Yornaning Dam is on the Yornaning West Road between Cuballing and Popanyinning (20kms from Narrogin on the Great Southern Hwy).
Yornaning is an aboriginal word meaning ‘many waters’, and the dam has been an important resource in the district. It was built in 1896 to provide water for steam locomotives on the Albany/Perth railway. Yornaning town boasted a school, a post office/ general store, and a railway station with refreshment rooms. You can see the site of the Yornaning school on the right as you drive from the highway turnoff to the dam.
When the water became brackish, local farmer Robert Henderson used dynamite from his mining days to blast a diversion bank that diverted salty Cuballing creek water from the dam. Up until 1958 the dam was one of the most reliable and freshest regional water sources, and up to 3 trainloads of water went to Narrogin daily for domestic use in dry seasons.
When diesels replaced steam locomotives and Wellington dam water was piped to Narrogin in 1954, the dam fell into disuse and gradually became polluted and saline.
In a Cuballing Land Conservation District initiative, The Cuballing shire and local farmers with technical assistance from Murdoch University completely renovated the dam and installed facilities.
Having a toilet, children’s’ play equipment and picnic tables in a scenic setting, it is a wonderful picnic spot for all the family. It is also a prime bird watching spot for both land birds and visiting water birds, and wildflowers that can be viewed via a short drive and walking trail when the marker posts are installed.The 6km tourist drive and 1.5 km walking trail both start and finish at the information bay.
check out this YouTube blog
Yornaning is an aboriginal word meaning ‘many waters’, and the dam has been an important resource in the district. It was built in 1896 to provide water for steam locomotives on the Albany/Perth railway. Yornaning town boasted a school, a post office/ general store, and a railway station with refreshment rooms. You can see the site of the Yornaning school on the right as you drive from the highway turnoff to the dam.
When the water became brackish, local farmer Robert Henderson used dynamite from his mining days to blast a diversion bank that diverted salty Cuballing creek water from the dam. Up until 1958 the dam was one of the most reliable and freshest regional water sources, and up to 3 trainloads of water went to Narrogin daily for domestic use in dry seasons.
When diesels replaced steam locomotives and Wellington dam water was piped to Narrogin in 1954, the dam fell into disuse and gradually became polluted and saline.
In a Cuballing Land Conservation District initiative, The Cuballing shire and local farmers with technical assistance from Murdoch University completely renovated the dam and installed facilities.
Having a toilet, children’s’ play equipment and picnic tables in a scenic setting, it is a wonderful picnic spot for all the family. It is also a prime bird watching spot for both land birds and visiting water birds, and wildflowers that can be viewed via a short drive and walking trail when the marker posts are installed.The 6km tourist drive and 1.5 km walking trail both start and finish at the information bay.
check out this YouTube blog
closed fire access track (yellow) and walking trail (red)
The yellow line was a drive trail that was closed by the shire to prevent illegal firewood cutting. It is provides an easy and interesting walk.
0.0 km drive west from information bay, turn left and cross over a collecting drain for the dam and the track then veers left. You are in open wandoo woodland. Look for birds such as rufous tree creeper and orchids, particularly sun orchids in late spring.
0.7 km turn right at the fence through wandoo/jam wattle woodland, then sheoaks at the base of the slope (check for orchids) at the base of the slope before driving uphill through wandoo/grass tree gravelly soil.
1.3 km Prickly dryandra (Banksia armata) and sphere banksia (Banksia sphaerocarpa) scrub. Check for sphere banksia flowers in February to April.
0.0 km drive west from information bay, turn left and cross over a collecting drain for the dam and the track then veers left. You are in open wandoo woodland. Look for birds such as rufous tree creeper and orchids, particularly sun orchids in late spring.
0.7 km turn right at the fence through wandoo/jam wattle woodland, then sheoaks at the base of the slope (check for orchids) at the base of the slope before driving uphill through wandoo/grass tree gravelly soil.
1.3 km Prickly dryandra (Banksia armata) and sphere banksia (Banksia sphaerocarpa) scrub. Check for sphere banksia flowers in February to April.
 prickly dryandra Banksia armata |  sphere banksia Banksia sphaerocarpa |
1.5km Drummonds mallee (Eucalyptus drummondii) and towering Balgas Xanthorrhoea preissii. Do not damage the Balgas as it has taken up to 100 years for the dead needle skirts to form. Check for other flowering proteaceae in spring.
 Drummonds mallee buds |  Balga and dwarf drummonds mallee |
yellow green mistletoe on powderbark tree 1.6km Note the paler green leaves of the Stalked Mistletoe Anyema miqueli in the powderbark foliage ahead. If you look closely you can see the club shaped attachments where the mistletoe is attached. Bright red flowers in February/March turn into sticky sweet berries.
1.7km Powderbark (Eucalyptus accedens) woodland at the top of the slope on water repellent gravel and drooping bitter quandong bushes. Note the powderbark on the fenceline that was ringbarked many decades ago and has produced five new stems from the base.
1.7km Powderbark (Eucalyptus accedens) woodland at the top of the slope on water repellent gravel and drooping bitter quandong bushes. Note the powderbark on the fenceline that was ringbarked many decades ago and has produced five new stems from the base.
 ancient powderbark trunk |  note axe marks on ringbarked dead trunk |
2.1 km. Remnant vegetation patch in the paddock on the left. You can see the shiny leaves and distinctive Y-shaped branches of the brown mallet Eucalyptus astringens that is common on breakaway slopes. Powderbarks have bunchy branches with dull leaves like wandoos.
2.5km Granitic sandy ridge with attractive low shrubs and scattered rock sheoak plants. Red flowering Calothamnus quadrifidus in October/November
As you move further downslope, note the line of balgas as the soil changes to wandoo woodland. Check here for orchids.
2.9km Turn right at T-junction to walk back via the Yornaning West Road or return the way you came.
2.9km Turn right at T-junction to walk back via the Yornaning West Road or return the way you came.
Walking Trail
Walk west from information bay, go around the gate and cross over a collecting drain for the dam and the track then veers left.
1. You are in open wandoo woodland. Look for birds such as rufous tree creeper and orchids, particularly sun orchids in late spring.
Turn left at the fence and cross the waterway.
2. This is the creek that feeds water into the dam.
3. Salmon gum (Eucalyptus salmonophloia) woodland. These magnificent trees indicated desirable land for early farmers who cleared the trees by axe. Salmon gums can be confused with large wandoos, but differ in having shiny leaves (wandoos are dull), and layered foliage (wandoos bunchy).
Walk west from information bay, go around the gate and cross over a collecting drain for the dam and the track then veers left.
1. You are in open wandoo woodland. Look for birds such as rufous tree creeper and orchids, particularly sun orchids in late spring.
Turn left at the fence and cross the waterway.
2. This is the creek that feeds water into the dam.
3. Salmon gum (Eucalyptus salmonophloia) woodland. These magnificent trees indicated desirable land for early farmers who cleared the trees by axe. Salmon gums can be confused with large wandoos, but differ in having shiny leaves (wandoos are dull), and layered foliage (wandoos bunchy).
4. Diversion lagoon.The pipe at the end of this lagoon removes low water flows that tend to be more saline and polluted. When the water level rises it flows over a weir on the right into the dam. This is an excellent water bird watching spot in winter/spring.
5. Good view of the dam, and a great spot for bird watchers when there is a bench.
