The Shire of Esperance is a local government area in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, about 400 kilometres (250 mi) south of the town of Kalgoorlie and about 720 kilometres (450 mi) east-southeast of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of 42,547 square kilometres (16,427 sq mi), and its seat of government is the town of Esperance, where about three-quarters of the Shire's population resides.
Shire of Esperance Western Australia | |||||||||||||||
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Population | 13,883 (LGA 2021)[1] | ||||||||||||||
Established | 1895 | ||||||||||||||
Area | 42,546.9 km2 (16,427.4 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Shire President | Ron Chambers[2] | ||||||||||||||
Council seat | Esperance | ||||||||||||||
Region | Goldfields-Esperance | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Roe | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | O'Connor | ||||||||||||||
Website | Shire of Esperance | ||||||||||||||
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History
editThe Esperance Road District was established on 13 September 1895. Two weeks later, on 27 September 1895, the township of Esperance separated from the road district as the Municipality of Esperance. The municipality was re-absorbed into the road district on 30 October 1908. On 1 July 1961, it became the Shire of Esperance under the Local Government Act 1960, which reformed all remaining road districts into shires.[3]
A railway line from Coolgardie to Esperance that was completed in 1927 led to development of farming in the mallee country to the north of Esperance.[4]
On 11 July 1979, the American Skylab Space Station re-entered Earth's atmosphere headed for Western Australia and the Indian Ocean. It broke up during reentry and much of it landed in Esperance. In turn, the Shire issued a facetious A$400 fine to NASA for littering. It remained outstanding until April 2009, when radio show host Scott Barley of Highway Radio raised the funds from his morning show listeners, and paid the fine on behalf of NASA.[5]
The main industry in the region is farming. The Department of Agriculture established a research station at Gibson finding the local soils to be deficient in trace elements and nitrogen. In 1953 there were 130 farms in the area, increasing to 347 in 1961 and over 650 in 1968.[4]
Wards
editThe shire is divided into two wards. Prior to the 2005 elections, a 13-councillor setup with North, West and East wards each with two councillors was in place. The shire president is elected from amongst the councillors.
- Town Ward (six councillors)
- Rural Ward (three councillors)
Towns and localities
editThe towns and localities of the Shire of Esperance, divided into 32 localities, with population and size figures based on the most recent Australian census:[6][7][8]
Suburb | Population | Area | Map |
---|---|---|---|
Bandy Creek | 383 (SAL 2021)[9] | 34.3 km2 (13.2 sq mi) | |
Beaumont | 53 (SAL 2021)[10] | 1,753 km2 (677 sq mi) | |
Boyatup | 28 (SAL 2021)[11] | 791.2 km2 (305.5 sq mi) | |
Buraminya | 0 (SAL 2016)[12][13] | 13,493.8 km2 (5,210.0 sq mi) | |
Cape Arid National Park | 4 (SAL 2021)[14] | 2,778.3 km2 (1,072.7 sq mi) | |
Cape Le Grand National Park | 0 (SAL 2021)[15][16] | 308.9 km2 (119.3 sq mi) | |
Cascade | 103 (SAL 2021)[17] | 1,285.3 km2 (496.3 sq mi) | |
Castletown | 3,968 (SAL 2021)[18] | 3.6 km2 (1.4 sq mi) | |
Chadwick | 164 (SAL 2021)[19] | 7.7 km2 (3.0 sq mi) | |
Condingup | 280 (SAL 2021)[20] | 1,069.6 km2 (413.0 sq mi) | |
Coomalbidgup | 136 (SAL 2021)[21] | 1,137.7 km2 (439.3 sq mi) | |
Dalyup | 150 (SAL 2021)[22] | 731.7 km2 (282.5 sq mi) | |
East Munglinup | 39 (SAL 2021)[23] | 788.8 km2 (304.6 sq mi) | |
Esperance | 2,080 (SAL 2021)[24] | 2.4 km2 (0.93 sq mi) | |
Gibson | 406 (SAL 2021)[25] | 735.3 km2 (283.9 sq mi) | |
Grass Patch | 113 (SAL 2021)[26] | 1,481.5 km2 (572.0 sq mi) | |
Howick | 45 (SAL 2021)[27] | 1,133.7 km2 (437.7 sq mi) | |
Israelite Bay | 0 (SAL 2016)[28][29] | 2,098.5 km2 (810.2 sq mi) | |
Lort River | 60 (SAL 2021)[30] | 1,032 km2 (398 sq mi) | |
Merivale | 87 (SAL 2021)[31] | 444.1 km2 (171.5 sq mi) | |
Monjingup | 394 (SAL 2021)[32] | 182.5 km2 (70.5 sq mi) | |
Mount Ney | 8 (SAL 2021)[33] | 1,018.9 km2 (393.4 sq mi) | |
Myrup | 518 (SAL 2021)[34] | 147.1 km2 (56.8 sq mi) | |
Neridup | 92 (SAL 2021)[35] | 859.4 km2 (331.8 sq mi) | |
North Cascade | 14 (SAL 2021)[36] | 6,896.7 km2 (2,662.8 sq mi) | |
Nulsen | 1,083 (SAL 2021)[37] | 2.4 km2 (0.93 sq mi) | |
Pink Lake | 1,042 (SAL 2021)[38] | 44 km2 (17 sq mi) | |
Salmon Gums | 146 (SAL 2021)[39] | 2,781.5 km2 (1,073.9 sq mi) | |
Scaddan | 96 (SAL 2021)[40] | 979.6 km2 (378.2 sq mi) | |
Sinclair | 765 (SAL 2021)[41] | 1.5 km2 (0.58 sq mi) | |
West Beach | 1,483 (SAL 2021)[42] | 21.1 km2 (8.1 sq mi) | |
Windabout | 124 (SAL 2021)[43] | 4 km2 (1.5 sq mi) | |
Wittenoom Hills | 16 (SAL 2021)[44] | 549.7 km2 (212.2 sq mi) |
Heritage-listed places
editAs of 2023, 92 places are heritage-listed in the Shire of Esperance,[45] of which twelve are on the State Register of Heritage Places.[46]
References
edit- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Esperance (Local Government Area)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ "2023 Ordinary Election - Esperance". www.elections.wa.gov.au. Western Australian Electoral Commission. 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ "Municipality Boundary Amendments Register" (PDF). Western Australian Electoral Distribution Commission. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
- ^ a b "Government members Mining and National Development Committees fact finding tour July 1968" (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ^ Hannah Siemer. ""Littering fine paid - Local News - News - General - Esperance Express". Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2009." The Esperance Express, 17 April 2009.
- ^ "SLIP Map". maps.slip.wa.gov.au. Landgate. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ "NationalMap". nationalmap.gov.au. Geoscience Australia. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ "General Information". Shire of Esperance. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Bandy Creek (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Beaumont (WA) (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Boyatup (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Buraminya (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2016.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Buraminya (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2016 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Cape Arid (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Cape Le Grand (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Cape Le Grand (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Cascade (WA) (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Castletown (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Chadwick (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Condingup (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Coomalbidgup (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Dalyup (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "East Munglinup (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Esperance (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Gibson (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Grass Patch (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Howick (WA) (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Israelite Bay (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2016.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Israelite Bay (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2016 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Lort River (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Merivale (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Monjingup (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Mount Ney (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Myrup (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Neridup (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "North Cascade (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Nulsen (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Pink Lake (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Salmon Gums (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Scaddan (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Sinclair (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "West Beach (WA) (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Windabout (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Wittenoom Hills (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ "Shire of Esperance Heritage Places". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ "Shire of Esperance State Register of Heritage Places". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 20 February 2023.