Nullagine, Western Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids NullagineWestern Australia |
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Location of Nullagine in Western Australia (red)
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 Nullagine
Location in Western Australia
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| Established | 1899 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 6758 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 412 m (1,352 ft) | ||||||||
| Area | [convert: needs a number] | ||||||||
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| LGA(s) | Shire of East Pilbara | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Pilbara | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Durack | ||||||||
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Nullagine is a historic town in Western Australia. It's in the Pilbara region, known for its mining past. The town sits on the Nullagine River. It is about 296 km south-east of Port Hedland and 1,364 km north-north-east of Perth. You can find it along the old Great Northern Highway.
Nullagine started because gold was found there in 1886. A person looking for minerals, called a prospector, N.W. Cooke, made the discovery. Many people moved to the area after this. By the mid-1890s, the community wanted it to be an official town. Land was measured out in 1897. The state government officially named Nullagine a town in 1899.
The name Nullagine comes from the Aboriginal name of a nearby river. This river is called the Ngullagine river. The exact meaning of the word is not known today.
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A Town of Minerals
Nullagine was once a very busy place. Between 1895 and 1914, the town grew a lot. It had several general stores and three hotels. There were also eight stamp mills for crushing ore. At its peak, over 3,000 people lived there.
Gold and Other Treasures
Besides gold, other valuable minerals were found nearby. These included beautiful diamonds and other gemstones. Before World War II, about 1,500 people lived in Nullagine. Now, with less gold mining, only around 200 people remain.
However, the area still attracts people who like to search for minerals. These people are called fossickers and prospectors. The land around Nullagine is very rich in different minerals. You can find gold, agate, and beryl there. Other minerals include chalcedony, jade, jasper, and tiger's eye. There are also ores of antimony, copper, manganese, and tungsten.
Local Community
Nullagine is also home to the Yirrangadji Aboriginal Community. Most of the people in this community are from the Martu group.
Iron Ore Discovery
New discoveries of iron ore might bring new life to Nullagine. Iron ore is a rock from which we get iron. Iron is used to make steel, which is very important for buildings and cars. These new deposits are located to the south-west of the town.
A company called BC Iron found a large amount of iron ore. They believe there could be 200 to 600 million tonnes of this ore. This discovery is in an area that was once explored for diamonds. With iron ore prices going up, this could be a huge opportunity.
The company faces three main challenges. First, they need to prove how much ore is really there. Second, they must show that the ore is good enough for steel mills in Asia. Third, they need to find a way to transport the ore to the coast. They also need space at a port to ship it out.
The amount of ore at Bonnie Creek is not enough to build a new railway. So, BC Iron made a deal with Fortescue. They will use Fortescue's railway. In return, Fortescue will get half of the ore mined.
Nullagine on Screen
The town of Nullagine has even been featured in a television show! In 1973, Hammond Innes wrote a book called Golden Soak. This book was made into a six-part television series in 1979. Some parts of the series were filmed right in Nullagine. The main actor in the show was Ray Barrett.
