Wiluna

Wiluna is an old gold rush town in the Murchison region of Western Australia’s Golden Outback with a real bush atmosphere. It’s located at the starting point of the Canning Stock Route and the Gunbarrel Highway - two great outback adventures for four-wheel drive enthusiasts.

At its peak the town was home to the biggest gold mine in Western Australia. Today, Wiluna is chiefly an Indigenous community. It has an active administrative centre and offers several day trips to various lookouts and historic attractions.

Wiluna honours the Last of the Nomads

Warri (1909-1979) and Yatungka (1917-1979) were believed to be the last of the Mandildjara tribe and were perhaps Australia’s last desert nomads leading the traditional Indigenous lifestyle. Long after the Mandildjara people (known also as Martu) had gravitated to urban settlements this couple survived for decades on their own, hunting and eating native fruits.

Warri and Yatungka met in the 1930’s and fell in love, but Indigenous tribal law forbade them from marrying. So to avoid severe physical punishment or even death, the star-crossed lovers ran away together in the middle of the night. Living in isolation, the couple had three children – only two of which survived in the harsh outback conditions.

Despite Warri and Yatungka’s defiance and departure, the Mandildjara elders constantly worried about their welfare. When a severe drought hit the region in 1977, local Indigenous elder, Mudjon, and white explorer, Stan Gratte, set out to find “the last of the nomads”. After several weeks they were found, close to starvation in the Gibson Desert, and brought back to Wiluna. The Indigenous elders forgave Warri and Yatungka, and they remained in Wiluna until 1979, when they passed away within weeks of each other. Their deaths marked the end of an Indigenous lifestyle that stretched back more than 40,000 years. A statue commemorating the Last of the Nomads is located at the town’s entrance.

 Wiluna attractions

• Visit the Tjurkurba Art Gallery, housed in the Council Chambers, and see the display of historic photos and unique paintings by Wiluna’s Indigenous artists who frequent the Gallery workshop, producing high quality paintings for sale.
• Check out the Last of the Nomads statue, the town’s tribute to Warri (1909-1979) and Yatungka (1917-1979), believed to be the last desert nomads leading a traditional lifestyle. See Indigenous history for details.
• Take a look at the Shire Offices, formerly the town hospital where former Governor General Sir Michael Jeffrey was born.
• Head out to the Clay Pans. After rains, these fill with water and are great for windsurfing, canoeing, bird watching and picnics.
• View the grave sites in the Pioneer Cemetery, dated from 1893 to 1903.
• See the hundreds of black swans that descend upon Lake Violet after the rains.

Wiluna accommodation

The Wiluna Hotel and caravan park both offer accommodation. Just outside the town is Gunbarrel Laager, offering accommodation set amongst vineyards. 90 kilometres to the east, a historic cattle station provides basic camping facilities at Lorna Glen Reserve. Search for Wiluna accommodation.

For more information, contact the Wiluna Visitor Centre by emailing wilinfo@wiluna.wa.gov.au, or the Laverton Visitor Centre at greatbeyond@westnet.com.au. Alternatively, search for Wiluna attractions.