NARROGIN Narrogin, for most will be a bit of a pleasant surprise packet. Narrogin is the next town encountered when traveling south from Northam to Albany. Narrogin is a tidy and proud town. Heritage and history is clearly important, and this outlook shows in all aspects of this community. Incidentally, in the age of steam engines, Narrogin was one of the largest railway operation hubs in the southern part of Western Australia. Narrogin is an Aboriginal name, having been first recorded as "Narroging" for a pool in this area in 1869. The meaning of the name is uncertain, various sources recording it as "bat camp", "plenty of everything" or derived from "gnargagin" which means "place of water". The first Europeans into the Narrogin area were Alfred Hillman and his party who surveyed the track between Perth and Albany in 1835. The area was first settled in the 1860s and 1870s when pastoralists moved and settled in isolated outposts. The population was so scattered that there was no incentive to establish a town. Narrogin is enjoying a strong and constant growth of approximately 2% per year, though at the expense of surrounding areas, but that said heritage is clearly important.  The Old Court House Museum  and Agricultural Museum are a major attractions for tourists. The Anglican Church is a 100 year plus classic. The Catholic a modern disaster. The United is also a very old building. The Narrogin Hotel is over 100 years old. The Duke of York likewise. The Narrogin War Memorial is within the very tasteful Memorial Gardens. Allow a minimum of a day or so to delight in this great 'little' town. Lots to do here. Heritage diary