Shire of Shark Bay

Shire of Shark Bay
Western Australia

Location in Western Australia
Population 928 (2013 est)[1]
 • Density 0.036502/km2 (0.09454/sq mi)
Established 1904
Area 25,423 km2 (9,815.9 sq mi)
President Cheryl Cowell
Council seat Denham
Region Gascoyne
State electorate(s) North West
Federal Division(s) Kalgoorlie
Website Shire of Shark Bay
LGAs around Shire of Shark Bay:
Indian Ocean Carnarvon Upper Gascoyne
Indian Ocean Shire of Shark Bay Murchison
Indian Ocean Northampton Northampton

The Shire of Shark Bay is a Local government area of Western Australia. It has an area of 25,423 km² and a population of about 950. It is made up of two peninsulas, located at the westernmost point of Australia. There is one town in the Shire of Shark Bay, Denham, which is the administrative centre for the Shire. There are also a number of small communities; they are Useless Loop (a now-closed mining site), Monkey Mia (a popular resort where Dolphins come in), Nanga and Hamelin Pool. The Overlander and The Billabong are roadhouses.

History

The Shark Bay Road District was gazetted on 13 May 1904. On 1 July 1961, it became a shire under the Local Government Act 1960.[2]

Wards

The Shire is divided into three wards:

Economy

Major employers include the salt works at Useless Loop along with the fishing industry and the various retail outlets meeting the needs of the tourist industry. There are some 30 personnel employed by the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) and twenty by the Shire. There is a primary school and a Distance Education structured secondary school. Numbers of school aged children fluctuate around the 100 mark. The Police Station is manned by 3 officers.

Local industries include tourism, fishing, salt, pearl marine culturing, mining of shell grit and various pastoral activities.

Tourism

The creation of the Shark Bay World Heritage Site has created significant impact on the community within the shire area.

Community

The Shire council produced a community newsletter title the Inscription Post from 1989 until January 2011 when it was produced by the Shark Bay Community Resource Centre.[3]

Climate

The Shire of Shark Bay has a mild arid tropical climate, with mean daily maximum temperatures ranging from 22 °C (72 °F) in July to 32 °C (90 °F) in February. Rainfall is low and variable, with most rain falling in the winter months and a certain amount due to cyclone activity. The average annual rainfall is 228 mm.

Population

Year Population
1911 226
1921 231
1933 257
1947 183
1954 233
1961 387
1966 387
1971 687
1976 696
1981 629
1986 1,081
1991 1,570
1996 1,840
2001 2,025
2006 1,841

References

  1. ↑ "3218.0 Regional Population Growth, Australia. Table 5. Estimated Resident Population, Local Government Areas, Western Australia". 3 April 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  2. ↑ WA Electoral Commission, Municipality Boundary Amendments Register (release 3.0), 31 July 2007.
  3. ↑ http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b1584263~S2 - being a play on the Hartog Plate as being an 'Inscription Post'

Coordinates: 25°55′37″S 113°32′02″E / 25.927°S 113.534°E / -25.927; 113.534

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