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Lands administrative divisions of Western Australia facts for kids

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The land divisions of Western Australia are special ways the state of Western Australia is split up. These divisions help manage land ownership and titles. Think of them like big zones or areas. Most of these zones have been around since the 1800s.

Western Australia is divided into five main land divisions. These divisions are then broken down into smaller areas called land districts. Land districts are similar to counties in other parts of Australia. Inside these districts, you'll find even smaller numbered areas and official towns. All these parts together are part of how land is managed across Australia.

Land Divisions: How Western Australia is Split Up

Western Australia land divisions
Map of the five main land divisions of Western Australia.

Western Australia has five main land divisions. These are listed in a special law called the Land Administration Act 1997.

The famous Rabbit-proof fence acts as a border for some of these divisions. It separates the North West and South West divisions from the others on the eastern side.

These divisions are not used much in daily life today. Back in 1897, an official said they were mainly for "classifying land for Pastoral Leases." This means they helped decide how land could be used for farming animals.

How the Divisions Changed Over Time

The way these land divisions were set up changed a few times over the years.

  • In 1882, there were five divisions: Central, Central-Eastern, South-Eastern, North, and Kimberley.
  • By 1887, new rules changed them to South-West, Kimberley, North-West, Gascoyne, Eucla, and Eastern.
  • In 1899, the Gascoyne division was renamed "Western."
  • Then, in 1907, the "Western" division became "Central" again.
  • In 1917, the Central division was combined (merged) into the Eastern division. This created the five divisions we have today.
  • These five divisions have stayed the same through new land laws in 1933 and 1997.

Land Districts: Smaller Pieces of Land

Western Australia land districts
Map showing the many land districts in Western Australia around 1909.
Hamersley map 1968
An example of how districts are further divided into locations and lots. This map shows the Perth suburb of Hamersley, which is part of the Swan Land District.

Land districts are the most important way land is divided for official land titles in Western Australia. They have been used since the very early days of the Swan River Colony.

Within a land district, there are two main ways land is managed:

  • Some land is set aside as an official "townsite." This land is then managed separately from the rest of the district.
  • Other land is divided into "locations," usually with numbers, like "Windell Location 7." These locations can be set aside as reserves, given to people or companies, or further divided into smaller lots for sale or rent.

A Brief History of Land Districts

In 1831, officials in London wanted Western Australia to be divided into "Counties, Hundreds, and Parishes." But this plan didn't really work out. Instead, district names were just given to areas without clear boundaries.

At that time, not many people lived in the colony. The Governor was in charge of everything. He got advice from experts like the Surveyor General, who looked after land matters.

In 1890, Western Australia gained more control over its own government. Then, in 1892–1893, gold was found near Kalgoorlie. This led to a huge rush of people wanting land. The land department became very busy and struggled to keep up. They tried to draw boundaries for districts based on where land had already been given out. But this created messy boundaries that didn't follow natural features like rivers.

Officials realised they needed a better system. They wanted a "Consolidated Land Bill" (a new law) to make things clearer. This new law would recognise the current ways of doing things and create a formal way to set up and record land districts. New settlements in places like Carnarvon and Esperance made this even more urgent.

By 1897, the department started working on a consistent way to create and name new land districts. By the end of that year, 25 new districts were approved.

On January 1, 1899, the new Land Act became law. This made the department's new system official. From then on, any new districts or changes were announced in the Government Gazette (an official publication).

At first, district names often came from explorers or early settlers. But in 1902, the Surveyor General suggested using "euphonious native names" (nice-sounding Aboriginal names). He wanted to help keep the names of the local people alive. Also, using native names helped avoid having two districts with the same name.

Between 1902 and 1906, many new districts were created quickly. This was partly to impress land agents in London and show that Western Australia had lots of land available. Before the Trans-Australian Railway was built, the Eastern Division, which is mostly desert, didn't have any land districts.

There are many land districts across Western Australia, each with its own history and purpose in managing the state's vast lands.

Counties: An Older Way to Divide Land

Western Australia cadastral divisions
Map showing the 26 counties of Western Australia.

Long ago, there were 26 counties in the south-western part of Western Australia. These were set up shortly after the Swan River Colony began in 1829. The original idea was to divide these counties into even smaller "hundreds" and "parishes," like in South Australia. However, this plan was never fully put into action. The system of land divisions and districts became the main way land was managed instead.

Here are the names of those historical counties:

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