Wooroloo is a town located an hour’s drive east of Perth, Western Australia off the Great Eastern Highway.
The town’s name originated from a Noongar Aboriginal word first recorded in 1841. The Byfield’s Mill started operating in the 1880s and was established as a railway terminal for the Eastern Railway. In 1897, this townsite was renamed Wooroloo. Wooroloo was declared in 1913.
A sanatorium for those with tuberculosis and leprosy was built in 1915. By the 1960s, the facility was converted to a general hospital and in 1972, it was turned into a prison.
Ray Williams, a Perth businessman bought an Andalusian stallion “Bodeguero” and five purebred mares and started the first Andalusian stud farm in Australia in 1971. In 1974, it was incorporated into El Caballo Blanco and now it is known as El Caballo Resort which consists of a convention centre, a 18-hole golf course and horse dressage displays.
Two major prisons in Western Australia are situated in Wooroloo – the Wooroloo Prison and the Acacia Prison. The pool at Wooroloo Prison, a minimum security prison is open to the public.
An interesting place to visit is the St Francis Church, a small Anglican church constructed from local laterite stone. The pews and altar are made of jarrah wood, a local timber.
There is the smallest post office in Australia and now houses an intriguing small store selling gifts and curios.
The Railway Reserve Heritage Trail is suitable for walking, cycling and horse riding giving visitors the opportunity to savour the captivating scenery along the trail.
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