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Geraldton, Western Australia

 

 
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Geraldton, Western Australia
 
 
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Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia
Western Australia

Western Australia is a States and territories of Australia occupying the entire western third of the Australia . The nation's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.1 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state....
 located north of Perth
Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the List of Australian capital cities and largest city of the Australian States and territories of Australia of Western Australia. With a population of 1,554,769 , Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average....
. According to the 2006 census, Geraldton has a population of 31,553, making it the fifth-largest city in Western Australia
Western Australia

Western Australia is a States and territories of Australia occupying the entire western third of the Australia . The nation's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.1 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state....
.

Today the city is an important centre for mining, fishing, wheat, sheep and tourism.

History
Though many European maritime explorers encountered or were even wrecked on the Houtman Abrolhos
Houtman Abrolhos

The Houtman Abrolhos is a chain of 122 islands, and associated coral reefs, in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Australia. Nominally located at , it lies about eighty kilometres west of Geraldton, Western Australia....
 islands west of Geraldton in the 17th and 18th centuries, there seems to be no evidence that any made landfall near the site of the current town.






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Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia
Western Australia

Western Australia is a States and territories of Australia occupying the entire western third of the Australia . The nation's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.1 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state....
 located north of Perth
Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the List of Australian capital cities and largest city of the Australian States and territories of Australia of Western Australia. With a population of 1,554,769 , Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average....
. According to the 2006 census, Geraldton has a population of 31,553, making it the fifth-largest city in Western Australia
Western Australia

Western Australia is a States and territories of Australia occupying the entire western third of the Australia . The nation's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.1 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state....
.

Today the city is an important centre for mining, fishing, wheat, sheep and tourism.

History


Though many European maritime explorers encountered or were even wrecked on the Houtman Abrolhos
Houtman Abrolhos

The Houtman Abrolhos is a chain of 122 islands, and associated coral reefs, in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Australia. Nominally located at , it lies about eighty kilometres west of Geraldton, Western Australia....
 islands west of Geraldton in the 17th and 18th centuries, there seems to be no evidence that any made landfall near the site of the current town. The first European to explore the area was George Grey
George Edward Grey

Sir George Grey, Order of the Bath was a soldier, explorer, Governor of South Australia, twice Governor-General of New Zealand, History of Cape Colony from 1806 to 1870#Sir George Grey's Governorship , Prime Minister of New Zealand and a writer....
 in 1839. A decade later the explorer Augustus Gregory travelled through the area. He discovered lead on the Murchison River
Murchison River (Western Australia)

The Murchison River is the second longest river in Western Australia. It flows for about 780 km from the southern edge of the Robinson Ranges to the Indian Ocean at Kalbarri, Western Australia....
 and the mine which was subsequently established was named Geraldine after the Governor Charles Fitzgerald
Charles Fitzgerald

Captain Charles Fitzgerald was the Colonial Heads of The Gambia of The Gambia from 1844 until 1847, then Governor of Western Australia of Western Australia from 1848 to 1855....
. The town of Geraldton was gazetted in 1850.

Attractions

The construction of the St Francis Xavier Catholic Cathedral started in 1916 but was not completed until 1938. The cathedral was designed by Monsignor John Hawes
John Hawes (Monsignor)

Monsignor John Hawes was an architect and priest.He began training as an architect in London in 1892.In 1903 he was ordained an Anglicanism priest, after which he worked in the The Bahamas....
 who was both an architect and a priest.

The Anglican Cathedral just a 2 minute walk south along Cathedral Ave has been known for having various pro-god messages on the sign embedded in the verge. A recent one stated "Wikipedia doesn't have all the answers".

The lighthouse located on Point Moore was recently repainted and established as another cultural attraction of Geraldton.

One of Geraldton's public high schools, John Willcock College is famous for having been attended by Ernie Dingo
Ernie Dingo

Ernie Dingo Order of Australia is an Indigenous Australian Australian actor and television presenter originating from the Wajarri_language people of the Murchison_ region of Western Australia....
. Also recently the school became the first in Australia to have a laptop programme with all students being provided with Apple Notebook Computers for study purposes. HMAS Sydney
HMAS Sydney (1934)

HMAS Sydney was a light cruiser of the Royal Australian Navy between 1934 and 1941. Sydney had great success in the first years of World War II, but controversy and mystery surrounded the loss of the battle-hardened ship and her crew in November 1941....
 was lost off the coast north west of Geraldton and there is a memorial overlooking the city. After years of searching, the wreck of HMAS Sydney was discovered north of Geraldton, 150 kilometres (81 nmi) from Shark Bay
Shark Bay

Shark Bay may refer to the following locations in Western Australia:* Shire of Shark Bay* the locality of Shark Bay, now known as Denham, Western Australia...
 on March 16, 2008.

A popular past time of Geraldton Locals is surfing
Surfing

Surfing refers to a person or boat riding down a wave and thereby gathering speed from the downward movement. Most commonly, the term is used for a surface water sports in which the person surfing is carried along the face of a breaking ocean surface wave standing on a surfboard....
. The runs surf events throughout the year and , Geraldton's only surf school offers developing surfers lessons, trips and coaching. Popular surf spots include Flat Rocks, Back Beach, Greenough, Glenfield, and Sunset Beach.

Geraldton is also an internationally renowned windsurfing
Windsurfing

Windsurfing, or sailboarding, is a Surface Water Sports using a windsurf board, also commonly called a sailboard, usually two to five meters long and powered by the wind pushing on a sail....
 location. The most popular spot is Coronation Beach, located just north of the town. "Coro" is a spectacular port tack jumping site, with flat water on the inside and unhindered Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean ....
 rolling swell offshore. In the late afternoon, the wind swings a little more offshore and starboard
Starboard

Starboard is the List of nautical terms that refers to the left and right side of a vessel as perceived by a person on board a vessel and facing the Bow ....
 tack
Tack

Tack may refer to:* Tack, a type of cut Nail , used in upholstery, shoe making and saddle manufacture* Horse tack, harness and equipment to allow horse-back riding...
 waveriding becomes possible.

Geraldton is also home to a flourishing horse racing
Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrianism sport that has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot racing of Ancient Rome are an early example, as is the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology....
 industry, that since 1887 hosts the annual Geraldton Gold Cup
Geraldton Gold Cup

The Geraldton Cup, a thoroughbred horse race, was first run on Dec 8, 1887 with a winners purse of ?300. The race, staged over 3200m by the Victoria Turf Club was won by Baron Necktar a full brother to Dunlop, the Melbourne Cup winner of the same year....
. The 2007 Geraldton Gold Cup
Geraldton Gold Cup

The Geraldton Cup, a thoroughbred horse race, was first run on Dec 8, 1887 with a winners purse of ?300. The race, staged over 3200m by the Victoria Turf Club was won by Baron Necktar a full brother to Dunlop, the Melbourne Cup winner of the same year....
 was won by the Clive Lauritzen trained 8yr old TapDog
TapDog

TapDog is a racehorse . Bred in 1997 by Doomland Pty Ltd. Purchased at the 1999 Scone yearling sale by Peter H. Day, in partnership with Peter R....
. The race was historically significant. Tapdog became the first horse to win the race three times, Clive Lauritsen became the first trainer to win the race 6 times, Roy McKay became the first jockey to win the race three times, and owners Peter Day, Jeannette Day, and Hans Hoiskar equalled the most wins by an owner in three. The race also passed the million dollar mark for the first time in tote turnover.

Mobile Phones


Geraldton is serviced by most mobile phone companies such as Telstra, Vodafone and Optus. These are on the 2G network, while Telstra's newer 3G network, NextG, is available. 3G coverage, apart from NextG, is not available. Coverage of Optus and Vodafone is very poor in Geraldton and is next to unusable on the outskirts of the City.

Nearby


North of Geraldton is the town of Northampton
Northampton, Western Australia

Northampton is a town north of Geraldton, Western Australia, in the Mid West region of Western Australia region of Western Australia. At the 2006 Census in Australia, the town had a population of 813....
, as well as the Hutt River Province, an area which claims to be an independent nation since its self-proclaimed secession
Secession

Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. It is not to be confused with succession, the act of following in order or sequence....
 from Western Australia in 1969.

The Houtman Abrolhos
Houtman Abrolhos

The Houtman Abrolhos is a chain of 122 islands, and associated coral reefs, in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Australia. Nominally located at , it lies about eighty kilometres west of Geraldton, Western Australia....
 islands are 60 km to the west of Geraldton. They are famous for the 1629 wreck of the Batavia
Batavia (ship)

Batavia was a ship of the Dutch East India Company . She was built in Amsterdam in 1628, and had 24 cast-iron cannons. Batavia was shipwrecked on her maiden voyage, and made famous by the subsequent mutiny and massacre that took place among the survivors....
. A stone portico recovered from the wreck has been reconstructed at the local museum
Western Australian Museum

The Western Australian Museum is the main museum for the States and territories of Australia of Western Australia.Established in 1891, the museum is situated in the heart of Perth, Western Australia cultural precinct in Northbridge, Western Australia....
, along with other artifacts.

Twenty-five kilometres south of Geraldton near Walkaway a windfarm was completed in August 2005. It consists of 54 turbines, each producing 1.8 MW and 80 metres high with 40 metre blades.

Old Port


The original port has be dredged to a depth of 9.4m at the berths, which is suitable for ships of .

New Port


In 2006, it was proposed to establish a new deepwater port
List of deep water ports

A deep-water port is any port that can accommodate a fully laden Panamax ship. With the approval of the Panama Canal expansion proposal in October, 2006, this list will need to be significantly revised when the expansion is completed....
 at Oakajee, about 25km north of Geraldton. This port would serve the mining industry, especially iron ore.

Australian Defence Satellite Communications Station


The Australian Defence Satellite Communications Station (ADSCS) is located at Kojarena, inland near Geraldton. The ADSCS is part of the US signals intelligence
SIGINT

Signals intelligence is list of intelligence gathering disciplines by interception of signals, whether between people or between machines , or mixtures of the two....
 and analysis network ECHELON
ECHELON

ECHELON is a name used in global media and in popular culture to describe a signals intelligence collection and analysis network operated on behalf of the five signatory states to the UK-USA Security Agreement ....
. The station has four satellite tracking dishes which intercept communications from Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Pakistani regional satellites and international communications satellites (INTELSAT
Intelsat

Intelsat, Ltd. is the world?s largest commercial satellite communications services provider. Originally formed as International Telecommunications Satellite Organization , it was an intergovernmental consortium owning and managing a constellation of communications satellites providing international broadcast services....
s and COMSAT
COMSAT

The Communications Satellite Corporation is a global telecommunications company, based in the USA, and with branches in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela and several other countries in the Americas....
s), throughout the Indian Ocean and South-East Asian regions. Staff are drawn from the American National Security Agency
National Security Agency

The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a Cryptology Intelligence agency of the Federal government of the United States, administered as part of the United States Department of Defense....
 and the Australian Defence Signals Directorate
Defence Signals Directorate

Defence Signals Directorate is an government of Australia intelligence agency responsible for signals intelligence and information security ....
, and the site is operated under the UKUSA Agreement
UKUSA Community

The UK-USA Security Agreement is an agreement or treaty that established an coalition of five English-speaking countries for the purpose of sharing intelligence....
.

On 15 February 2007, it was announced that a new US military communications base would be built in Geraldton, after three years of secret negotiations between the US and the Australian Federal Government.

Public Transport


Geraldton's public transport is primarily buses, owned by Geraldton Bus Service. The company has a school bus run, which has around 15 route services for school services, and about 8 services during the day. School services are 50c each way if purchased in a group of 10. Tickets vary from age, with under 16's paying 90c per ticket.

Images of Geraldton



See also

  • Geraldton Airport
    Geraldton Airport

    Geraldton Airport is an airport located east of Geraldton, Western Australia, Western Australia, along the Geraldton-Mount Magnet Road. Approximately 60,000 passengers use the airport annually....


External links