Santa Claus Has Had More Publicity! Quiz

Answer: Bunbury

Solution: Bread Roll = BUN. Inter = BURY

Founded: 1836
Population: A little under 87,000 in 2017.

Bunbury is situated approximately 180 kilometres south of the State's capital, Perth. It is a port city that has a diverse range of industries to support it, including mining, agriculture, timber and services for a rapidly growing region. With water on three sides it is also an attraction for tourists. It is well known for its street art and bottle nosed dolphins that come in close to the beaches at Koombana Bay.

Answer: Collie

Solutions: (Cryptic) A sheep herding dog is a Border Collie. Lose the edge (Border) and you're left with Collie.
(Rebus) A mountain pass is a COL and a fib is a LIE. COL + LIE = Collie

Established: 1897
Population: A little over 7,000 in 2016.

Collie plays a major part in the electricity supply for Western Australia. It boasts three power stations and two major coal mines, the Premier (yes, the pun in the question was intended) and the Griffin coal mines. Near Collie lies Wellington Dam and 13 kilometres south of the town is the Worsley Alumina refinery. Bauxite is delivered to this site from Mount Saddleback via conveyor belt, a staggering 51 kilometres away.

Answer: Darkan

Solution: Antonym of to lighten is DARKEN. Change the "e" to an "a" to get Darkan.

Established: 1906
Population: 490 according to a census conducted in 2011.

We're in a part of the Western Australian Wheatbelt now. This area is rich in fertile farming land, used predominantly for the production of wheat and the raising of sheep. The town was established by John Gibb who used an aboriginal word for "dark rock" to name the town.

Answer: Wagin

Solution: The chemical symbol for tungsten is "W". Another word for maturing is AGING, however, as instructed in the question, the "G" had been taken off the end of the clue and you needed to do the same with the answer. W + AGIN = WAGIN

Established: 1892
Population: A little under 1,500 in 2006.

We have drifted toward the region known as the Great Southern. This is still wheat and sheep country, with Wagin being well known for the latter. As if to emphasise that point, on your entry into town you are greeted by a giant statue of a ram and the town also hosts the Woolorama in March, a two day agricultural show that draws in the vicinity of 30,000 visitors each year.

Answer: Dumbleyung

Solution: Cannot talk = DUMB + Napoleon's (or the French masculine word) for the = LE + Not old = YOUNG, however, you were asked to remove the "O". Therefore = YUNG

Established: 1907
Population: A little over 220 according to a 2006 census.

We are still in Western Australia's wheatbelt but we're currently 267 kilometres south east of Perth. Nearby is Lake Dumbleyung, a salt water lake that covers fifty two square kilometres, some thirteen kilometres from the town. It gave the town its fifteen minutes of fame on New Year's Eve in 1964 when a forty two year old British speed ace, named Donald Campbell, sped across its waters in a boat called "Bluebird" at 444.66 km/h (276.3 mph) to set a world water speed record.

Answer: Lake Grace

Solution: The (little bit) cryptic clue is telling you that the answer is at the end of the sentence. The hint warns you that there are nine letters in the answer. The last nine letters in the sentence are "L.A. Keg Race = LAKE GRACE

Established: 1911
Population: Just under 550 in 2016.

As part of the Western Australian Wheatbelt there are no prizes for guessing that the economy of this area is based around cereal crops. However, the town made headlines in 2006 for an entirely different reason, it was flooded, thanks to the torrential rains brought in by Tropical Cyclone Daryl. The area was declared a disaster zone by the State Government. Five kilometres before we reached the town, we'd parked our car by the salt lake, that gave the town its name, to take some photographs of the area. We noticed a sign that showed us the water levels at the peak of the flood. I noted that if I'd stood on the roof of my car during that flood the water would have still lapped at my thighs.

Now, I can hear you asking, who the heck is Nat Fyfe? One of the remarkable features of this town's population is that, despite boasting only a little over 500 people, the area has produced six young men to play Australian Rules Football in the AFL, the country's elite level in the game, in the twenty five years since 1995. The most notable of these is Nat Fyfe, a captain of the Fremantle Football Club, who has played in excess of 150 games and won the Brownlow Medal, as the competition's fairest and best player during the 2015 season.

Answer: Newdegate

Solution: Fresh = NEW + DE (Delaware's US postal symbol) + GATE (a hinged barrier)

Established: 1925
Population: A little under 170 in 2016.

Newdegate sits about 400 kilometres south east of Perth in the Western Australia's Great Southern. It is almost halfway between Perth and Esperance. The area is notable for its cereal crops and its annual machinery Field Day, a tradition that began in the early 1970s and draws visitors from across the State and over the border.

Answer: Hyden

Solution: Dr Jekyll's alter ego = HYDE + N, the chemical symbol for nitrogen = HYDEN.

Established: 1932
Population: Approximately 280 people in 2006.

Having travelled this far, a little side trip wasn't going to hurt us and off we went to Hyden. Hyden is the home of Wave Rock, a natural rock formation that is 110 metres long and a little over 15 metres high, that is shaped like a breaking ocean wave. This is one of the main reasons why over 100,000 people visit the town annually.

Hyden was first settled by Sandalwood cutters, seeking the highly prized timber for its natural oils, whose fragrance will last for decades. Since the 1920s this area was seen as a strong wheat growing zone but, in recent times, beef cattle and sheep have been the stronger agricultural economy.

Answer: Lake King

Solution: Ricki LAKE + KING Vidor

Established: 1936
Population: A little more than 330 in 2006.

Blink, and you might miss the three buildings that line the main street of this town. It was, however, a nice place for us to stop and take a wee break - yes you can take that to mean a brief break or a toilet stop. Lake King struggled in its infancy thanks to the continuing effects of the Depression and then the outbreak of World War II. Post war though, it thrived, thanks to strong wheat production and a healthy price for its wool.

Answer: Ravensthorpe

Solution: Poe's bird (plural) = RAVENS + THOR (Norse Thunder God) + P.E. (Physical Education)

Established: 1901
Population: Under 440 in 2006.

The region was first surveyed in 1848 but ignited at the turn of the century with the discoveries of both gold and copper in the area. By 1909 the population had grown to 3,000 people. When the gold ran out those numbers soon dwindled and the region turned to wheat and sheep for survival. By 1968 there were only 800 people in the town.

The mining, however, didn't cease. A new copper mine was opened in the 1960s and BHP Billiton set up a nickel mine in 2008, but suspended operations a year later when prices nosedived. A supply of lithium has been discovered at Mt. Cattlin, two kilometres north of the town. Production was suspended briefly but recommenced in 2016.