Jitarning Townsite

Child Places

• 07025 Jitarning Main Street precinct
• 06976 Jitarning School - Site
• 06921 Randall House

Statement of Significance

The townsite represents a way of life no longer practiced. It presents an identifiable environment of a country town.

Physical Description

Townsite, remaining buildings; hall, hostel and former Co-op still form a main street streetscape and present an identifiable image of a country town main stree

History

In 1905 Michael Brown from Narrogin recognised the potential of the Coolin soak, and took up a lease, becoming the first "pastoralist" in the Kulin district. Between 1905 and 1910 much of the land in Kulin was under pastoral lease, with Michael Brown holding the largest leases. He was the founding member of the Narrogin Road Board and the Narrogin Flour Mills and had considerable assets and interests in the Narrogin District. As a former sandalwood agent, he had an informed knowledge of the land in the Kulin area. Since 1905 Michael Brown had held pastoral leases over land which included what was to become the Jitarning townsite. Brown's base camp was established at Geetarning Soak where he built a shack in 1911. His property named "Geetarning" is reputed to have given the town its name. Shortly after the settlement in Wogolin and Dudinin, the pioneers of Jitarning staked their selections. The presence of water at Kolberin Soak and Long Jack Well drew some early settlers. Poole at Kolberin Soak in January 1909, and in October that year, Spurr at Long Jack Well. Spurr's property of "Comadyne" was supposed to be the townsite of Jitarning which was subsequently located west of Long Jack Well. In 1914 the rail link from Narrogin through Yilliminning was connected to Jitarning, and in 1917 Jitarning became a gazetted town. Economic survival was dependent on communications. The railway network was the lifeline of the wheatbelt. A severe drought in 1914-1915 and the advent of World War One severely curtailed the social and economic development of the Kulin region, and settlers conspired together against outside forces. After Kulin's rail link opened in 1916, the communication linkages altered, and Kulin developed, to the detriment of Jitarning. Jitarning's main supporters up until that time, had been South Kulin people, who now felt an allegiance to Kulin. Kulin became the administrative centre for the newly formed Road District. District functions and social events were held in the Spurr homestead until the Jitarning Hall was built in 1918. Jitarning siding building and railway fixtures were constructed in 1913 ahead of the railway line which was opened in 1914. Tennis courts were built and a "sly grog" shop operated in 1914 in Jitarning. The town of Jitarning was prosperous. The proposed hotel was built in 1919 by Michael Brown, but when he failed to get a liquor license before the Kulin Hotel, the place became a hostel for the itinerant workers, wheat lumpers and the school teacher. As a consequence of Kulin's hotel gaining a liquor license, Kulin town developed and Jitarning failed to develop any further as a commercial or residential centre. During the 1920s Jitarning maintained and increased its community support. The Randalls settled in the town in 1921, taking over the running of Percy Brunton's small shop which had been the first shop in Jitarning. Harry Randall built a new cottage and shop, operating a newsagency and lending library in Jitarning in 1923. On dance nights at the hall, Randalls sold squash and ice-cream. They also catered refreshments for wheat carting and the races. Mrs Randall ran the shop during the weekdays when Harry worked contract clearing. The Randall's sold the newsagency to the Co-op and closed their store in 1926, when the Yilliminning-Kondinin Co-op store opened in Jitarning. Jitarning retained its town , and a strong loyal and supportive community. The town consisted of the hall, hostel, school, co-op store, cottage with shop incorporated, store, blacksmith shop and a house. On the other side of the main road and the railway line, was the post office, railway siding, wheat stacks and weighbridge. Mrs Randall was the station mistress, she checked in goods, ordered trucks for the wheat, and met the trains. The Randall's hospitality was renowned throughout the district. The post office was in the farmhouse across the railway line and west of the siding. Jitarning held a re-union of Pioneers in 1975 and relived the spirit of the old days. The town still has the sense of a community, the grain storage is still in operation at the Jitarning siding, and the telephone exchange has a new phone box located outside the co-op building, which has since become a private residence. The Hostel was also a private residence for many years, and is now a residence and antique shop. The town of Jitarning has been reawakened by the descendants of the pioneer families in recent years. Townsite blocks are open for selection, a history of the town is being researched and the antique shop is attracting passing custom.

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