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Spencers Brook is a waterway, locality and a district in Western Australia.
Contents
Map of Spencers Brook WA 6401, Australia
The locality is located between the towns of Northam and York, about 95 kilometres (60 mi) east of the state capital, Perth. At the 2006 census, Spencers Brook had a population of 195.
It was an important junction point on the Eastern Railway. It was opened in 1886 as a stage of the Chidlow to Northam railway. It was operating as a stopping place from 1888 at 50 miles 44 chains (81.35 km) from Perth.
Spencers Brook was the site of a railway station until 1966, incorporating a railway yard, railway tearooms and a watering tank tower. It was a significant stop in the pre-1966 era of steam locomotives, being a junction where the line from Northam split south - the Great Southern Railway - to York / Albany and west to Clackline / Perth. With the 1966 closing of the line from Spencers Brook through to Perth, all associated rail infrastructure was subsequently removed and nothing remains today of the former Spencers Brook junction/station. However, the Great Southern Railway does still arc through Spencers Brook between the towns of Northam and York.
Spencers Brook does retain some distant railway connection in that it remains home to the historical Spencers Brook Tavern established in 1884; it also features nearby the Muresk Institute, Curtin University's school of agribusiness, applied biosciences and environmental biology.
The closest commercial centre is Northam, located approximately 15 kilometres north of Spencers Brook.
Military History
During World War II Spencers Brook was the location of the Australian Army 7th Supply Depot (7SD) which stored materiel such as clothing, medical supplies and food etc for storage and distribution. The depot was diagonally opposite from the Spencers Brook Tavern and was serviced by a spur rail line from the Great Southern Railway.