Caiguna, Western Australia
| Caiguna Western Australia | |
|---|---|
 John Eyre Motel, Caiguna. | |
| Population | 4 (SAL 2021)[1] |
| Established | 1962 |
| Postcode(s) | 6443 |
| Location | |
| LGA(s) | Shire of Dundas |
| State electorate(s) | Eyre |
| Federal division(s) | O'Connor |
Caiguna is a small roadhouse community located on the Eyre Highway in Western Australia. It is the second stop east of Norseman on the long journey east across the Nullarbor Plain. Between Balladonia and Caiguna is a 146.6-kilometre (91.1 mi) stretch of the highway which is one of the longest straight stretches of road in the world.
History
The name is an Aboriginal word possibly meaning "spear track". In 1841, Edward John Eyre's party, consisting of Eyre, a man named John Baxter and three Aboriginals including one named Wylie, travelled across the Nullarbor, leaving Fowler's Bay in South Australia. On 29 April, two of the Aboriginals killed John Baxter and disappeared into the desert, taking most of the party's supplies. Due to the terrain, Baxter could not be buried, so his remains were wrapped in a blanket and left behind, and Eyre and Wylie pressed on for another month, after which they were rescued by a French vessel off Thistle Cove near modern-day Esperance, Western Australia. A memorial to Baxter is located 10 km south of the roadhouse.[2]
The townsite was established in 1962 to assist traffic crossing the Nullarbor for the Commonwealth Games in Perth.[3][4]
Present day
Caiguna today consists of not much more than the John Eyre Motel that provides roadhouse facilities including a basic caravan park. It is one of only three Nullarbor roadhouses to be open 24 hours. A landing strip is located nearby and connects to the roadhouse with a short taxiway.
Caiguna is the town at which the unofficial Central Western Time (CWT) starts.
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Caiguna (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Sydney Morning Herald (8 February 2004). "Travel – Caiguna". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 October 2006.
- ^ "Caiguna". Aussie Towns. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ Shire of Dundas. "Eyre Highway". Retrieved 17 October 2006.
External links
- Shire of Dundas – Towns of the Eyre Highway
- Nullarbor Net – Caiguna including local information.