Guide to Baandee Western Australia Australia

Situated in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region, Baandee is a charming small town that lies roughly halfway between Kellerberrin and Merredin along the Great Eastern Highway. It’s about 230 kilometers (or 143 miles) northeast of Perth, the state’s capital.

Officially established in April 1912, the town’s name has Aboriginal origins, although its exact meaning is a subject of debate. Interestingly, a settler pointed out that “Baandui” is the Aboriginal term for Hines Hill, which is located 8 kilometers (or 5 miles) to the east of Baandee.

In the early 1930s, Baandee gained agricultural significance when the Wheat Pool of Western Australia declared that two new wheat elevators, each equipped with an engine, would be set up at the town’s railway siding. At least one of these elevators was operational by the following year.

Located 229 kilometers northeast of Perth and 30 kilometers west of Merredin, Baandee serves as a convenient stopover for travelers in the region.

One of the town’s natural attractions is the Baandee Lakes Lookout. Just a brief drive south from Doodlakine via Bruce Rock – Doodlakine Road, this lookout offers sweeping views of the expansive Baandee Lakes. These saltwater lakes are situated in a depression roughly 40 kilometers west of Merredin. Depending on seasonal rainfall, the lakes can either be brimming with water or reduced to mere salt flats.