| Wundowie | |
Location: | 68km east of Perth |
Shire: | Northam |
Population: | 711 |
Postcode: | 6560 |
Until 1943 the area around Wundowie was limited to farming and vineyards. Nearby was a Methodist home for boys. At that time the State government decided to establish a wood distillation, charcoal iron ore plant in the district and the town of Wundowie was created.
The plant and town site were located on the then Perth-Kalgoorlie railway line, close to the Goldfields Water Supply main, with abundant supplies of natural timber for the project in the surrounding forest. The charcoal iron industry was closed some years ago and the foundry now operates on a very small scale. With the completion of the standard gauge railway from Perth to Kalgoorlie, the rail link from Perth to Northam was removed and now the only access to Wundowie is by road.
The rural landscape surrounding Wundowie is most picturesque, with treeclad rolling hills dotted with bare rock outcrops. Springtime produces a great profusion of Western Australia's famous wildflowers, and being only a short distance from Perth, the area is a major tourist attraction at that time.