Broomehill

Broomehill is a town on the Great Southern Highway between Katanning and Albany, in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. Its local government area is the Shire of Broomehill-Tambellup.HistoryThe town of Broomehill owes its creation to the Great Southern Railway, which was completed in 1889. The railway runs from Beverley to Albany. Broomehill is named after Sir Frederick Napier Broome (1842–96) who was then the Governor of Western Australia.The townsite was gazetted by the Western Australian Land Company in 1890, which was recognised by the state government in 1897. A group of settlers from the now extinct town of Eticup moved to the present site of Broomehill to help establish a township after the construction of the railway was completed. These settlers included the Withams, the Walshes, and the Curnows. These three families worked hard to establish the early structures. In 1892, a police station and post office were also established.The population of the town was 72 (37 males and 35 females) in 1898. The official spelling of Broomehill was changed from two words to one in 1959.EconomyThe main industry in town is wheat farming with the town being a Cooperative Bulk Handling receival site. There is also some sheep farming, while more recently farmers have diversified into viticulture and aquaculture (in the form of barramundi farming).