Nickol Bay is a bay between the Burrup Peninsula and Dixon Island, on the Pilbara coast in Western Australia .
60-623: Karratha is a city in the Pilbara region of Western Australia , adjoining the port of Dampier . It is located in the traditional lands and waters of the Ngarluma people, for whom it has been Ngurra (home/Country) for tens of thousands of years. It was established in 1968 to accommodate the processing and exportation workforce of the Hamersley Iron mining company and, in the 1980s, the petroleum and liquefied natural gas operations of
120-405: A TAFE centre with remote university facilities. A new state of the art library was opened in 2018, Karratha Public Library. A new hospital was opened in 2018, Karratha Health Campus. Red Earth Arts Precinct opened in 2018. This venue has a theatre that can also operate as an indoor cinema, outdoor cinema, rehearsal rooms and art spaces. Karratha Airport has two passenger airlines servicing
180-600: A cell-like morphology , were chemically analysed, revealing that they used sulphur for fuel. An extinct genus of stromatolite-forming cyanobacteria , Pilbaria , was named after the region, where the type specimen was found. The Pilbara region, under the Pilbara Development Commission, contains four local government areas : According to the Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre Wangka Maya ,
240-511: A decline from the recent peak of 17,927 in 2013. As of the 2021 census : Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, predominantly Ngarluma , make up 9.0% of the population. The Yinidbarndi , Yaburara , Mardudhunera , and Woon-goo-tt-oo peoples have lived in the surrounding area for approximately 50,000 years. In 2023, the OECD reported extreme disparity in the social and economic wellbeing between many Aboriginal people, and those working in
300-476: A movement with around 20 similar schools established in northern Western Australia by the mid-1990s. Jan Richardson , wife of Victorian Aboriginal activist Stan Davey , wrote a biography of McLeod as a doctoral thesis . In 2006, it was estimated that 15% of the population of the Pilbara identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people , approximately 6000 people. Many Pilbara communities face
360-518: A number of different places. Many have poor infrastructure, and relations between police and Aboriginal people are often tense. The climate of the Pilbara is arid and tropical . It experiences high temperatures and low irregular rainfall that follows the summer cyclones . During the summer months, maximum temperatures exceed 32 °C (90 °F) almost every day, and temperatures in excess of 45 °C (113 °F) are not uncommon. Winter temperatures rarely drop below 10 °C (50 °F) on
420-424: A population of more than 45,000, most of whom live in the western third of the region, in towns such as Port Hedland , Karratha , Wickham , Newman and Marble Bar . A substantial number of people also work in the region on a fly-in/fly-out basis. There are approximately 10 major/medium population centres and more than 25 smaller ones. The Pilbara consists of three distinct geographic areas. The western third
480-515: Is 48.4 °C (119.1 °F), which was set 13 January 2022, while the record low is 6.9 °C (44.4 °F). The highest monthly rainfall on record was 348.8mm (13.7 in) in February 2011, owing to the passage of Tropical Cyclone Carlos and several other monsoonal lows over Karratha. Weather Atlas (sun hours) As of the 2021 census , there were 17,013 people in Karratha,
540-399: Is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia . It is known for its Aboriginal people ; its ancient landscapes; the prevailing red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore . It is also a global biodiversity hotspot for subterranean fauna . At least two important but differing definitions of "the Pilbara" region exist. Administratively it
600-403: Is about 7 every 10 years. Due to the low population density in the Pilbara region, cyclones rarely cause large scale destruction or loss of life. The area is known for its petroleum , natural gas and iron ore deposits, which contribute significantly to Australia's economy. Other than mining, pastoral activities as well as fishing and tourism are the main industries. The Pilbara's economy
660-453: Is also a smaller centre, Karratha Village , which has health services including a pharmacy and medical and dental practices. The Karratha Health Campus is the hospital that services the greater City of Karratha local government area, newly opened in 2018. Many Aboriginal organisations are based in the Karratha area. The Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation is the registered native title body corporate. The Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation Ltd (NYFL)
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#1732772304552720-734: Is an Australian rules football league with six teams: Karratha Kats, Karratha Falcons, Dampier Sharks, Wickham Wolves, Port Hedland Rovers and South Hedland Swans. The Pilbara Rugby League has 6 teams: Karratha Stormers, Karratha Broncos, Karratha Roosters, Port Hedland Juniors, South Hedland Cougars and Wickham Wasps. Soccer has 5 teams: Bulgarra Glory, Karratha Snow Whites, Nickol, Dampier Red Dogs and Salt. West Pilbara Cricket Association has 6 teams: Karratha Kats , Baynton Lions , Rec Club , Dampier Taverners , Wickham Wallabies and Pegs Creek Crabs . [REDACTED] Media related to Karratha, Western Australia at Wikimedia Commons Pilbara The Pilbara ( / ˈ p ɪ l b ər ə / )
780-410: Is dominated by mining exports and petroleum export industries. During the 1970s the area was known for union militancy with many strikes and some mines operating as fully unionised 'closed shops.' This was challenged by employers from the mid-1980s onwards and the region now has a very low level of union membership compared to other parts of Australia. Most of Australia 's iron ore is mined in
840-492: Is located approximately 1,535 kilometres (954 mi) north of Perth and 241 kilometres (150 mi) west of Port Hedland on the North West Coastal Highway . It is at the south central end of Nickol Bay , which has had settlements on the bay since the 1860s. The city is roughly rectangular in layout and is located on flat land adjacent to Nickol Bay. Tidal salt flats and areas of mangrove separate
900-683: Is one of the nine regions of Western Australia defined by the Regional Development Commissions Act 1993 ; the term also refers to the Pilbara shrublands bioregion (which differs in extent) under the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA). The Pilbara region, as defined by the Regional Development Commissions Act 1993 and administered for economic development purposes by
960-711: Is the Roebourne coastal sandplain, which supports most of the region's population in towns and much of its industry and commerce. The eastern third is almost entirely desert, and is sparsely populated by a small number of Aboriginal people. The two areas are separated by the inland uplands of the Pilbara Craton , including the predominant Hamersley Range , which has numerous mining towns, the Chichester Range , and others. The uplands have many gorges and other natural attractions. The Pilbara contains some of
1020-468: Is the representative body for many Traditional Owners across the area. NYFL delivers social, cultural and economic empowerment programs and social impact initiatives, led by the First Nations community. NYFL is recognised for its programs that support food security, employment and training, advocacy and progressing Indigenous self-determination. In 2024, NYFL entered a Memorandum of Understanding with
1080-609: Is within the Ngarluma Native Title determination area. Native Title determination was made by the Federal Court on 2 May 2005 in Daniel v Western Australia [2005] FCA 536 More recently, Ngarluma people have indicated the name may actually relate to an early interpretation of "Gardarra", stemming from the sacred site for the whale, located in the Karratha area, called "Gardarrabuga". Karratha, an isolated city,
1140-552: The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics , as of 2010 , that resource is being used up at a rate of 324 million tonnes a year, with rates expected to increase over coming years. Experts Gavin Mudd ( Monash University ) and Jonathon Law ( Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation ) expect it to be gone within 30 to 50 years (Mudd) and 56 years (Law). As of 2010 , active iron ore mines in
1200-862: The Australian Football League and National Rugby League , children's and lifestyle programs and infomercials . Seven produces a 30-minute regional news program each weeknight (broadcast from Bunbury ) with a newsroom based in the town, covering the surrounding areas. The local newspaper is The Pilbara News (owned by Seven West Media , publisher of The West Australian ). An independent local newspaper, which included classifieds, The Pilbara Echo , closed in April 2014. Newspapers from Perth including The West Australian and The Sunday Times are also available, as well as national newspapers such as The Australian and The Australian Financial Review . The North Pilbara Football League (NPFL)
1260-670: The Manyjilyjarra language and "mingkirri" in the Warlpiri language ) which are circular patches of land barren of plants, varying between 2 and 12 metres (7 and 39 ft) in diameter and often encircled by a ring of stimulated growth of grass, are found in the western part of the Great Sandy Desert in the Pilbara. It has not yet been proven what causes these formations, but one theory suggests that they have been built and inhabited by Australian harvester termites since
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#17327723045521320-507: The Pleistocene . The Pilbara is home to a wide variety of endemic species adapted to this tough environment. There is a high diversity of invertebrates, including hundreds of species of subterranean fauna (both stygofauna and troglofauna ), which are microscopic invertebrates that live in caves, vugs or groundwater aquifers of the region, and terrestrial fauna (see short-range endemic invertebrates ). The Pilbara olive python ,
1380-524: The Regional Development Commissions Act , Pilbara is situated south of the Kimberley , and comprises the local government areas of Shire of Ashburton, Shire of East Pilbara, City of Karratha Town of Port Hedland. The Pilbara region covers an area of 507,896 km (193,826 mi ) (including offshore islands), roughly the combined land area of the US States of California and Indiana . It has
1440-493: The Woodside -operated North West Shelf Venture located on Murujuga . As of the 2021 census , Karratha had an urban population of 17,013. The city's name comes from the cattle station of the same name, which derives from a word in a local Aboriginal language meaning "good country" or "soft earth". More recently, Ngarluma people have indicated the name may actually relate to an early interpretation of "Gardarra", stemming from
1500-505: The iron ore operations of the Rio Tinto Group , sea-salt mining, ammonia export operations, North West Shelf Natural Gas Project, Australia 's largest natural resource development, the newest Natural Gas Project called Pluto LNG which is situated adjacent the existing North West Shelf LNG facility and Ammonia /Technical Ammonium Nitrate production facility of Yara International . Karratha came into being in 1968 due to
1560-497: The rangeland livestock (grazing/pastoral) industry or pearling ports . However, as natural mother of pearl beds around Cossack were fished out, the pearling fleet began to move northward, and by 1883 it was based at Broome, in the Kimberley region. From c. 1900 , pastoralism went into decline with the growth of other, more productive agricultural areas of the state. Mining in the region started on 1 October 1888, when
1620-562: The western pebble-mound mouse , and the Pilbara ningaui of the Hamersley Range are among the many species of animals within the fragile ecosystems of this desert ecoregion. Birds include the Australian hobby , nankeen kestrel , spotted harrier , mulga parrot and budgerigars . Wildlife has been damaged by the extraction of iron, natural gas and asbestos, but the protection of culturally and environmentally sensitive areas of
1680-526: The Australian National University to advance Aboriginal data sovereignty in the area. The Ngarluma language is the traditional language of the Karratha area. As of 2024, only a handful of fluent Ngarluma speakers remain. Education is provided through four public primary schools, one independent public school and one private primary school, one public and one private high school ( Karratha Senior High School and St Luke's College),
1740-489: The Pilbara Development Commission, has an estimated population of 61,688 as of June 2018 , and covers an area of 507,896 square kilometres (196,100 sq mi). It contains some of Earth's oldest rock formations , and includes landscapes of coastal plains and mountain ranges with cliffs and gorges. The major settlements of the region are Port Hedland , Karratha and Newman . The three main ports in this region are Port Hedland, Dampier and Port Walcott . Under
1800-538: The Pilbara Goldfield was officially declared – named after a local creek, the goldfield would later give its name to the region as a whole. It was later divided into the Nullagine Goldfield and Marble Bar Goldfield. However, gold mining began to decline in the Pilbara in the mid-1890s, after alluvial ore had been exhausted. In 1937, mining of asbestos commenced at Wittenoom Gorge . While
1860-636: The Pilbara are: A significant part of Pilbara's economy is based on liquified natural gas (LNG) through the North West Shelf Venture and Pluto LNG plant, both operated by Woodside. The region also has a number of cattle-grazing stations, and a substantial tourist sector, with popular natural attractions including the Karijini and Millstream-Chichester national parks and the Dampier Archipelago . The first railway in
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1920-553: The Pilbara coast. The Aboriginal population of the Pilbara considerably predates, by 30,000 to 40,000 years, the European colonisation of the region. Archaeological evidence indicates that people were living in the Pilbara even during the harsh climatic conditions of the Last Glacial Maximum . The early history of the first people is held within an oral tradition , archeological evidence and petroglyphs . Near
1980-658: The Pilbara is now enhanced by the delineation of several protected areas, including the Millstream-Chichester and the Karijini National Parks . The western Pilbara is part of the Pilbara freshwater ecoregion , also known as the Pilbara-Gascoyne or Indian Ocean drainage basin. The freshwater region is characterized by intermittent rivers which form deep gorges, and brackish-water caves that host endemic species. The region includes
2040-592: The Pilbara region around 1900 have been described as slavery , with no wages paid, kidnapping as well as severe and cruel punishments for misbehaviour and absconding all common practices. Some incidents, such as the Bendu Atrocity of 1897, attracted international condemnation. The first strike by Indigenous people in Australia took place in 1946 in the Pilbara, known as the Pilbara strike or Pilbara Aboriginal strike, when Aboriginal pastoral workers walked off
2100-527: The Pilbara region for the past 40,000 years. The traditional land tenure system of Aboriginal communities, including the Ngarluma people across the Karratha area, stands in contrast to the European notion of land ownership. Instead of individuals possessing exclusive rights to utilise and sell parcels of land, Ngarluma lands were collectively owned by social groups. While certain family groups might inherit rights and responsibilities concerning particular territories, ownership primarily rested on their custodianship of
2160-511: The Pilbara region was the narrow-gauge Marble Bar Railway between Port Hedland and Marble Bar . The Marble Bar Railway opened in July 1911 and closed in October 1951. The Roebourne-Cossack Tramway opened in 1897 and many industrial railways have been built to serve the mines. Five heavy-duty railways are associated with the various iron-ore mines. They are all standard gauge and built to
2220-416: The Pilbara's rainfall occurs between December and May, usually with occasional heavy downpours in thunderstorms or tropical cyclones. The period from June to November is usually completely rainless, with warm to very hot and sunny conditions. Like most of the north coast of Australia, the coastal areas of the Pilbara experience occasional tropical cyclones. The frequency of cyclones crossing the Pilbara coast
2280-795: The Pilbara, the Karratha area became a sheep station. Many Aboriginal people were forced into unpaid labour on the sheep stations, including Karratha Station. By 1946, after Aboriginal people had worked for rations (considered a form of slavery ), the Aboriginal community demanded fair waged. Labour costs increased for the Karratha Station following the 1946 Pilbara strike , who were seeking fair pay and conditions after generations of Aboriginal people working on stations for very little or no pay and in poor conditions. Many Aboriginal people ‘walked off’ Pilbara stations at this time. Archaeological dating suggests that Aboriginal people have inhabited
2340-399: The Pilbara, with mines mostly centred around Tom Price and Newman . The iron ore industry employs 9,000 people from the Pilbara area. The Pilbara also has one of the world's major manganese mines, Woodie Woodie, situated 400 kilometres (250 mi) southeast of Port Hedland. Iron ore deposits were first discovered by prospector Stan Hilditch, who in 1957 found a large iron ore deposit in
2400-547: The area was Francis Thomas Gregory in 1861. Within two years, European settlers had begun arriving. The region was regarded as part of the North West at first – a larger area that included the modern Kimberley and Gascoyne regions. Settlements along the coast at Tien Tsin Harbour (later Cossack), Roebourne and Condon (officially Shellborough; later abandoned) were established over ensuing decades, mainly as centres of
2460-419: The city from the sea. Immediately to the south of the city lies a line of low hills. Karratha has a hot semi-arid climate (BSh), that just avoids a hot desert climate (BWh) classification . Temperatures are warm to hot all year round, with low rainfall, most of which falls in late summer due to the influence of tropical cyclones and the monsoon , although there is a second rainfall peak in early winter as
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2520-505: The city with regular schedules: Qantas and Virgin Australia . The airport also serves as the hub of the Pilbara's light-aircraft and helicopter services, enabling contractors to access offshore destinations and other parts of the region. Cape Preston Aerodrome [YCPR] is about 70 km south of town. Each year in August Pilbara Iron , Dampier Salt , Woodside Petroleum Limited , and other smaller companies sponsor one of
2580-456: The coast; however, inland temperatures as low as 0 °C (32 °F) are occasionally recorded. The Pilbara town of Marble Bar set a world record of most consecutive days of maximum temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius ) or more, during a period of 160 such days from 31 October 1923 to 7 April 1924. The average annual rainfall in the region is between 200 and 350 millimetres (7.9 and 13.8 in). Almost all of
2640-469: The creek, and the name later became associated with the region. Radiocarbon dating estimates in evidence show that rock art and standing stones at Murujuga in the Dampier Archipelago , Australia's earliest known stone structures, believably dating from 6046 to 5338 BC, are of contextualization by thousands of years of unique cultural traditions and folklore . These sites have lived up as part of survival in present times. The first European to explore
2700-503: The drainages of the Murchison , Gascoyne , Ashburton , Fortescue , and De Grey rivers. The Great Sandy Desert, which covers the eastern Pilbara, has little freshwater habitat. 21°S 119°E / 21°S 119°E / -21; 119 Nickol Bay Once alternatively spelled "Nicol Bay", it was named by John Septimus Roe for a sailor who was lost overboard during an expedition. F. T. Gregory visited
2760-448: The heaviest North American standards. Rio Tinto runs driverless trains on its railways. The ports of the Pilbara are: The dominant flora of the Pilbara is acacia trees and shrubs and drought-resistant Triodia spinifex grasses. Several species of acacia (wattle) trees are endemic to the Pilbara and are the focus of conservation programs, along with wildflowers and other local specialities. " Fairy circles " (known as "linyji" in
2820-704: The largest festivals in the North West, over two days. The name FeNaClNG Festival is derived from Fe (iron), NaCl (salt) and NG (natural gas). Red Earth Arts Festival. Cossack Art Awards. Karratha is composed of 9 main suburbs: Radio services available in Karratha: Television services available include: The programming schedule is mainly the same as the Seven, Nine and Ten stations in Perth with variations for News bulletins, sport telecasts such as
2880-581: The many complex effects of colonisation, and lack adequate access to housing, health and education. A 1971 survey of 1000 Aboriginal people conducted by Pat McPherson found that most had one or more serious diseases. At the McClelland Royal Commission into British nuclear testing, Aboriginal people from the Pilbara provided evidence regarding the explosion on the Montebello Islands. Aboriginal communities are sited over
2940-523: The name for the Pilbara region derives from the Aboriginal word bilybara , meaning "dry" in the Nyamal and Banyjima languages. Another suggested origin is pilbarra , an Aboriginal word for the salt-water mullet found in local waters, reflected in the name of a tributary of the Yule River , Pilbarra Creek, which evolved to "Pilbara" Creek. The Pilbara Goldfield, discovered in 1885, was named after
3000-448: The northern edges of cold fronts occasionally cause rain in the region. It is very rare for any rain to fall in the period from August to December. Winter temperatures rarely drop below 10 °C, while maximums stay in the mid to high 20s and days are sunny with low humidity. Summers are very hot and usually dry although the erratic influence of the monsoon can cause periods of high humidity and thunderstorms . The record high temperature
3060-543: The presence of abundant iron ore had been known for about a century, it was not until the 1960s and the discovery of high-grade ore in the Hamersley Ranges that the area became pivotal to the state's economy, and towns built to accommodate mining and allied services boomed. In the 1950s, three British nuclear weapons tests were carried out in the Montebello Islands , 130 km (81 mi) off
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#17327723045523120-480: The resources sector. The OECD reported that socioeconomic gaps that persist even amid regional affluence. Data show that some areas in Karratha, like Cowrie Court, Ridley Street and Warrier Street in Bulgarra, are among the most disadvantaged in Australia. On the other hand, towns like Dampier , linked to Rio Tinto , are in the top level for socio-economic advantage in the country. Karratha's economic base includes
3180-469: The sacred site for the whale, located in the Karratha area, called "Gardarrabuga". The city is the seat of government of the City of Karratha , a local government area covering the surrounding region. The land on which Karratha was established has been Ngarluma Ngurra (Country) for millennia. In traditional culture, the creation of the landscape occurred in a time called Ngurra Nyujunggamu , meaning "when
3240-474: The southern Ophthalmia Range , at what was to become the Mount Whaleback mine . In the 1960s, it was reportedly called "one of the most massive ore bodies in the world" by Thomas Price, then vice president of US-based steel company Kaiser Steel. Geoscience Australia calculated that the country's " economic demonstrated resources " of iron amounted to 24 gigatonnes, or 24 billion tonnes. According to
3300-507: The spiritual significance of the land. This encompassed spiritual sites, stories, songs, ceremonies, and sacred objects. Successive generations were entrusted with the duty of safeguarding these sacred sites, caring for the land, and perpetuating spiritual traditions and practices, with a firm prohibition against land disposal or desecration. This systems remain active today across the Karratha area, though it has been significantly disrupted due to colonisation and dispossession. The Karratha town
3360-489: The stations in protest at low pay and bad working conditions, a strike that lasted for over three years. Family clans in the Pilbara who were supported by mining prospector, Don McLeod , developed skills for mining and the concentration of rare metals . For a short period money accumulated, which according to Aboriginal law was to be used for traditional ways. Eventually the funds were used to establish an independent Aboriginal-controlled school. The concept has expanded into
3420-412: The town of Dampier is a peninsula known as Murujuga , which contains a large collection of World Heritage-listed petroglyphs, dating back thousands of years. Rock art in the Pilbara appears to have been mainly etched into the hard rock surfaces, whereas on the softer sandstone in the Kimberley rock paintings predominate. Working conditions in the pearling and pastoral industries for Aboriginal people in
3480-484: The tremendous growth of the iron-ore industry and the need for a new regional centre caused by a shortage of land in Dampier . Karratha has the largest shopping centre in the Pilbara, Karratha City, which has major food and grocery retailers and department store chains. It was opened in 1986 as Karratha City and expanded in 2005. The centre also serves the neighbouring towns of Dampier , Wickham and Roebourne . There
3540-454: The world was soft". Francis Thomas Gregory led an expedition to the North West of Western Australia in 1861. Returning to Perth, he reported the area was suitable for agricultural purposes and a possible pearling industry. This was the major starting point for dispossession of Aboriginal lands across the Karratha area, as pastoralists flocked to the area to establish sheep stations. During this period of dispossession of Aboriginal people in
3600-420: The world's oldest surface rocks, including the ancient fossilised remains known as stromatolites and rocks such as granites that are more than three billion years old. In 2007, some of the oldest evidence of life on Earth was found in 3.4 billion-year-old sandstones at Strelley Pool , which preserve fossils of sulphur -processing bacteria. The mineralised spheres, which were found on an ancient beach and have
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