Crossman, Western Australia


Crossman is a town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, of the state capital, Perth along Albany Highway, and east of Boddington.

Origin of the name

The name honours Lt William Crossman of the Royal Engineers, who arrived in Fremantle as a second lieutenant stationed in Perth in 1852, but was responsible for works in the Albany district and for roads in the area. In 1853, in company with surveyor A.C. Gregory, he examined and reported on various routes between Perth and Albany, and recommended that the then-current routes via York or Bunbury be replaced by a straight line between Kelmscott and Albany. After serving as colonial magistrate, he returned to England in 1856 and later was promoted to captain and served as a British Member of Parliament for Portsmouth. The Crossman River, a tributary of the Hotham River, was most likely named by A.C. Gregory in 1853.

Present day

Riverside Roadhouse, a 24-hour roadhouse with takeaway and sit-down meals, operates on Albany Highway. Accommodation is available away, and Crossman Wildflower Reserve, a year-round sanctuary for flora and fauna and home to a wide range of native orchids, and Woolpack Lavender Farm, which opened in January 2003 and showcases lavender varieties.
The roadhouse is a stop on the Transwa bus services to Albany and Esperance.