Located in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt, 316 kilometres east of Perth, 306 kilometres west of Kalgoorlie and 55 kilometres east of Merredin the Shire of Westonia is renowned for its stunning natural woodlands, breathtaking granite outcrops, beautiful wildflowers and vast open skies.

The shire population consists of approximately 277 people spread across an area of 3,268 square kilometres and includes the towns of Walgoolan, Carrabin, Warralakin and the main centre Westonia. Westonia’s main industries are broadacre wheat and sheep farming, and gold mining.

The town of Westonia was named after Alfred David Weston, a sandalwood cutter who prospected in his spare time, and discovered gold near Boodalin Soak in 1910. He pegged the lease and started mining, creating a rush of gold prospectors to the area. A month after Alfred Weston made his initial application for four gold mining leases, Edmund Annear of Burracoppin made an application for a mining lease three miles south east of Weston’s leases at the Boodalin Soak. Annear named the lease the Edna May after an aunt. This lease would eventually become Westonia’s Edna May Gold mine, a mine that has been an active gold mine four times since the initial lease was pegged. The Edna May is currently operated by Evolution Mining who poured their first gold from the mine in April of 2010, which signalled its movement into full mining production for the fourth time.

By the 1930’s the district had also been extensively developed for agriculture and wheat/sheep farming now represents the primary industry in the area. Westonia has however always benefitted greatly from the coexistence of both the mining and agricultural industries within the shire.