Western Australia

Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Australia is Australia's largest state, with a land area of 2,527,013 square kilometres (975,685 sq mi), and is also the second-largest subdivision of any country on Earth.

The state has a diverse range of climates, including tropical conditions in the Kimberley, deserts in the interior (such as the Great Sandy Desert, Little Sandy Desert, Gibson Desert, and Great Victoria Desert), and a Mediterranean climate on the south-west and southern coastal areas. As of June 2024, the state has 2.965 million inhabitants—about 10.9 percent of Australia's total population. Over 90 percent of people live in the south-west corner, and around 80 percent live in the state capital, Perth.

Western Australia's Indigenous peoples have lived there for tens of thousands of years. Dutch explorers visited from the 17th century, with Dirk Hartog being the first European to land there in 1616. The British claimed the area in 1827 and established the Swan River Colony with Perth as its capital in 1829. The Western Australian gold rushes in the late 19th century brought many new people to the state.

Today, Western Australia's mining sector is very important to its economy. The state has the world's largest iron ore mining industry and also has significant petroleum and natural gas resources, mostly found offshore. Gold mining remains important, along with other minerals. Besides mining, farming, pastoralism, forestry, and fishing (including pearling) also play big roles in the state's economy.

History

Main article: History of Western Australia

See also: French Western Australia

Western Australia has a very long history, going back billions of years. Very early life formed on land over 3 billion years ago.

The first people to live in Australia arrived over 50,000 years ago from the north. They were the Indigenous Australians, and they lived all over Western Australia long before Europeans arrived.

The first Europeans to see Western Australia were Dutch explorers in 1616. For many years, Dutch and British sailors visited the coast, sometimes by accident. By the late 1700s, British and French explorers also began to visit.

In 1829, a British settlement was started at the Swan River. By 1832, the area was named Western Australia. The two main towns grew slowly into Fremantle and Perth, the capital.

In the 1890s, gold was discovered, which helped the population grow. In 1890, Western Australia was allowed to govern itself, and in 1901, it became one of the states of Australia.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Western Australia

Western Australia is the biggest state in Australia. It touches the Indian Ocean on its west and north sides, and the Southern Ocean on its south side. It shares borders with the Northern Territory to the northeast and South Australia to the southeast. This state covers a huge area of about 2.5 million square kilometres, making it not only the largest state in Australia but also one of the biggest areas of any country on Earth.

The land in Western Australia is very old and mostly flat, with most parts lying low above sea level. The state has many different types of plants and animals, especially in the southwest corner near Perth. Some areas are very dry and sandy, while others have more rain and richer soil. The state also has some of the oldest rocks and the oldest known signs of life on land.

Demographics

See also: Demographics of Australia

People began to live in Western Australia permanently in 1826 when Albany was claimed by Britain. Perth was founded in 1829 by British and Irish settlers. Over time, more people came to live there, especially during a mining boom in the Goldfields region in the 1890s.

In the early 20th century, many people from Britain, Ireland, and other places began moving to Western Australia. After World War II, people from Italy, Croatia, and Macedonia also came. Today, many people in Western Australia, especially in Perth, have family from Britain.

Perth's area had about 2 million people in 2017, which is most of the state's population. Other important places include Bunbury, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Albany, Karratha, Broome, and Port Hedland.

Further information: List of places in Western Australia by population

At a count in 2016, the most common family origins were:

• English (40.7%)
• Australian (33.2%)
• Irish (9.8%)
• Scottish (9.4%)
• Italian (5.4%)
• Chinese (4.5%)
• German (3.2%)
• Indigenous (3.1%)
• Indian (3%)
• Dutch (2.1%)
• Filipino (1.6%)
• New Zealander (1.4%)
• South African (1.3%)
• Maori (1.2%)

About 3% of the people, or 75,978, identified as Indigenous Australians in 2016.

In 2021, most people in Western Australia said they were Christian, but this number has been getting smaller over time. More people now say they do not follow any religion. Small groups follow other beliefs such as Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus.

Economy

See also: Economy of Western Australia and Economy of Australia

Western Australia's economy is mainly based on getting and processing many different minerals and petroleum products. This makes the state very good at extracting and processing natural resources. Because of this:

• Western Australia provides about 58% of Australia's mineral and energy exports, which can earn up to 4.64% of Australia's total GDP.
• The value of goods and services made in Western Australia per person was $97,940 in 2017–18, which is higher than any other state and well above the national average of $73,267.
• Over the past 15 years, the state has produced more types of commodities, making the economy stronger and less affected by changes in world prices.
• Services like finance, insurance, property, and construction have grown steadily and now make up a bigger part of the economy.
• Recent increases in global demand for minerals and petroleum, especially from China (iron-ore) and Japan (for LNG), have helped the economy grow faster than the national average.

In 2019, Western Australia’s exports made up 46% of the nation’s total exports. The main things exported include iron-ore, petroleum, gold, alumina, nickel, wheat, copper, lithium, chemicals, and mineral sands.

Western Australia is the world’s biggest producer of iron-ore, making 34% of the world’s total. It also produces 66% of Australia’s gold. The state is a major producer of bauxite, which is turned into alumina at four factories, making 11% of the world’s total. Until 2020, diamonds were also mined in the far north Kimberley region. Coal from Collie is mainly used to make electricity in the state’s south-west.

Farming is also very important in Western Australia. From 2010 to 2019, the state produced about 10 million tonnes of wheat each year, which is half of Australia’s total and brings in $2–3 billion in exports each year.

Other important farm products include wool, beef, lamb, barley, canola, lupins, oats, and pulses. There is also a lot of demand from overseas for live animals from Western Australia, especially from southeast Asia and the Middle East. About half of Australia’s live cattle exports come from Western Australia.

Growth in the resource industry has caused shortages of workers and skills. Because of this, the state government has been working to encourage people to move there from other parts of Australia and from overseas. In 2006, the average income for a person in Western Australia was A$500 per week, compared to A$466 for all of Australia. The average family income was A$1246 per week, compared to A$1171 for all of Australia. Recent growth has also caused property values to rise.

South of Perth, the industrial area of Kwinana used to have the nation’s biggest oil refinery until it closed in 2021. Kwinana still has factories for processing alumina and nickel, ports for exporting grain and other bulk goods, and industries that support mining and petroleum, like engineering and metal work. Nearby Henderson has shipbuilding and related industries. Other important industries in the state include making cement, flour, food, animal feed, car bodies, and printing.

Western Australia also has a big fishing industry. Fish and seafood products like western rock lobsters, prawns, crabs, shark, and tuna are caught for both local use and export. Pearl fishing happens in the Kimberley region. Whaling was once a key industry but stopped at Albany in 1978.

Western Australia grows the world’s largest amounts of both Indian sandalwood and Australian sandalwood. These are used to make sandalwood oil and incense. The sandalwood industry in Western Australia provides about 40% of the world’s sandalwood oil.

Tourism

In the 2000s, tourism became more important. In 2008, many visitors came from the UK and Ireland (28%), other European countries (14%), Singapore (16%), Japan (10%), and Malaysia (8%). Tourism brings in a lot of money for smaller towns outside of Perth, especially in coastal areas.

Tourism is a big part of Western Australia’s economy. In the year ending March 2015, 833,100 international visitors came to the state, making up 12.8% of all international visitors to Australia. The most visitors came from the United Kingdom (17%), Singapore (10%), and New Zealand (10%). Most people visit for holidays or vacations. The tourism industry adds $9.3 billion to the state’s economy and supports 94,000 jobs. It makes up 3.2% of the state’s economy, while the mining sector, which brings in the most money, makes up 31%.

Tourism WA is the government agency that promotes Western Australia as a place to visit.

Government

Main article: Government of Western Australia

Western Australia began running its own government in 1890. It has a Parliament in Perth with two parts: the Legislative Assembly with 59 members, and the Legislative Council with 36 members. Everyone over 18 must vote.

When Australia became a group of states in 1901, Western Australia joined as one of these states. Some powers went to the national government, but many stayed with the state.

The leader of Western Australia is called the premier, and they are chosen from the group of people with the most votes in the Legislative Assembly. Roger Cook is the current premier.

Secession

Main article: Secessionism in Western Australia

Some people in Western Australia have wanted the state to leave Australia and join the British Empire instead. In 1933, most people voted to leave Australia, but the British government said they could not change Australia’s rules without Australia’s agreement, so nothing changed.

Local government

Western Australia is split into 139 areas, each with its own local government. These areas include Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Their rules are set by something called the Local Government Act 1995.

Education

Education in Western Australia starts with one year of pre-school when children are age 4 or 5. After that, all students go through six years of primary school. When they are about 12 or 13 years old, they begin six years of secondary school. Students must stay in school until they are 16 years old. Those who are 16 or 17 can choose to stay in school, get training, or find a job.

Western Australia has five universities. Four of them are in Perth and are public universities: the University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, and Murdoch University. The fifth university is in Fremantle and is a private university called the University of Notre Dame Australia.

Media

Print

Main article: List of newspapers in Western Australia

Western Australia has two daily newspapers. These are The West Australian and Kalgoorlie Miner. There are also weekend and Sunday papers, along with many weekly community newspapers spread across the state. Two major weekly rural papers are Countryman and Farm Weekly. An online newspaper called WAtoday focuses on Perth and Western Australia.

Television

Metropolitan Perth has five broadcast television stations. These include ABC TV WA, SBS TV WA, Seven Network Perth, Nine Network Perth, and Network Ten Perth. Regional WA also has several television stations, making it one of the largest television markets in the world. Digital multichannels are available on these networks.

In addition to these, there are many digital channels such as ABC HD, ABC TV Plus, 7HD, 9HD, and 10 HD, among others. Pay TV services are provided by Foxtel.

Radio

Perth has many radio stations on AM and FM frequencies, including ABC NewsRadio, ABC Radio Perth, Radio National, ABC Classic, and Triple J. Commercial stations include Triple M, Nova 93.7, Mix 94.5, and Gold 96FM. Community radio stations such as Curtin FM and 6RTR are also popular.

Culture

Arts and entertainment

Western Australia is home to a famous school for performers, the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), and has a growing theater and music scene. Many well-known musicians and bands come from Western Australia, such as Adam Brand, Ammonia, Karnivool, Birds of Tokyo, Bon Scott, Eskimo Joe, Johnny Young, Gyroscope, the John Butler Trio, Tame Impala, Kevin Mitchell, Tim Minchin, Troye Sivan, the Kill Devil Hills, Pendulum, the Pigram Brothers, Rolf Harris, Stella Donnelly and the Triffids. The West Australian Music Industry Awards (WAMis) have been given out each year since 2001 to the best musicians and performers in WA.

Many famous actors and TV stars are from Western Australia, including Heath Ledger, Sam Worthington, Ernie Dingo, Jessica Marais, Megan Gale, Rove McManus, Isla Fisher, and Melissa George. Movies and TV shows filmed in Western Australia include Rabbit-Proof Fence, The Heights, Mystery Road, These Final Hours, Cloudstreet, Jasper Jones, Australia, Bran Nu Dae, Red Dog, ABBA: the Movie and Last Train to Freo.

Western Australia has many talented Indigenous painters and artists, such as Jack Dale Mengenen, Paddy Bedford, Queenie McKenzie, and siblings Nyuju Stumpy Brown and Rover Thomas.

The West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO) is based at the Perth Concert Hall. Other places for concerts, shows, and sports in Western Australia include His Majesty's Theatre, the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia, the Crown Theatre and Perth Arena, which opened in 2012. Performance groups based in Perth include the West Australian Ballet, the West Australian Opera, the Black Swan State Theatre Company and the Perth Theatre Company.

Western Australia has inspired many books. Well-known authors from the state include Katharine Susannah Prichard, Randolph Stow, Tim Winton, Kim Scott, Sally Morgan, Joan London, Mary Durack and Craig Silvey.

The public Art Gallery of Western Australia is part of the Perth Cultural Centre. Founded in 1895, it holds a large collection of artworks from local and international artists, dating back to the 1800s. The Perth Cultural Centre is also home to the Western Australian Museum, State Library of Western Australia, State Records Office, and Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA). Western Australia has a public library system, with libraries in every local government area (some libraries are shared with schools).

Sport

Main article: Sport in Western Australia

Many national and international sports teams and events are based in Western Australia, including:

• Australian rules football: The West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers play in the Australian Football League (AFL). They also have women's teams in the AFL Women's league. The West Australian Football League (WAFL) is the main local football competition, but there are other local and amateur football leagues across the state.
• Baseball: The Perth Heat play in the Australian Baseball League.
• Basketball: The Perth Wildcats (men) and Perth Lynx (women) play in the National Basketball League and Women's National Basketball League, respectively.
• Cricket: Western Australia plays in first-class and List A domestic cricket, with the Perth Scorchers competing in the Twenty20 Big Bash League.
• Field hockey: The Thundersticks (men) and Diamonds (women) play in the Australian Hockey League.
• Ice hockey: The Perth Thunder (men) and Perth Inferno (women) play in Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL).
• Netball: The West Coast Fever play in the ANZ Championship.
• Rugby league: The West Coast Pirates play in the S. G. Ball Cup.
• Rugby union: The Western Force plays in Super Rugby Pacific.
• Soccer: Perth Glory has men's and women's teams in the A-League Men and A-League Women, respectively.
• Tennis: The ITF Hopman Cup, an annual international team indoor hardcourt tennis tournament.
• Water polo: The UWA Torpedoes water polo club plays in the National Water Polo League (NWPL).
• Formula 1: The Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo is from Perth.

Western Australia has hosted many international sports events, such as the Tom Hoad Cup (water polo), the Perth International (golf), the 2006 Gravity Games (extreme sports), the 2002 Women's Hockey World Cup, the 1991 FINA World Aquatics Championships, the World Rally Championships and the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

Western Australia's biggest sports stadium is Perth Stadium, also known as Optus Stadium. It can hold over 60,000 people and is mainly used for Australian rules football and cricket.

Wine

Winemaking areas are mostly in the cooler south-western portion of the state. Although Western Australia makes up less than 5% of Australia's wine, its wines are considered among the best. Major wine regions include: Margaret River, The Great Southern, Swan Valley and smaller areas such as Blackwood Valley, Manjimup, Pemberton, Peel, Chittering Valley, Perth Hills, and Geographe.

Public holidays

The table below shows all the public holidays recognized in Western Australia.

*Indicates a nationwide holiday

Sister states

Western Australia has five sister states around the world: East Java in Indonesia, Hyōgo Prefecture in Japan, Andhra Pradesh State in India, Tuscany Region in Italy, and Zhejiang Province in China.

In 1981, Western Australia and Hyōgo Prefecture in Japan signed an agreement to build better cultural ties. To celebrate this friendship, a cultural centre was opened in Perth in 1992. After a big earthquake in Hyōgo in 1995, many people in Western Australia helped with support and supplies. In 2001, the two governments signed a new agreement to strengthen their economic ties. Additionally, the City of Rockingham in Western Australia and the City of Akō in Hyōgo became sister cities in 1997.