Darkan

History

The area was originally settled by William John Gibbs and his family in the 1860s. Gibbs established a property called "Darkan", using a local Aboriginal name which means Black Rock. The townsite developed when the Collie to Narrogin railway line was built, and in 1906, the townsite was gazetted. The town grew quickly thereafter, with a Road Board being established and numerous shops and services being established in the following years. The railway closed in the early 1990s, but the surrounding productive wool growing and mixed farming area along with tourism have ensured the town's survival. In 1928 a 12-year-old girl Ivy Lewis was murdered by John Milner, who was later hanged for his crime.

Most-observed species

• Australian Ringneck

  Barnardius zonarius (Shaw, 1805) · Aves
  47
• Butter Orchid

  Caladenia flava R.Br. · Liliopsida
  41
• Australian Raven

  Corvus coronoides Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 · Aves
  39
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  33
• Stylidium uniflorum Sond.

  Stylidium uniflorum Sond. · Magnoliopsida
  29
• Common Velleia

  Goodenia trinervis (Labill.) K.A.Sheph. · Magnoliopsida
  25
• jug orchid

  Pterostylis recurva Benth. · Liliopsida
  23
• Drosera tubaestylis N.Marchant & Lowrie

  Drosera tubaestylis N.Marchant & Lowrie · Magnoliopsida
  21

Most recent

• M 4.4 — 2023-02-05
  24 km WSW of Wagin, Australia
• M 4.3 — 2022-02-01
  13 km S of Wagin, Australia
• M 4.2 — 2022-01-24
  29 km NE of Narrogin, Australia
• M 4.9 — 2022-01-24
  23 km W of Wagin, Australia
• M 4.2 — 2022-01-22
  32 km WSW of Wagin, Australia
• M 4.2 — 2022-01-05
  41 km E of Narrogin, Australia