Meekatharra, Western Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids MeekatharraWestern Australia |
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View of Meekatharra from the local lookout
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 Meekatharra
Location in Western Australia
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| Postcode(s) | 6642 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 517 m (1,696 ft) | ||||||||
| Area | [convert: needs a number] | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
| LGA(s) | Shire of Meekatharra | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | North West | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Durack | ||||||||
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Meekatharra is a town located in the Mid West region of Western Australia. The name "Meekatharra" comes from the Yamatji language, meaning "place of little water."
In 2016, about 708 people lived in Meekatharra. Around 34% of the residents were of Aboriginal descent.
Meekatharra is an important hub for the Murchison area. It supplies goods and services to local farms and mines. The town is about 764 km (475 mi) north-east of Perth. You can get there by driving on the Great Northern Highway.
The town is a key place for moving sheep and cattle. This used to happen by train, but now large trucks called road trains do the job. Meekatharra is also home to the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the School of the Air. These services help people in remote areas.
Contents
History of Meekatharra
Meekatharra was once a busy gold rush town. The first people settled here around 1894. In May 1896, gold was found by prospectors Meehan, Porter, and Soich. This discovery brought many miners to the area. Mining quickly grew bigger and more advanced. Another gold town, Peak Hill, was started nearby in 1892.
The first gold rush in Meekatharra didn't last long. But the town survived because more gold was found in 1899. In 1901, the Meekatharra State Battery started working. This machine helped process the gold. By Christmas Day 1903, Meekatharra was officially made a town.
The Canning Stock Route and Railway
In 1906, Alfred Wernam Canning began building a special path for moving cattle. This path, called the Canning Stock Route, had 54 wells. It was finished in 1908. When the railway reached Meekatharra in 1910, the town became the end point of this route.
The railway was very important for the town's survival. In 1910, it carried the first shipment of wool out of the area. It continued to help local farms until it closed in 1978. In 1926, floods cut off the town and nearby farms. Supplies ran low because nothing could get through for a week. From 1927 to 1931, a railway line also ran from Meekatharra to a manganese mine at Horseshoe.
Modern Gold Mining
Meekatharra had another big gold rush in the 1980s. Mining continued until 2004 at the Bluebird Gold Mine. Later, a company called Mercator Gold took over in 2005. They started mining again in 2007. However, this mining period was short. The mine closed in 2008.
Another large gold area, called Paddy's Flat, is just south of the town. Companies explored and mined this area in the 1990s.
Climate and Weather
Meekatharra has a hot and dry climate. The town gets between 200 and 300 millimetres (8 and 12 in) of rain each year. The driest months are from August to November.
| Climate data for Meekatharra (Meekatharra Airport) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 47.1 (116.8) |
45.5 (113.9) |
44.5 (112.1) |
40.6 (105.1) |
36.0 (96.8) |
29.0 (84.2) |
29.2 (84.6) |
32.6 (90.7) |
37.7 (99.9) |
41.0 (105.8) |
42.6 (108.7) |
46.0 (114.8) |
47.1 (116.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 38.3 (100.9) |
36.7 (98.1) |
34.2 (93.6) |
29.3 (84.7) |
23.8 (74.8) |
19.7 (67.5) |
19.1 (66.4) |
21.5 (70.7) |
25.7 (78.3) |
29.8 (85.6) |
33.3 (91.9) |
36.5 (97.7) |
29.0 (84.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 24.4 (75.9) |
23.8 (74.8) |
21.3 (70.3) |
17.1 (62.8) |
12.1 (53.8) |
8.8 (47.8) |
7.4 (45.3) |
8.6 (47.5) |
11.5 (52.7) |
15.3 (59.5) |
18.8 (65.8) |
22.1 (71.8) |
15.9 (60.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 12.2 (54.0) |
12.3 (54.1) |
10.3 (50.5) |
5.7 (42.3) |
1.7 (35.1) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
0.0 (32.0) |
3.0 (37.4) |
4.3 (39.7) |
8.0 (46.4) |
11.1 (52.0) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 29.7 (1.17) |
36.9 (1.45) |
29.9 (1.18) |
18.9 (0.74) |
22.1 (0.87) |
29.6 (1.17) |
20.8 (0.82) |
10.8 (0.43) |
4.4 (0.17) |
6.1 (0.24) |
12.0 (0.47) |
14.5 (0.57) |
237.9 (9.37) |
| Average precipitation days | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 6.0 | 5.4 | 3.6 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 46.4 |
Travel and Transport
Meekatharra was once a very important place for the Western Australian Government Railways. It was the northernmost point of the Northern Railway network. For a while, another train line went east to Wiluna. The main line from Mullewa was closed and removed in the 1970s. However, new iron ore discoveries might bring the railway back in the future.
Meekatharra Airport
During World War II, Americans built a long runway here. It is now known as Meekatharra Airport. This airport is important for planes flying across Australia. It can be used as a backup landing spot if needed. Skippers Aviation offers flights to Perth on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Bus Services
Transwa operates bus services from Geraldton to Meekatharra. These buses run on Mondays and Thursdays. Return services are on Tuesdays and Fridays, with connections to Perth. Integrity Coach Lines also has services between Perth and Port Hedland. These buses stop in Meekatharra on Tuesdays, with return services on Thursdays.
Famous People from Meekatharra
Some well-known people have connections to Meekatharra:
- Jane Gerick, a politician.
- Gwilym Kessey, a cricketer.
- David Ngoombujarra, an actor who was born in Meekatharra.
- Carl Peterson, an Australian rules footballer.
- Billy Snedden, a politician.
- Richard Walley, an Aboriginal Australian performer and musician.
See also
In Spanish: Meekatharra para niños
