▁ ▁The ▁town ▁and ▁region ▁were ▁known ▁as ▁Frank land ▁River ▁until ▁ 1 9 3 5 . ▁After ▁the ▁building ▁of ▁a ▁local ▁post ▁office , ▁the ▁post master ▁short ened ▁the ▁name ▁to ▁Frank land ▁because ▁" Fran k land ▁River " ▁was ▁considered ▁too ▁long ▁to ▁fit ▁on ▁signs ▁and ▁documents . ▁Western ▁Australia ' s ▁first ▁European ▁settlement ▁began ▁at ▁Alb any ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 6 . ▁Grad ually ▁the ▁pione ers ▁set ▁out ▁to ▁explore ▁the ▁hinter land , ▁hoping ▁to ▁find ▁areas ▁that ▁would ▁be ▁more ▁suitable ▁for ▁past oral ▁and ▁agricult ural ▁hold ings ▁than ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁in ▁the ▁immediate ▁vic inity ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁settlement . ▁Origin ally ▁settled ▁by ▁far ming ▁families ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁following ▁good ▁reports ▁from ▁expl or ers ▁to ▁the ▁region ▁and ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁good ▁so ils , ▁consistent , ▁reliable ▁ra inf all , ▁rivers ▁and ▁la kes , ▁the ▁land ▁was ▁cleared ▁of ▁its ▁heavy ▁w ando o , ▁jar rah ▁and ▁mar ri ▁to ▁make ▁way ▁for ▁past ures ▁for ▁gra zing ▁and ▁a rable ▁land ▁for ▁cro pping . ▁ ▁John ▁Hass ell , ▁a ▁retired ▁sea ▁captain , ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁opening ▁up ▁extensive ▁areas ▁in ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁State ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s . ▁He ▁owned ▁large ▁f lock s ▁of ▁sheep , ▁which ▁needed ▁the ▁constant ▁attention ▁of ▁she ph erd s , ▁as ▁the ▁only ▁f