Northampton, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Northampton is a town 52 kilometres (32 mi) north of Geraldton
, in the Mid West
region of Western Australia
. At the 2006 census
, the town had a population of 813. It is historic, with an outstanding National Trust
building. The town lies on the North West Coastal Highway
. Formerly named Gwalla after the location's copper
mine, it was established by the Cornish
ex-convict Joseph Horrocks
. It is also the closest service town to the micronation, the Principality of Hutt River.
The town is known for its many wildflowers, and cave paintings at the Bowes River turnoff show that the region has been inhabited by Indigenous Australians
.
passed through Northampton. It opened to that point on 26 July 1879 and was the first government railway constructed in Western Australia. The line closed on 29 April 1957.
Geraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958...
, in the Mid West
Mid West region of Western Australia
The Mid West region is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is a very sparsely populated region located on the west coast of Western Australia, extending about north and south of its administrative centre of Geraldton. To the east it extends more than inland to Wiluna in the Gibson...
region of Western Australia
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...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, the town had a population of 813. It is historic, with an outstanding National Trust
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
building. The town lies on the North West Coastal Highway
North West Coastal Highway
North West Coastal Highway in Western Australia is a generally north-south Western Australian highway which links the fishing town of Geraldton with the iron ore port of Port Hedland. It is long, and constructed as a sealed 2-lane single carriageway with overtaking lanes in some parts. It was...
. Formerly named Gwalla after the location's copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mine, it was established by the Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
ex-convict Joseph Horrocks
Joseph Horrocks
Joseph Lucas Horrocks was a convict transported to Western Australia in 1852, who established the town of Northampton.Joseph Horrocks was born in Cornwall in 1805...
. It is also the closest service town to the micronation, the Principality of Hutt River.
The town is known for its many wildflowers, and cave paintings at the Bowes River turnoff show that the region has been inhabited by Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
.
History
Copper and lead ore were found in the 1840s, and by 1877, 4,000 tons of copper and lead were being produced each year.Transport
A railway eventually had to be constructed, since moving the materials by wagon to nearby Port Gregory proved to be too difficult. The government railway line from Geraldton to AjanaAjana, Western Australia
Ajana is a small town in Western Australia located on the Ajana Back Road north-west of Perth in the Mid West RegionThe name of the town is Aboriginal in origin and is thought either to be the local name for the area or to come from the Aboriginal word meaning "mine".The townsite was declared in...
passed through Northampton. It opened to that point on 26 July 1879 and was the first government railway constructed in Western Australia. The line closed on 29 April 1957.
External links
Further reading
- Gibbs, M. (1997) Landscapes of Meaning - Joseph Lucas Horrocks and the Gwalla Estate, Northampton, Western Australia. Historical Traces: Studies in Western Australian History, No. 17. University of Western Australia Press.