Northampton, Western Australia

Northampton Western Australia
Hampton Street
Northampton
Population:	813 [1]
Postcode:	6535
Coordinates:	28°21′04″S 114°37′41″E / 28.351°S 114.628°E / -28.351; 114.628Coordinates: 28°21′04″S 114°37′41″E / 28.351°S 114.628°E / -28.351; 114.628
Location:	480 km (298 mi) NW of Perth 51 km (32 mi) N of Geraldton
LGA:	Shire of Northampton
State District:	Moore
Federal Division:	Durack

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.^[1] 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.

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 Ajana 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.^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Northampton (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=UCL521600&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 2007-12-12. 
2. ^ Rails to Ajana Milne, Rod Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, February, 2001 pp45-53

External links

• walkabout.com.au

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.