| Type: | town |
| Rawlinna | |
| State: | wa |
| Lga: | City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder |
| Local Map: | yes |
| Zoom: | 6 |
| Coordinates: | -31.009°N 144.915°W |
| Postcode: | 6434 |
| Elevation: | 183 |
| Stategov: | Eyre |
| Fedgov: | O'Connor |
| Dist1: | 910 |
| Dir1: | east |
| Location1: | Perth |
| Dist2: | 350 |
| Dir2: | west |
| Location2: | the Western Australia border |
| Dist3: | 1190 |
| Dir3: | west |
| Location3: | Port Augusta |
Rawlinna is an isolated locality on the Trans-Australian Railway in Western Australia, about 900km (600miles) east of Perth, east of Kalgoorlie and 350km (220miles) west of the Western Australia / South Australia border. It is on the Nullarbor Plain, about 50sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 from its western fringe; the topography is flat and well grassed, with saltbush and bluebush, with small belts of myall and myoporum trees.[1] Annual rainfall is 288mm. Maximum daytime temperatures are typically 38C through summer and 19C during winter.[2] In 2016, the population in the area was recorded as 30 people.[3]
Rawlinna is the southernmost end of the Connie Sue Highway, a 4-wheel drive track that extends 650km (400miles) north to the Aboriginal community of Warburton.[4] Rawlinna comes under the jurisdiction of the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, despite being situated 380km (240miles) to the east.
Australia's largest operating sheep station, Rawlinna Station, covering an area of 1011714ha – about the area of the Sydney conurbation – adjoins the railway line. It runs up to 65,000 Merino sheep in a good season. Mustering and droving are done on motorbikes and in aircraft to locate them, beginning in January for a 10-week shearing program. A muster can take up to 100km (100miles) to get the sheep into the shearing shed at Jumbuck's "Depot" outstation.[2]
A small, open-cut limestone mine is 2km (01miles) north of the settlement, from which lime is extracted for gold production at Kalgoorlie.
Visitors come from far and wide each year to the popular gymkhana known as the "Nullarbor Muster", which benefits a number of charities.[5]
Rawlinna is a stop for the Indian Pacific, the experiential tourism train that operates between Perth and Sydney.[2]
The train is the successor to the Trans-Australian, which was inaugurated in 1917, when the line was opened. Before 1951, when diesel locomotives were introduced, steam locomotives required frequent servicing because of poor water quality; Rawlinna was one of four major stations that had workshops and facilities such as a food store and bakery operated by the Commonwealth Railways,[6] and a school which took part in an annual inter-school sports day alongside students from Cook and Tarcoola.[7] However, all Commonwealth Railways operational buildings have been demolished; about a dozen buildings remain.[8]