The townsite of Narngulu is located in the northern agricultural region, 419 kilometres north northwest of Perth and six kilometres southeast of the port city of Geraldton. It is located where the railway line from the Cue goldfields met the line from Geraldton southward, and in the 1890s the place was known as Mullewa Junction (the goldfields line passed through the town of Mullewa). In 1900 land was set aside for a townsite here, as it was thought the place would become important, and in 1903 it was gazetted as the townsite of Mullewa Junction. In 1905 the Commissioner of railways advised that Mullewa Junction was being confused with Mullewa, and sought to have the place renamed. The name Crowther which honours a prominent Geraldton merchant, was selected, and Mullewa Junction was renamed Crowther in 1905. However, the Postmaster General then complained that this name had already been used in New South Wales, and requested it be renamed. The Surveyor General then stated that the only solution was to adopt Aboriginal names, and Narngulu, an Aboriginal word meaning "to remember" was selected from a list of possibilities. Crowther was renamed Narngulu in 1906.