Karratha is a town adjoining the port of
DampierDampier may refer to:* Dampier, Western Australia* The Division of Dampier, an Australian Electoral Division in Western Australia from 1913 to 1922* Dampier , English cricketer playing 1765-1787...
in the Pilbara region of
Western AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Australia's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.2 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state.The state's capital...
which was developed from the 1960s to accommodate the processing and exportation workforce of the
Hamersley IronPilbara Iron is a wholly owned subsidiary of the multinational Rio Tinto Group, that manages assests for Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto, and Robe River Iron Associates, an unincorporated joint venture between Rio and three Japanese steel companies Mitsui Iron Ore...
miningIron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, deep purple, to rusty red. The iron itself is usually found in the form of magnetite , hematite , goethite, limonite or...
company and, in the 1980s, the
petroleumPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds.The term "petroleum" was first used in the treatise De Natura Fossilium, published in...
and
liquefied natural gasLiquefied natural gas or LNG is natural gas that has been converted temporarily to liquid form for ease of storage or transport....
operations of the
North West Shelf VentureThe North West Shelf Venture, situated in the north-west of Western Australia, is Australia's largest resource development project. It involves the extraction of petroleum at offshore production platforms, onshore processing and export of liquefied natural gas, and production of natural gas for...
. The town's name comes from the cattle station from which land was reclaimed for the development. Karratha in the local
AboriginalIndigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands, and these peoples' descendants. Indigenous Australians are distinguished as either Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders, who currently together make up about 2.6% of Australia's...
language means 'good country' or 'soft earth'.
Karratha is a town adjoining the port of
DampierDampier may refer to:* Dampier, Western Australia* The Division of Dampier, an Australian Electoral Division in Western Australia from 1913 to 1922* Dampier , English cricketer playing 1765-1787...
in the Pilbara region of
Western AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Australia's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.2 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state.The state's capital...
which was developed from the 1960s to accommodate the processing and exportation workforce of the
Hamersley IronPilbara Iron is a wholly owned subsidiary of the multinational Rio Tinto Group, that manages assests for Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto, and Robe River Iron Associates, an unincorporated joint venture between Rio and three Japanese steel companies Mitsui Iron Ore...
miningIron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, deep purple, to rusty red. The iron itself is usually found in the form of magnetite , hematite , goethite, limonite or...
company and, in the 1980s, the
petroleumPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds.The term "petroleum" was first used in the treatise De Natura Fossilium, published in...
and
liquefied natural gasLiquefied natural gas or LNG is natural gas that has been converted temporarily to liquid form for ease of storage or transport....
operations of the
North West Shelf VentureThe North West Shelf Venture, situated in the north-west of Western Australia, is Australia's largest resource development project. It involves the extraction of petroleum at offshore production platforms, onshore processing and export of liquefied natural gas, and production of natural gas for...
. The town's name comes from the cattle station from which land was reclaimed for the development. Karratha in the local
AboriginalIndigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands, and these peoples' descendants. Indigenous Australians are distinguished as either Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders, who currently together make up about 2.6% of Australia's...
language means 'good country' or 'soft earth'. The town is the seat of government of the
Shire of RoebourneThe Shire of Roebourne is one of the four Local Government Areas in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The Shire covers an area of and has a population of about 15,900 , most of which is located in its seat of government, the town of Karratha, and the major towns.-History:In 1887, Roebourne...
.
Location
Karratha is located approximately north of
PerthPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. With a population of 1,650,000 , Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average....
and south of
BroomeBroome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, 2200 km north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
on the
North West Coastal HighwayNorth West Coastal Highway in Western Australia is a generally north-south Western Australian highway which links the fishing town of Geraldton with the iron ore port of Port Hedland. It is long, and constructed as a sealed 2-lane single carriageway with overtaking lanes in some parts. It was...
.
Suburbs
Karratha is composed of 9 main suburbs: Bulgarra, Pegs Creek, Millars Well, Nickol, Nickol West, Baynton, Shay Gap, Multaga, and one industrial suburb, known as both the LIA (Light Industrial Area) and KIE (Karratha Industrial Estate). Karratha's housing development continues, with new villages and suburbs being built. The Tambrey Centre currently has its own residential housing under construction. Nickol has also been expanded, with Nickol West completed in 2008. Baynton West is also being developed, and the expectation is that all the lots will be built and occupied by 2010.
Economy and Employment
Karratha's economic base includes the
iron oreIron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, deep purple, to rusty red. The iron itself is usually found in the form of magnetite , hematite , goethite, limonite or...
operations of the
Rio Tinto GroupThe Rio Tinto Group is a diversified, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London, England and Melbourne, Australia. The company was founded in 1873, when a multinational consortium of investors purchased a mine complex on the Rio Tinto river, in Huelva, Spain from the...
, sea-salt mining,
ammoniaAmmonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH
3. It is normally encountered as a gas with a characteristic pungent odor. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to foodstuffs and fertilizers...
export operations and the North West Shelf
Natural GasNatural gas is a gas consisting primarily of methane. It is found associated with fossil fuels, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is created by methanogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, and landfills...
Project,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
's largest natural resource development. Karratha came into being in the late 1960s due to the tremendous growth of the iron-ore industry and the need for a new regional centre caused by a shortage of land in
DampierDampier is a major industrial port in the north-west of Western Australia. The Dampier Port is part of the Dampier Archipelago. The port services petrochemical, salt, iron ore and natural gas export industries.-History:...
.
Karratha has the largest shopping centre in the Pilbara,
Centro KarrathaCentro Properties Group, commonly known as 'Centro', is an Australian company which provides retail property ownership and management services. It is a listed company with securities traded on the Australian Securities Exchange. The multinational company owns and operates shopping centres in...
, which has major retailers including
WoolworthsWoolworths is the largest supermarket chain in Australia, owned by Woolworths Limited. It is colloquially known as "Woolies" and in Victoria the majority of stores trade as Safeway.-Advertising:...
,
KmartKmart Australia is a discount department store chain, that operates in Australia . Wesfarmers operates Kmart Australia Ltd under license from Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States-based Sears Holdings Corporation .There are 182 Kmart stores...
,
ColesColes Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers . It has over 740 stores nationally and more than 92,000 employees...
and Target Country. It was opened in 1986 as
Karratha City and expanded in 2005. The centre also serves the neighbouring towns of
DampierDampier is a major industrial port in the north-west of Western Australia. The Dampier Port is part of the Dampier Archipelago. The port services petrochemical, salt, iron ore and natural gas export industries.-History:...
,
WickhamWickham is a townsite located 1,572 km north of Perth and 13 km north of Roebourne in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The town's first permanent buildings were begun in 1970 by Cliffs Robe River to support its iron-ore mine at Pannawonica, processing at Cape Lambert and...
and
RoebourneRoebourne is an old gold rush town in Western Australia's Pilbara region. It is 202 km from Port Hedland and 1,563 km from Perth, the state's capital...
. There is also a smaller centre,
Karratha Village, which has health services including pharmacy, medical and dental practices.
A New shopping centre has been proposed for the Tambrey area which will include Big W, IGA, Kebab Central, Brumbies Bakery and Certain Specialty stores, it is currently under review by the Shire of Roebourne and looks set to begin construction late 2010.
Facilities
A range of hotel, motel and B&B accommodation is available for visitors. The town has restaurants, two night clubs and a cinema. New establishments proposed or under construction include a bowling alley, 8 story apartment and shopping complex, Hungry Jacks (November 2010) and Mermaid Hotel. Karratha also has
KFCKFC Corporation, or KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky...
,
SubwaySubway is a fast food franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches, salads and personal pizzas. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with approximately 31,835 restaurants in 91 countries as of September 2009...
, McDonalds,
Chicken TreatChicken Treat is an Australian barbecue chicken fast food restaurant chain that originated in 1974 in Perth, Western Australia and later expanded throughout Australia....
, Perth Noodle Wok and Wendy's Supa Sundaes.
Education is provided through four public primary schools and one private primary school, one public and one private high school, a TAFE centre with university facilities, and a library.
As well as its professional medical services, the district is served by the Nickol Bay Hospital which provides a comprehensive array of services, facilities and training.
Karratha AirportKarratha Airport is an airport in Karratha, Western Australia. The airport is 14 km from Karratha and 8 km from Dampier. The airport was opened in December 1983, and updgraded in 1998...
with frequent services to and from Perth, is the second busiest in
Western AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Australia's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.2 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state.The state's capital...
; it has three passenger airlines servicing the town with regular schedules:
QantasQantas Airways Limited is the national airline of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an acronym for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport. It is Australia's largest...
,
SkywestSkywest Airlines Pty Ltd is a regional airline company based in Perth, Western Australia, Australia; servicing key towns in the state of Western Australia and Darwin, Northern Territory; as well as charter flights to Bali, Indonesia.-History:...
and
Virgin BlueVirgin Blue is an Australian low-cost airline, Australia's second-biggest airline as well as the largest by fleet size to utilise the Virgin brand...
. Qantas also flies twice-weekly Boeing 737-800 services between
BrisbaneBrisbane is the state capital of the Australian state of Queensland and is the largest city in that state. With an estimated population of approximately 2 million, it is also the third most populous city in Australia....
and Karratha—the first direct link between the Pilbara region and Australia's east coast. The airport also serves as the hub of the Pilbara's light-aircraft and helicopter services enabling contractors to access destinations offshore and in other parts of the region.
Annual festival
Each year in August Pilbara Iron,
Dampier SaltDampier Salt is an Australian salt company located in Western Australia, with operations in Dampier, Port Hedland, and Lake MacLeod, with headquarters in Perth...
,
Woodside PetroleumWoodside Petroleum Limited is an Australian petroleum exploration and production company. It is a public company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and has its headquarters in Perth, Western Australia.-History:...
, and other smaller companies sponsor one of the largest festivals in the North West, over two days. The name
FeNaClNG Festival is derived from Fe (iron), NaCl (salt) and NG (natural gas).
External links