Allanson, Western Australia

Town in Western Australia

33°20′S 116°06′E / 33.33°S 116.1°E / -33.33; 116.1Population515 (UCL 2021)^[1]Established1912Postcode(s)6225Elevation190 m (623 ft)Area24.2 km² (9.3 sq mi)Location

195 km (121 mi) south of Perth
6 km (4 mi) west of Collie
26 km (16 mi) east of Brunswick Junction

LGA(s)Shire of CollieState electorate(s)Collie-Preston Federal division(s)Forrest

Allanson is a town on the banks of the Collie River in the South West region of Western Australia, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) by road west-northwest of Collie. The Coalfields Highway passes through the town.

Land was originally set aside for coal miners so that they could live close to the mines in 1898. A railway station named West Collie opened in the same year. The original townsite, also called West Collie, was gazetted in 1906. The original townsite was later discovered to be placed over commercially viable coal seams so a new townsite was founded in 1911 located a short distance from the original.

The new town was gazetted in 1912 and its name was changed in 1916 to Allanson. The town was named after an MLA for the seat of Collie, Arthur Alan Wilson, who was in office from 1908 to 1947.^[2]

Allanson restored its original bush school in 2002 after it operated in the town from 1911 to 1989 before being closed. A book A History of Allanson: Our Little Bush School has been written about people's memories of the school and community.^[3]

References

^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Allanson (urban centre and locality)". Australian Census 2021.
^ "History of country town names – A". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
^ "Collie Mail - Third edition for Allanson bush school book". 2003. Archived from the original on 5 August 2008. Retrieved 29 September 2008.