Shire of Shark Bay
| Shire of Shark Bay Western Australia | |||||||||||||
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 Location in Western Australia | |||||||||||||
| Population | 928 (2013 est)[1] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.036502/km2 (0.09454/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Established | 1904 | ||||||||||||
| Area | 25,423 km2 (9,815.9 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Mayor | Cheryl Cowell | ||||||||||||
| Council seat | Denham | ||||||||||||
| Region | Gascoyne | ||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | North West | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Kalgoorlie | ||||||||||||
| Website | Shire of Shark Bay | ||||||||||||
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The Shire of Shark Bay is a Local government area of Western Australia. It has an area of 25,423 km² and a population of about 950. It is made up of two peninsulas, located at the westernmost point of Australia. There is one town in the Shire of Shark Bay, Denham, which is the administrative centre for the Shire. There are also a number of small communities; they are Useless Loop (a now-closed mining site), Monkey Mia (a popular resort where Dolphins come in), Nanga and Hamelin Pool. The Overlander and The Billabong are roadhouses.
History
The Shark Bay Road District was gazetted on 13 May 1904. On 1 July 1961, it became a shire under the Local Government Act 1960.[2]
Wards
The Shire is divided into three wards:
- Denham Ward (five councillors)
- Pastoral Ward (one councillor)
- Useless Loop Ward (one councillor)
Economy
Major employers include the salt works at Useless Loop along with the fishing industry and the various retail outlets meeting the needs of the tourist industry. There are some 30 personnel employed by the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) and twenty by the Shire. There is a primary school and a Distance Education structured secondary school. Numbers of school aged children fluctuate around the 100 mark. The Police Station is manned by 3 officers.
Local industries include tourism, fishing, salt, pearl marine culturing, mining of shell grit and various pastoral activities.
Tourism
The creation of the Shark Bay World Heritage Site has created significant impact on the community within the shire area.
Community
The Shire council produced a community newsletter title the Inscription Post from 1989 until January 2011 when it was produced by the Shark Bay Community Resource Centre.[3]
Climate
The Shire of Shark Bay has a mild arid tropical climate, with mean daily maximum temperatures ranging from 22 °C (72 °F) in July to 32 °C (90 °F) in February. Rainfall is low and variable, with most rain falling in the winter months and a certain amount due to cyclone activity. The average annual rainfall is 228 mm.
Population
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1911 | 226 |
| 1921 | 231 |
| 1933 | 257 |
| 1947 | 183 |
| 1954 | 233 |
| 1961 | 387 |
| 1966 | 387 |
| 1971 | 687 |
| 1976 | 696 |
| 1981 | 629 |
| 1986 | 1,081 |
| 1991 | 1,570 |
| 1996 | 1,840 |
| 2001 | 2,025 |
| 2006 | 1,841 |
References
- ↑ "3218.0 Regional Population Growth, Australia. Table 5. Estimated Resident Population, Local Government Areas, Western Australia". 3 April 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ↑ WA Electoral Commission, Municipality Boundary Amendments Register (release 3.0), 31 July 2007.
- ↑ http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b1584263~S2 - being a play on the Hartog Plate as being an 'Inscription Post'
External links
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Coordinates: 25°55′37″S 113°32′02″E / 25.927°S 113.534°E