Shire of Katanning

Katanning lies at the heart of the Great Southern region providing the residents and surrounding communities with a commercial, cultural and political centre. Long before European settlers began grazing sheep in the district in 1840 the fertile plains provided the local Aboriginal tribe, known as Noongars, with abundant food and water. With the opening of the Great Southern Railway in 1889 Katanning attracted settlers for both commercial and agricultural ventures. The most prominent being Frederick Piesse, who became the first Chairman of the Katanning Road Board in 1892