Nyabing Business
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Local business has played an important part of developing the fabric of the Nyabing community. From its earliest beginnings there have been shops, railways, schools, agricultural suppliers and service centres, and much more.
We have limited information and photographs about many of those businesses. If your family had a business in Nyabing over the years, and you can provide information, photos, or just your memories, we would love to hear from you.
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CO-OPERATIVE BULK HANDLING
Co-operative Bulk Handling (The CBH Group) was born out of adversity. In the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, Australia and the world were in the grip of the Great Depression. Nowhere did it have more impact than in the bush; the price of wheat had fallen to a point where it was barely worth harvesting. It was the realisation that a cheap and efficient bulk handling system would reduce growers’ costs and the outlay on wheat bags which led to the birth of CBH. Continue reading
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GANNAWAY’S STORE
January 1970 saw the start of the Gannaway family’s 27 years of business operations in Nyabing. They had purchased a small country general store with a back shed full of “dead wool”, rats, mice and empty cool drink bottles. The shop had a wooden floor with high heel breaking cracks and a pressed metal ceiling that provided their first challenge when they decided to paint it white changing from its dark green colour.
For the first two years Jack and Mary Gannaway worked with great energy with the assistance of June Davis (Mills), Kerry Goodchild and Lorraine Webse, with a host of part time ladies as well. Continue reading
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EDUCATION
(Primary School)
On 2 February, 1915, Nyabing School was opened with eleven students enrolled. During the first year, student numbers grew to fifteen. The families represented at the school were the Kippin, Charsley, Wisbey, Fenton, Cox, Elliot, Coff, and Fiebig. Mr Thomas Sherwood was the appointed teacher.
February 2, 1921, saw Gladys Davie was transferred from Nungarin to Nyabing School, staying until December, 1923. There was an enrolment of 14 students, which rose to 19 in 1922. The families attending Nyabing in the 1920’s were Charsley, Langley, Killey, Gaby, Quartermaine, Coff, Fotheringham, Coote, Jury, Hemmingway, Mitchell, Blundy, Johnston, Shields and Mills. Continue reading
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RAILWAY
Katanning – Nampup (Nyabing) – Pingrup Branch Line
The WA Government Railway to Nyabing began construction in 1910, and in April 1912 the Katanning – Nampup (Nyabing) Railway line officially opened by Premier Scadden in January 1913). After much debate, Nampup was later renamed Nyabing.
In 1923 this line was extended to Pingrup and this ceremony was officiated by Governor Newdegate. A special luncheon was held for this occasion, which was provided by the local women. In 1951 the railway service from Nyabing to Pingrup was suspended by the government and in 1960 it closed. However, the following year the line did open on a seasonal basis. Continue reading
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LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The Shire of Kent was first established in 1923 as the Kent Road Board. In 1955 the name was changed to the Nyabing-Pingrup Road Board and retained this name in 1961 when it became a shire. The name was further altered in 1973 to the Shire of Kent. The name ‘Kent’ apparently comes from the commissariat officer of Dr T. Wilson’s expedition of 1829.
The first white men to visit the area were sandalwood cutters with the first lease of 2000 acres being taken around Cairlocup Lagoon by John Hassell in 1873.
The town of Pingrup was officially gazetted on May 9, 1924. The town of Nyabing was officially gazetted on December 24, 1912 after a name change from Nampup. Nyabing celebrated it’s centenary year in 2012!The Shire of Kent is fortunate to have had a lot of history preserved within both Nyabing and Pingrup, many old buildings, halls and school sidings still exist in the shire, some of them still in tact. The local community holds these historical memories close to their hearts as many families of the districts original settlers still reside within the shire of family farms.
The following item was about a part of a works inspection tour by the Chairman and Board of the Katanning Road Board through Badgebup and Kwobrup to Nyabing. Nyabing was part of the Katanning Road Board district at this time.
RECEPTION AT NYABING.
Tambellup Times
1 March 1919 – P2
The party arrived at Nyabing in good time, and was welcomed by Mr. W. G. Coote, chairman of the Nyabing Progress Association. After very welcome refreshment had been provided, Mr. Coote said that the Board must be prepared to listen to a certain amount of growling, but it was not to be taken as a sign of want of confidence. He and his fellow settlers at Nyabing realised fully the work done by the members of the Board in a purely honorary capacity, and any comments made were to be taken more as friendly advise than adverse criticism.
Mr. Richardson, who was greeted with applause, said the Board was always willing to listen to any complaints or demands for improved road communication, and was prepared to do the best it could with the money at its disposal. He referred to a letter which recently appeared in the “Great Southern Herald,” charging the Board with extravagance in certain directions, and failure to do necessary work in other directions.
One charge of extravagance was the honorarium of £20 paid to the secretary. The writer of the letter referred to had overlooked the fact that this expenditure had been incurred by the Water Board and not the Road Board. At the time the Water Board took over the Katanning water scheme – more than three months ago – £300 had been charged against it for administrative costs, but since then not one penny had been spent under this heading.
Mr. Hewson had done the necessary supervisory work in addition to his usual duties, although the Government had recommended that an additional officer be engaged to do the extra work. He considered it was only just to recognise the manner in which Mr. Hewson had worked in the interests of the Board.
In regard to the purchase of the motor car, the distances that had to be covered by the supervisor in carrying out his duties made the use of a car essential, and were it not for the car, outlying places like Nyabing could seldom be visited. This, and the erection of water troughs in Katanning, had been approved by the majority of the members of the Board in the interests of the district.
In speaking of the tour of inspection by the Board, Mr. Richardson said that it was made with the object of seeing how its money was being spent, and to ascertain what work was most urgently required. He wished to voice his appreciation of the reception tendered to them, and to thank the ladies who had provided the excellent repast.
He had to apologise for the absence of Mr. A. Thomson, the member for the district, and also Messrs. R. W. A. Warren and A. Prosser, members of the Board, who were away fire fighting. Mr. E. A. Gaby said he wished to protest against the present method of laying poison by the Rabbit Department. Just recently he had lost 50 pigs through the action of the Department in laying poison along the rabbit fence within the distance rented by him and right alongside his piggeries. His loss represented over £100, and he contended that baits should not be laid within that section of the fence which abutted on his property, and for which be paid rental. He considered the poison carts would do better work by operating on reserves and Crown lands.
Mr. Shields asked whether it would be possible to obtain the service of the road-making machine for the roads in the Nyabing district. He pointed out that if work were to be done when first necessary it would save big expenditure later on. There were roads that if repaired before the winter could he done at comparatively little cost, but if left over the winter would be impassable.
Mr. P. H. Johnston spoke on the question of rates charged against the property of men who had gone on active service. He said that over 80 men had enlisted from the district and in many cases their land had been idle, for upwards of four years and, whilst becoming more unproductive, were piling up arrears of rates and taxes. He asked what was to be done with this accumulation of debt. With regard to re-classification, he said that the inspector who came out for the purpose did the whole district in two days. The Government had reduced the value of the properties at Nyabing to a minimum by offering to ex change them for others within the fence. The Road Board had reduced the valuations by 50 per cent, but had unduly increased the rates by 50 per cent and so annulled any benefit to settlers.
The speaker also referred to poison grubbing on roads, for which tenders had been called. He considered it useless to do this work at present, as the bush fires bad swept the roads clean. He asked the Board to consider the re-surveying of some of the old tracks.
Mr. J. M. Jury asked that the Board grub about l1 miles of road between Manuel’s and Mitchell’s corner.
The chairman, in reply, stated the Board could only deal with roads as they were, and the most it could do was to recommend a deviation where the present track warranted that procedure. In any case it was impossible for the Board to do anything unless the settlers made application, which could be sent on to the Department with a recommendation. Poison laying along the fence within areas rented to settlers he considered wrong, and would bring the question before the authorities. The road-making machine had been used practically during the whole of the past winter within the boundaries of the East Ward.
With regard to soldiers’ holdings, rents were out of the Board’s jurisdiction, but he could assure them no demand for rates would be made on soldiers’ land. Should notices be served it was in error, and should be returned. The matter was being dealt with fully, and some definite
conclusion would be arrived at. With regard to assessments, any reasonable request would have consideration, but he would point out that at last Revision Court only one application was made from Nyabing, and that assessment was reduced by 50 per cent. The road at Manuel’s would receive consideration.
Regarding grubbing poison on roads, no definite proposal bad been received from the settlers for the Board to act on. In his opinion where a contract to grub poison was let, it should contain a proviso that the road be kept clean for at least three years.
Mr. O. A. Caldwell proposed, and W. H. Forbes seconded a vote of thanks to the ladies for their hospitality. Mr. T. Garstone joined with the other speakers in their thanks to the ladies, and also moved a vote of thanks to the chairman of the Progress Association, Mr. W. G. Coote, which was seconded by Mr. A. McD. Sargent.
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CAN YOU HELP?
Many businesses have come and gone in Nyabing and districts over the years and, although the Nyabing Historical Society has done a great job in its research, many are not included here. Do you have any information and photos of some of those missing businesses?
If you do, we would love to hear from you here:
You can email admin@lostkatanning.com
or CLICK HERE
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