DARKAN Darkan is a very small crossroads town that will be encounted when traveling from Williams to Collie. The town is entered into the 2011 tidy town awards. 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 whose meaning is unclear. 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. Darkan is the social and political centre in the Shire of West Arthur. The town has a roadhouse, supermarket, golf course, shire hall, hotel, synthetic tennis courts, basketball courts, primary school and a skatepark. A new addition to this social list is 'The Shed', a workshop mainly for the town’s retirees that consists of a woodworking and a metal working area for the construction of numerous personal projects. A heritage trail (in reality the Road Board Office, Shire Office and Pioneer Hall (1911)) has been established in the town. The Darkan War Memorial is located within the park-like median strip. The Darkan Hotel is well over 100 years old. Has an interesting fire place and loo adorning. The Darkan has only the Catholic Church and that is new. To visit Darkan a diversion is required. Should the traveler have time to spare the visit will enjoyed. Heritage diary