Hopetoun, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Hopetoun is a town on the south coast of Western Australia
in the Shire of Ravensthorpe
. Located on Mary Ann Haven, Hopetoun is some 590 kilometres (366.6 mi) south-east from capital city Perth
and 160 kilometres (99.4 mi) west of Esperance
.
. The townsite was gazetted on 9 February 1901.
It was a terminus of one of Western Australian Government Railways
' isolated branch lines between Hopetoun and Ravensthorpe
, and became a shipping port for the mining industry, with a jetty built in 1901. The railway closed in 1925 and the port closed in 1936, with the jetty remaining until its destruction in 1983.
Some of the town's electricity is generated by a wind-diesel system. Hopetoun has two 600 kilowatt wind turbines and two low-load diesel generator
s.
The town recently suffered a setback of sorts with Australian mining giant BHP announcing the closure of the Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine
that was opened in 2008 nearby. The world economic crisis and the fall in demand for stainless steel saw the mine shut its doors and as a result a large portion of the town's population has left to seek employment in other locations.
Despite this, the town has a unique seaside village atmosphere and is an ideal holiday destination for families or those with interests in fishing and camping. There is a new primary school and police station with plans to have a local doctor based in the town almost completed.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
in the Shire of Ravensthorpe
Shire of Ravensthorpe
The Shire of Ravensthorpe is a Local Government Area in the southern Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, about halfway between the city of Albany and the town of Esperance and about southeast of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of government is the...
. Located on Mary Ann Haven, Hopetoun is some 590 kilometres (366.6 mi) south-east from capital city Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and 160 kilometres (99.4 mi) west of Esperance
Esperance, Western Australia
Esperance is a large town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located on the Southern Ocean coastline approximately east-southeast of the state capital, Perth. The shire of Esperance is home to 9,536 people as of the 2006 census, its major industries are tourism, agriculture,...
.
History
Hopetoun was established in 1900 as a coastal town servicing the Phillips River Mining District, and named after the 7th Earl of Hopetoun and first Governor General of Australia, John HopeJohn Hope, 1st Marquess of Linlithgow
John Adrian Louis Hope, 1st Marquess of Linlithgow KT, GCMG, GCVO, PC , also known as Viscount Aithrie before 1873 and as The 7th Earl of Hopetoun between 1873 and 1902, was a Scottish aristocrat, politician and colonial administrator. He is best known for his brief and controversial tenure as the...
. The townsite was gazetted on 9 February 1901.
It was a terminus of one of Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways was most common name of the Western Australian government rail transport authority from 1890 to 1976. It is, in its current form, known as the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia....
' isolated branch lines between Hopetoun and Ravensthorpe
Ravensthorpe, Western Australia
Ravensthorpe is a town 541 km south east of Perth, 40 km inland from the south coast of Western Australia. It is the seat of government of the Shire of Ravensthorpe...
, and became a shipping port for the mining industry, with a jetty built in 1901. The railway closed in 1925 and the port closed in 1936, with the jetty remaining until its destruction in 1983.
Some of the town's electricity is generated by a wind-diesel system. Hopetoun has two 600 kilowatt wind turbines and two low-load diesel generator
Diesel generator
A diesel generator is the combination of a diesel engine with an electrical generator to generate electrical energy....
s.
The town recently suffered a setback of sorts with Australian mining giant BHP announcing the closure of the Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine
Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine
The Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine is a nickel mine located 33 km east of Ravensthorpe, Western Australia.Ravensthorpe cost BHP Billiton US$2.2 billion to build but led to $3.6 billion in write-downs when it was shut down in January 2009, after less than a year of operation...
that was opened in 2008 nearby. The world economic crisis and the fall in demand for stainless steel saw the mine shut its doors and as a result a large portion of the town's population has left to seek employment in other locations.
Despite this, the town has a unique seaside village atmosphere and is an ideal holiday destination for families or those with interests in fishing and camping. There is a new primary school and police station with plans to have a local doctor based in the town almost completed.