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As with many place names, the meaning of Madura is unknown but it is thought to have been first recorded by a surveyor named Turner
who expolred the area in 1885. He recorded the name as 'Moodeera'. It is almost certainly Aboriginal in origin.
The area was settled in 1876 and horse breeding for the Indian Army was carried on for many years.
A man named Heinzmann established Madura Station and a later arrival who had been an officer in the British Army,
started breeding horses for sale to the British Army in India.
The horses were herded to Eucla where they were loaded on to ships and transported to India.
Today the main facility is a roadhouse on the Eyre Highway.
During World War Two, Madura had the only known artesian bore and the water supply was important to the army engineers who were working on the construction
of the Eyre Highway. The water was brackish and had to be de-salinated for human consumption but was perfectly suited for stock that
were grazed in the area.
The roadhouse is situated at the bottom of the Madura Pass that was once considered as the most hazardous spot on the journey across the Nullarbor. When
travelling east from Western Australia it appears as though you are travelling on an almost endless flat plain, but at Madura pass this illusion changes as you go down quite a
steep descent to the coastal plain below.
Madura is located 1248 kilometres east of Perth.
Hole 9 of the Nallarbor Links Golf Course is located at Madura. Check out more information about the course at
Nullarbor Links Website
Up the hill from the roadhouse is a lookout that offers extensive views out over the coastal plain. The upper area beyond the escarpment is
known as the Hampton Plain and the coastal section below bears the name Roe Plains.
Many people have the perception of this area as uniformly barren desert devoid of life but this is a long way from the truth.
The area is notable for a large number of caves, some being among the largest known caves on Earth.
The Mullamullang Cave is located 28 kilometres north west of the roadhouse and is likely to be the second largest cave
in the southern hemisphere. Explorations of the cave have been quite extensive with some parties spending a number of days
probing the depths.
Roadhouse : Ph. 08 9039 3464
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