Cowaramup Wa

Cowaramup is a town in the South West of Western Australia, 12 kilometres north of Margaret River in the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River.

Name

The name Cowaramup derives its name from Cowaramup Siding, which was located near the townsite, on the now disused Busselton to Augusta railway. The townsite was gazetted in 1925, originally to support the timber and dairy industries. The name is believed to be derived from Aboriginal word "Cowara", meaning Purple-crowned Lorikeet. Locals from the region often refer to the town as 'Cowtown', a reference to the use of 'cow' in the town's name and its history of dairy farming.

Description

Cowaramup is roughly central to the Margaret River Wine Region. It is the closest townsite to a number of wineries and other specialty producers including Vasse Felix, Howard Park and Madfish Winery, the Margaret River Chocolate Factory, and The Margaret River Cheese Company. The town is close to Cowaramup Bay, a popular swimming and surfing beach. As such a large number of tourists to the region pass through and visit the town and play an important role in the local economy.

The town centre consists of a local store providing basic produce, a post office, a bakery, a fruit & veg shop, a real estate agent and farm agency, a service station/workshop, a liquor store, a social club, parkland and various specialty stores selling everything from gourmet produce, candies and arts and crafts to computing goods. Accommodation in or near the town consists of the Taunton Farm Caravan Park, a bed and breakfast and various chalets and cottages in the area. There is one restaurant and two cafes in the town as well as numerous others on nearby winery properties. The town has one primary and pre-primary school, a town oval and tennis club, BMX track and a bowling green. The nearest high school and university campuses are in Margaret River. Police and fire services are based in Margaret River and Busselton.