinity (mg/L) Key Characteristics Moore-Hill 288 13,450 3000-35000 The Moore River’s eastern reaches (Moore River East) which originates near Dalwallinu, and northern reaches (Moore River North) commences east of Coorow. The major tributaries are the Coonderoo River and Gingin Brook. The Moore River enters the ocean at Guilderton and the estuary is only open to the ocean for a few weeks each year.
Wetlands
Lake Moore
Lake Moore is a dry salt lake east of Perenjori. The site is one of the most sacred places for the Badimia people of the area, where ceremonies traditionally took place. Lake Moore is used regularly to this day, by Badimia families, for hunting, camping, collecting bush medicines and teaching the younger generation about country and culture.
Badimia Bandi Barna Aboriginal Corporation
Badimia Bandi Barna Aboriginal Corporation
Birdlife Western Australia
Birdlife Western Australia
Central Wheatbelt Biosecurity Association
Central Wheatbelt Biosecurity Association
Moore Catchment Council
Moore Catchment CouncilMoore Catchment Council is a non-for profit, community body elected to represent the community’s interest in Natural Resource Management issues. The sub-region includes Shires in the Northern Agricultural Region that are directly associated with the Moore River catchment and drainage system – an area covering approximately 14 000 square kilometers, from Perenjori in the north east to Gingin in the south, where the River meets the Indian Ocean at Guilderton.
The philosophy of the Moore Catchment Council is to protect and continue to enhance the natural resources of the area for future generations. The role of the Council is to promote integrated catchment management and co-ordinate efforts to ensure effective on-ground action, along with sourcing funding to implement community prioritised strategies.
(Adapted from: Moore Catchment Council website)
Yarra Yarra Catchment Management Group
Yarra Yarra Catchment Management Group Contact: Peter SymeThe Yarra Yarra Catchment Management Group (YYCMG) is a community-based working group concerned with natural resource management in the Yarra Yarra region. YYCMG activities include rehabilitation of drainage lines, revegetation, saltland pasture, and sustainable farming practices.