Mundiwindi (Mundi Windi)

Western Australia

Mundiwindi can refer to the original telegraph repeater station or the replacement station established about 11km north sometimes referred to a Telecom Station. Cundlebar Pastoral Station was renamed Mundiwindi for a while. This webpage is not focussed on Cundlebar.

At one time the Great Northern Highway used to pass through Mundiwindi but nowadays the highway goes near the township of Newman instead.

Mundiwindi is 1149 kilometres (714 miles) from Perth between Meekatharra and Nullagine. It is 124km east of Newman. There was a telegraph station there which later became known as a "Telecom station". This closed down in March 1977.

The original Mundiwindi

In 1913, a number of names were put forward for the site and these were narrowed down. Among the final recommendations (apart from Mundiwindi) were "Nulpeak" and "Mungera". One government official noted that: For some reason these names [Mundiwindi and Mungera] do not appear on present lithos, but are on an old plan 18G & were named I think by J. H. Rowe. _NAA

On 20 January 1914 Edward Keogh ceased his role as Senior Lineman at Mundiwindi. _{Commonwealth Gazette}

On 28 August 1914 a photograph of donkey teams leaving Meekatharra with 33 tonnes of building materials for the telegraph lineman’s quarters at Mundiwindi was published in the Western Mail. The quarters were being built for the Commonwealth by the WA Public Works Department.

Samuel Ferguson (1884-) a senior lineman was appointed as officer in charge of Mundiwindi in 1915. Shortly afterwards, he was joined by another lineman, Bernard Rimnicker. _{Goodbye Mundiwindi, quoting George Hymus} Note: A Bernard Rimnicker was listed at the Palace Hotel, Peak Hill with an occupation of publican on the 1912 Commonwealth Electoral Roll.

December 1916: The men William Price and Edward Hackett, whom Dr. Kerr brought down from the telegraph repeating station at Mundi Windy last week, are suffering from enteric fever and not ptomaine poisoning; as stated in our last issue. Both sufferers are at present inmates of the Meekatharra hospital. _{Meekatharra Miner} Edward Francis Henry Hackett (born in Geraldton in 1891) died in the hospital on 26 December 1916.

Tobacco tin posted 1925 from Mundiwindi. Note the Mundiwindi postmark. Image courtesy of Ivy Collins

The vital role of Mundiwindi can be further appreciated when it is realised that in those days, the route for the overseas telegraph line passed through Meekatharra, Mundiwindi and Marble Bar, linking the submarine cable which entered the ocean at Broome en route to Banjorwangie, in Java, and from there to other countries throughout the world. _{Goodbye Mundiwindi, quoting George Hymus}

There was confusion in Perth over the location of Mundiwindi. In 1923 the PMG's Senior Inspector sent a telegram to the Postmaster at Mundiwindi requesting "At what mile post is your telegraph station" and "how far from the stock route". This was important because the PMG was applying to the WA government for a lease for a camel paddock of 500 acres or 1000 acres. The state government did not want the paddock to impede drovers on the stock route. _NAA

In the mid 1920’s the senior lineman was Raymond John (Boysey) Cockram (18 December 1882 - 27 July 1940). Cockram received an annual "Native Allowance" of £35 to subsidise the cost of engaging a housekeeper. In 1924 Will Bowden was appointed lineman at Mundiwindi (probably to replace lineman, William Hollingsworth (28 September 1875-?), who had taken extended sick leave) and his Letters Home make interesting reading.

Originally the communication was by means of a single wire earth return circuit. In 1959 a project was commenced to upgrade the single wire to a 12 channel open wire repeater system. _{Goodbye Mundiwindi, quoting George Hymus}

Mundiwindi provided the communications link between the Woomera Rocket Range and Talgarno, which was established in the target area for testing Blue Streak missiles._{Goodbye Mundiwindi, quoting George Hymus}

The second Mundiwindi

The water supply at the original Mundiwindi site was poor. A new site seven miles to the north was selected, buildings erected and handed over to Telecom in February 1962. "However thanks to a bag of lawn seeds, manure, plants and various species, an abundance of good quality water and plenty of hard work by original staff members such as Fred Atkins, Kingsley Cant, and Bill Wright, the PMG village soon became know as the 'Oasis in the Desert'." Fruit trees (bananas, pawpaws, oranges and lemons) and various types of vegetables flourished. Goodbye Mundiwindi, quoting George Hymus. _{Goodbye Mundiwindi, quoting George Hymus}

At the time [1964] the complete population of Mundiwindi comprised the Guthrie family [Tom, a Senior Technician, and his wife, and their children, Stephen, Sharon, Tommy and David], District Line Officer Fred Atkins and his wife, who was the Postmistress and Lineman Bill Wright and his wife and sixteen month old daughter, Michelle. Mr and Mrs Atkins had been three years at the old Mundiwindi Station which is about seven miles south, and three years at the present site. _{APO Magazine}

In 1964 the only buildings were three Post Office, an engine room, a trunkline equipment building, a pump house (good quality water came from a bore) and a line depot. _{APO Magazine}

In 1967, a contract was arranged by the Commonwealth Department of Works to J Wiinschl of Maylands, “Mundiwindi—Three new drainage systems” for $2,500 _{Commonwealth Gazette}

References:

Anon. (1965) 'Learning By Radio At Mundiwindi' found in APO Magazine Page 13 February-March edition.
Anon. (1977) 'Goodbye Mundiwindi' found in The Institute Vol 1 No 7 Australia Post
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 7 February 1914 p225 ‘Commonwealth Public Service’ accessed via Trove
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 31 August 1967 p4822 ‘Commonwealth Public Service’ accessed via Trove
Meekatharra Miner 16 December 1916 p2 'General News' accessed via Trove
National Archives of Australia: PP212/1, 0/31/373
Western Mail 28 Aug 1914 p30 ‘DONKEY TEAMS LEAVING MEEKATHARRA FOR MUNDIWINDI WITH 33 TONS OF BUILDING MATERIAL FOR THE TELEGRAPH LINESMAN'S QUARTERS’ accessed via Trove

Do you have any further information or photographs? What about "old Mundiwindi"? Please use the feedback button below to send an email to John using the feedback button with additional information.