Gascoyne (Western Australia)

Gascoyne
Gascoyne in Western Australia
structure
State :	Australia
State :	Western Australia
LGA :	Carnarvon , Exmouth , Shark Bay , Upper Gascoyne
Dates and numbers
Area :	135,277 km²
Residents :	9580 (2006)
Population density :	0.07 inhabitants / km²
Website: www.gdc.wa.gov.au/

Coordinates: 24 ° 55 '  S , 114 ° 53'  E

Gascoyne is one of the nine regions in Western Australia , which is located in northwest Australia . The region has a coastline of approximately 600 km along the Indian Ocean , extends approximately 500 km inland and covers an area of ​​135,277 km² (including the offshore islands).

population

Gascoyne has the lowest population size and density of any region in Australia. Most of the approximately 10,000 people live in the cities and towns of Carnarvon , Exmouth , Denham , Gascoyne Junction and Coral Bay . Gascoyne is divided into the following Local Government Areas of Western Australia : Shire of Carnarvon , Shire of Exmouth , Shire of Shark Bay and Shire of Upper Gascoyne .

history

Before the European colonialists came to the region, Aboriginal people had lived in the area for thousands of years . The first European to come to the area was Dirk Hartog in 1616 ; other discoverers were Willem Jansz , William Dampier , Nicolas Baudin and Phillip King . In 1839, the explorer George Gray came to the area and gave the Gascoyne River its name. The Shark Bay was one of the first areas of the Australian pearling industry in the 1850s. In 1858, Francis Thomas Gregory explored the region and then announced that the area was very suitable for settlement and agriculture, after which the settlement of this region began in the 1860s and Carnarvon was named a city in 1883.

climate

The region has a moderate arid and tropical climate. It is warm all year round, with a maximum average temperature of 22 ° C in July and 35 ° C in January, and the sun shines on 320 days. Annual rainfall varies, is low and is around 200mm, most of which comes from cyclones . Due to the climate, the region is only covered by undergrowth, mainly spinifex , mulga bushes and very small trees. In the hinterland of Gascoyne are the Kennedy Range and Mount Augustus , the largest monolith on earth.

Economy

tourism

The economic development of the Gascoyn region is largely determined by tourism. Tourists come for the warm and dry climate and the long coastline and natural beauties of the Ningaloo Reef and Shark Bay. The Shark Bay is one of the UNESCO - World Heritage ; An application for recognition has also been made for the Ningaloo Reef. There are also significant national parks such as the Kennedy Range National Park and Mount Augustus National Park .

Agriculture

Pasture farming is important for the region; 84% of the land is used this way. Along the Gascoyne River near Carnarvon there are 170 horticultural businesses in an area of ​​1,500 hectares that grow bananas, grapes, tomatoes, peppers and mangoes. This area was hit by a flood of the Gascoyne River in 2010.

Mining

Significant oil and gas reserves are being mined on the North West Cap in the Carnarvon Basin and off the coast. On Cape Cuvier , north of Carnarvon and the Useless Loop Shark Bay salt is obtained, which is for the chemical industry is important. There is gold, uranium and diamonds in the area. Tourmaline and amethyst are found in the Upper Gascoyne. Limestone is mined north of Carnarvon; Gypsum mining is also of economic importance .

Web links

Commons : Gascoyne Region  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Gascoyne Development Commission
• Main routes through Gascoyne
• Western Australia's Gascoyne town evacuates due to flooding problems 2010

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Gascoyne Development Commission - Statistics ( Memento of the original from March 25, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ( MS Excel ; 309 kB). Retrieved June 11, 2012 (English)  
2. ↑ Tourism on www.gdc.wa.gov.au ( Memento of the original from February 17, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved February 2, 2011  
3. ↑ Horticulture at www.gdc.wa.gov.au ( Memento of the original from February 17, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved February 2, 2011  
4. ↑ Economic Profile Gascoyne on gdc.wa.gov.au ( Memento of the original dated February 17, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved February 2, 2011