Shay Gap, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Shay Gap was an iron ore mining town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
, 1 574 km northnortheast of Perth
and 188 km east of Port Hedland
(Latitude 20° 31′ S Longitude 120° 08′ E).
It was a company town
, developed by Goldsworthy Mining Limited and designed by Lawrence Howroyd in the 1960s to mine the nearby iron ore deposits. It was formally gazetted as a town in 1972.
Shay Gap was named after a pass of the same name in the hills nearby. The name of the pass has been shown on maps since 1957, and is believed to have been named after a pearler named Robert Shea who, along with his companion Samuel Miller, was murdered by Aboriginals on the De Grey River
in 1873.
At its peak, the town had a population of over 850 people.
In 1994, the town was closed by the company and most of the buildings and structures were either demolished or relocated.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, 1 574 km northnortheast of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and 188 km east of Port Hedland
Port Hedland, Western Australia
Port Hedland is the highest tonnage port in Australia and largest town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with a population of approximately 14,000 ....
(Latitude 20° 31′ S Longitude 120° 08′ E).
It was a company town
Company town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
, developed by Goldsworthy Mining Limited and designed by Lawrence Howroyd in the 1960s to mine the nearby iron ore deposits. It was formally gazetted as a town in 1972.
Shay Gap was named after a pass of the same name in the hills nearby. The name of the pass has been shown on maps since 1957, and is believed to have been named after a pearler named Robert Shea who, along with his companion Samuel Miller, was murdered by Aboriginals on the De Grey River
De Grey River
The De Grey River is a river located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.The river rises South of Callawa at the confluence of the Oakover and the Nullagine rivers and flows in a west north westerly direction eventually discharging into the Indian Ocean via Breaker Inlet about 80 km North...
in 1873.
At its peak, the town had a population of over 850 people.
In 1994, the town was closed by the company and most of the buildings and structures were either demolished or relocated.