The Wildflower Society of WA (WSWA) presented the Shire of Merredin with a Wildflower Excellence Award at a ceremony at Merredin on Friday 26 June 2026.
The Award recognised and rewarded the Shire of Merredin for excellence in the conservation, protection and management of native vegetation, and wildflowers in particular, under the management of the Shire of Merredin.
The award ceremony was held with the unveiling of a plaque and the presentation of a certificate to the Shire at Roy Little Park in Merredin where 200 locally native plants supplied as part of the award had been planted.
Dr Eddy Wajon, the WSWA Wildflower Excellence Award Scheme Project Officer, presented the certificate to, and unveiled the plaque with, Ms Donna Crook, the Merredin Shire President, in the presence of the WSWA President, WSWA members and Shire of Merredin staff.
The Award is for excellence. It is not a competition, and there is no winner in this Scheme. It is a sign of recognition which can be obtained by any country Local Government Authority that meets the criteria.
The Scheme is designed to reward a local government for areas abounding in wildflowers and locally native vegetation in very good or better condition and a local government that cares about, looks after, improves and promotes roadside and other native vegetation.
The criteria are challenging, and reward both effort and outcome equally. The standard of proof and assessment are high. The Shire of Merredin was the only Local Government to be presented with an Award this year, based on an assessment of an entry submitted in 2024.
An Award was presented to the Shire of Toodyay in 2021. The Shire of Merredin also received an Award in 2020 and 2021.
The 200 locally native plants were propagated by 2 local Wheatbelt native plant nurseries, the Wheatbelt Native Gardens based in Kellerberrin and the WSWA York Branch nursery, and Perth-based Australian Native Plants nursey. They were planted close to the City Centre and the Administration complex so that locals and visitors alike can experience and enjoy some of the superb wildflowers the Shire of Merredin has to offer.
Wildflowers are an iconic feature of Western Australia (WA), attracting tens of thousands of visitors to the state each year. Recognising this, the WSWA developed the Wildflower Excellence Award Scheme to ensure WA continues to attract nature enthusiasts to its best wildflower locations.
The Award is designed to lead to the retention, and improvement, of vegetation along roadsides and other natural areas managed by the 91 country Local Governments in WA.
The Award is made every year. Calls for entries for the 2026 Award will be sent out to all country Local Governments in the next month.
Contacts:
Dr Eddy Wajon, Wildflower Society of WA, 0428 345 231
Ms Carina MacDonald, Coordinator, Central Wheatbelt Visitor Centre, 9041 1666
