Useless Loop, Western Australia facts for kids
Useless Loop is a small town in Western Australia. It sits on a piece of land called the Heirisson Prong. This area is part of the beautiful Shark Bay, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Across the water from Useless Loop is the town of Denham. The famous Monkey Mia is also nearby.
Useless Loop is a special kind of town. It is known as a "company town." This means it was built and is run by a company. About 70 employees and their families live here. They work for a company that makes salt from the sun. This salt operation started in 1962.
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Useless Loop: A Unique Town
Useless Loop is not a town you can just visit. It is a private town for the people who work there. The company that owns it is called Shark Bay Salt Pty Ltd. This company became fully owned by Mitsui & Co. Ltd in 2005. They make a lot of salt. In 2015, they were shipping out about 1.4 million tonnes of salt each year. That's a huge amount of salt!
Making Salt at Useless Loop
The main job in Useless Loop is making salt. This is done using the sun's energy. Sea water is put into large, shallow ponds. The sun heats the water, and it slowly evaporates. As the water disappears, the salt is left behind. This process is called solar salt production. It is a natural way to get salt from the ocean.
Protecting Amazing Animals
Useless Loop is also famous for its efforts to protect wildlife. In 2001, the town won two special awards. These were the Banksia Award for Community Group Achievement and the Banksia Gold Award. They won these awards for starting the Heirisson Prong Project in 1989.
This project helps protect some very rare Australian animals. These animals are called "endangered." This means there are not many of them left in the wild. The project helps to keep them safe and even move them to new homes. Some of the animals they help include:
- The burrowing bettong
- The western barred bandicoot
- The greater stick-nest rat
These animals are important parts of Australia's natural world. The people of Useless Loop have done a great job helping them survive.
How Did Useless Loop Get Its Name?
The name "Useless Loop" sounds a bit strange, doesn't it? It was given by a French explorer named Henri-Louis de Saulces de Freycinet. He was exploring the area a long time ago. He thought the harbor looked like a good place for ships. But then he saw a sandbar blocking the entrance.
He believed the harbor was "useless" because ships couldn't easily get in. So, he called it "Havre Inutile," which means "Useless Harbour" in French. Over time, this name became "Useless Loop." It's a funny name for a town that does such important work!
