Toodyay (/ˈtuːdʒeɪ/, Nyungar: Duidgee), known as Newcastle between 1860 and 1910, is a town on the Avon River in the Wheatbelt[2][3] region of Western Australia, 85 kilometres (53 mi) north-east of Perth.

[9] Yet another version was more recently postulated by local anthropologists Ken Macintyre and Dr Barb Dobson, who provide a very erudite analysis which says that the name most likely mimics a birdcall, possibly the restless flycatcher or one of that family.

[10]: 4  The Avon River at Toodyay was a key site for food supply for the Ballardong, as was revealed to botanist and new landholder James Drummond as soon as he arrived in the area.

[11] The site was also located along the route taken by the river serpent, the Wagyl, in his seasonal underground travels between the spring at Bolgart and Burlong Pool.

This was proclaimed by Governor Arthur Kennedy on 1 October 1860 as "Newcastle"[15] and the original settlement came to be referred to as "Old Toodyay".

[10]: 8 The Heritage Council of Western Australia lists over one hundred places of historical significance in or near Toodyay, including cottages (some of which are now ruins), homesteads, shops, churches, parks and railway infrastructure.

In 1861, Western Australia's notorious bushranger Moondyne Joe was imprisoned in Toodyay for stealing a horse, but escaped.

After a series of crimes and prison terms, he was on the run again, returning to Toodyay in 1865 to steal supplies for an attempt to escape overland to South Australia.

[22] By the early 1920s Toodyay was being recognised for its potential to develop into a tourist destination, with ample accommodation, its link to WA colonial past, Moondyne Joe and the Newcastle Gaol as point of interest.

Toodyay railway station is currently served by Transwa AvonLink, MerredinLink and Prospector passenger trains on the route from Perth to Northam and Kalgoorlie.

The annual Avon Descent sees a range of crafts make their way downriver through Toodyay, from the starting point at Northam.

[38] A major bushfire, blamed on collapsed power lines, broke out at about noon on 29 December 2009 after outdoor temperature had reached 45.4 °C (113.7 °F)[39] and the "catastrophic" fire risk rating had been used for the first time in the state.

[40] Areas to the south, south-west and east of Toodyay were affected, with more than 3,000 hectares (7,410 acres) of forest burnt and 38 homes lost.