Frankland, Western Australia

Frankland is a small town in the Great Southern Region of Western Australia. The town is in the shire of Cranbrook and is situated approximately 360 km from the State's capital, Perth, 42 km west of the Albany Highway, 83 km southwest of Kojonup, 19 km north of Rocky Gully and 90 km east of Manjimup. Frankland derives its name from its location 6 km east of the Frankland River. At the 2006 census, Frankland had a population of 380.HistoryFrankland River was named by the surgeon Dr Thomas Braidwood Wilson in 1829. Wilson, who was on his way to Sydney, left Albany to explore the hinterland while his ship, the Governor Phillip, was being repaired. He named Frankland River and Mount Frankland after George Frankland (1800–38), who was the Surveyor General in Van Diemen's Land in 1829. Wilson's explorations helped to show that conditions in the interior were suitable for farming and settlers soon began to move inland. The area was settled in 1857.The state government set aside land for the townsite by 1909 and built a hall and a school. No further developments took place for some time and the townsite was not declared until 1947.