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| Northampton Western Australia |
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 Hampton Street |
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| Population: | 813 1 |
| Postcode: | 6535 |
| Location: | |
| LGA: | Shire of Northampton |
| State District: | Moore |
| Federal Division: | Kalgoorlie |
Northampton is a town 52 kilometres (32 mi) north of Geraldton, in the Mid West region of Western Australia. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 813.1 It is historic, with an outstanding National Trust building. The town lies on the North West Coastal Highway. Formerly named Gwalla after the location's copper mine, it was established by the ex-convict Joseph Horrocks.
The town is known for its many wildflowers, and cave paintings at the Bowes River turnoff show that the region has been inhabited by indigenous Australians.
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History
Copper and lead ore were found in the 1840s, and by 1877, 4,000 tons of copper and lead were being produced each year.
Transport
A railway eventually had to be constructed, since moving the materials by wagon to nearby Port Gregory proved to be too difficult. The government railway line from Geraldton to Ajana passed through Northampton. It opened to that point on 26 July, 1879 and was the first government railway constructed in Western Australia. The line closed on 29 April 1957.2
References
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Northampton (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ Rails to Ajana Milne, Rod Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, February, 2001 pp45-53
External links
Further reading
- Gibbs, M. (1997) Landscapes of Meaning - Joseph Lucas Horrocks and the Gwalla Estate, Northampton, Western Australia. Historical Traces: Studies in Western Australian History, No. 17. University of Western Australia Press.
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