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Information about Karratha, Western Australia

Karratha
Western Australia

Location of Karratha in Western Australia (red)
Population:15,796 (2007)
Established:1960s
Postcode:6714
Location:1575 km from Perth
LGA:Shire of Roebourne
State District:North West Coastal
Federal Division:Kalgoorlie
Mean Max TempMean Min TempRainfall
30.6 C
0 F		22.7 C
0 F		310.3 mm
0 in


Karratha is an important centre in the resource-rich WA's Northwest. It is located approximately 1,535 kilometres (954 mi) north of Perth and 850 kilometres (528 mi) south of Broome on the North West Coastal Highway.

Its economic base includes local iron ore, salt mining, ammonia and export operations, together with the North West Shelf Natural Gas Project, Australia's largest natural resource development. All this makes it the biggest town in the Northwest after Port Hedland with a population around 10,000. Karratha came into being in the late 1960s due to the tremendous growth of the iron ore industry and the need for a new regional centre caused by the lack of land in Dampier. Karratha also has the biggest shopping centre in the Pilbara, called Centro Karratha which has a freshly refurbished Woolworths, Coles, Kmart and Target Country. The town also has a smaller centre called Karratha Village which has a chemist, cinemas, dentist and Doctors. Each year in August Pilbara Iron, Dampier Salt, Woodside, and other smaller companies sponsor one of the largest festivals in the North West going on for two days. It is known as FeNaClNG, which stands for Fe-Iron, NaCl-Salt, and NG-Natural Gas.

Karratha is well connected by air to Perth. Karratha Airport is the second busiest in Western Australia; it only has one passenger airliner, Qantas. Virgin Blue is considering services with their brand new Embraer Jets along with Oz Jet and Skywest would like to reinstate services. Qantas has also announced a weekly Boeing 737-800 service between Brisbane and Karratha. This will be the first link between the Pilbara Region and the East Coast.[1]

Karratha is composed of five main suburbs: Bulgarra, Pegs Creek, Millars Well, Nickol and the newer Baynton; and one industrial suburb, known as either the LIA (Light Industrial Area) or KIE (Karratha Industrial Estate). Its education system consists of 4 public primary schools and one private primary school, one public and one private high school, and one TAFE centre with University facilities and a major library.

Karratha's housing developments continue to rise, with new villages and suburbs being built. The Tambrey Centre has its own residential housing, which is currently under construction. Nickol has also been expanded with "Nickol West" being completed in late 2008.

Karratha is comprised of a few restaurants and local hangout spots for different age groups, two main night clubs, a cinema which closed in June but reopened in August 2007. With new establishments being built including a bowling alley, gentlemen's club, KFC and Hungry Jacks.

KFC is currently being built and is expected to be open before mid-December and before the wet season begins for Karratha. KFC will be located in the carpark behind Coles/Kmart.

Hungry Jacks is also reputed to be considering a Karratha store, which at this stage will be located in the Bank carpark across from McDonalds and Chicken Treat.

Once KFC and Hungry Jacks are built, Karratha will have all major Australian fast food chains; Subway, KFC, McDonalds, Hungry Jacks and Chicken Treat.

The town name came from the cattle station that the land for the town was resumed from. Karratha in the local Aboriginal language means good country or soft earth.[2]

Karratha can be ravaged from tropical cyclones each year, with the most fierce cyclone lately being Severe Tropical Cyclone Glenda in early 2006.

Enlarge picture
Karratha townsite at dusk.

Related Urban Myths

Two of the many urban myths that circulate around the community are those relating to the Scrub Monkey and the Gully Monster. Drop Bears may also be mentioned in passing by cheeky locals to tourists.

References

1. ^
2. ^ Western Australian Land Information Authority. History of country town names - K. Retrieved on 2007-06-08.

External links

Coordinates:
Western Australia

Flag Coat of Arms
Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State or the "Golden State"

Other Australian states and territories
Capital Perth
Government Constitutional monarchy
Governor Ken Michael
Premier Alan Carpenter (ALP)
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population is the collection of people or organisms of a particular species living in a given geographic area or mortality, and migration, though the field encompasses many dimensions of population change including the family (marriage and divorce), public health, work and the
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Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century

1930s 1940s 1950s - 1960s - 1970s 1980s 1990s
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964
1965 1966 1967 1968 1969

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Their 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive.
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State/Territory Abbreviation Postcode range New South Wales NSW 1000—1999 (LVRs and PO Boxes only)
2000—2599
2620—2898
2921—2999 Australian Capital Territory ACT 0200—0299 (LVRs and PO Boxes only)
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A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer, symbol km
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Perth
Western Australia

The Perth skyline viewed from the Swan River

Population:
• Density: 1,445,078 (Aug 2006 Census) 1,507,900 (Dec 2006) (4th)
280/km


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Local Government Areas of Western Australia

There are 144 Local Governments in Western Australia (including Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands), represented by the Western Australian Local Government Association .
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Shire of Roebourne
Western Australia

Location in Western Australia

Population: 15,882 (2001 census)

Established: 1910

Area: 15234 km

Mayor:
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State Electoral District is a term used to refer to an electorate within the Lower House or Legislative Assembly of Australian states and territories. Most state electoral districts (except Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania, which have multi-member electorates using a
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North West Coastal is an Electoral district of Western Australia. As in other districts, the North West Coastal district elects a single person to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly.
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The Australian House of Representatives is elected from 150 single-member districts called Divisions. They are also commonly known as electorates or seats. The British term "constituencies" is rarely used.
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The Division of Kalgoorlie is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Western Australia. It is named after the town of Kalgoorlie. The Division covers most of rural Western Australia, and extends from the South Australian and Northern Territory borders in the east, to the
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Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). The degree Celsius (symbol: °C) can refer to a specific temperature on the Celsius scale
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Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German-Dutch physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), who proposed it in 1724.

In this scale, the melting point of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit (written “32 °F”), and the boiling point is
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Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). The degree Celsius (symbol: °C) can refer to a specific temperature on the Celsius scale
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Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German-Dutch physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), who proposed it in 1724.

In this scale, the melting point of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit (written “32 °F”), and the boiling point is
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The metre or meter[1](symbol: m) is the fundamental unit of length in the International System of Units (SI).
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An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes,  
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1 kilometre =
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Perth
Western Australia

The Perth skyline viewed from the Swan River

Population:
• Density: 1,445,078 (Aug 2006 Census) 1,507,900 (Dec 2006) (4th)
280/km


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1 kilometre =
SI units
0 m 0106 mm
US customary / Imperial units
0 ft 0 mi
A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer, symbol km
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1 mile =
SI units
0 m 0 km
US customary / Imperial units
0 ft 0 yd
“Miles” redirects here. For other uses, see Miles (disambiguation).

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Broome
Western Australia

Population: 14,706 Census 2006

Established: 1880s

Postcode: 6725

Elevation: 19 m

Location: 2100 km from Perth
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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.
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Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in colour from dark grey to rusty red.
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Salt is a mineral essential for animal life, composed primarily of sodium chloride. Salt for human consumption is produced in different forms: unrefined salt (such as sea salt), refined salt (table salt), and iodized salt.
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Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, usually (but not always) from an ore body, vein, or (coal) seam.
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Ammonia is a compound with the formula NH3. It is normally encountered as a gas with a characteristic pungent odor. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of the planet as a precursor to foodstuffs and fertilizers.
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In economics, an export is any good or commodity, transported from one country to another country in a legitimate fashion, typically for use in trade.
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