Geraldton

For other uses, see Geraldton (disambiguation).

Geraldton Western Australia
Geraldton Marina
Geraldton
Coordinates	28°46′28″S 114°36′32″E
Population	35,749 (2011) (35)
• Density	140.74/km2 (364.5/sq mi)
Established	1850
Postcode(s)	6530, 6531, 6532
Area	254 km2 (98.1 sq mi)
Time zone	AWST (UTC+8)
Location	424 km (263 mi) NNW of Perth
LGA(s)	City of Greater Geraldton
State electorate(s)	Geraldton
Federal division(s)	Durack

Geraldton is a coastal city in the Mid West region of Western Australia, located 424 kilometres (263 mi) north of Perth.

At the 2011 census, Geraldton had a population of 35,749. Geraldton is the seat of government for the local government area (LGA), the City of Greater Geraldton, which also incorporates the town of Mullewa and large rural areas previously forming the shires of Greenough and Mullewa.

The city is home to the Port of Geraldton, a major west coast seaport. Geraldton is an important service and logistics centre for regional mining, fishing, wheat, sheep and tourism industries. The Australian Army 2nd Division, 13th Brigade Reserve Response Force maintains a presence and depot in central Geraldton. Geraldton has a Sister City relationship with Zhejiang, China.

History

Aboriginal

Clear evidence has established indigenous people living on the West Coast of Australia for at least 40,000 years, though at present it is unclear when the first indigenous people may have originally explored and lived in and around Geraldton.

The local Aboriginal people native to the region surrounding Geraldton are known as "Yamatji" or "Wajarri" people. Wajarri country is inland from Geraldton and extends as far south and west as Mullewa, north to Gascoyne Junction and east to Meekatharra. The Aboriginal people of the Murchison-Gascoyne region were instrumental in assisting early settlers in the area in identifying permanent water sources, and worked in the pearling, pastoral and fishing industries.

Yamatji art is a distinctive style of painting, using thousands of dots of ochre and other earth-based pigments to create patterns and images relevant to Yamatji/Wajarri culture.

The Western Australia Museum at the marina in Geraldton hosts a permanent exhibit on Yamatji/Wajarri culture and history of the region.

European arrival

Though many European maritime explorers encountered or were even wrecked on the Houtman Abrolhos islands 60 kilometres (37 mi) west of Geraldton during the 17th and 18th centuries, there is no evidence that any made landfall at or near the site of the current town.

The wreck of the Batavia, flagship of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) fleet on her maiden voyage, on Morning Reef of the Houtman Abrolhos on 4 June 1629, and the events surrounding the subsequent mutiny, rescue and punishment of her crew are of great historical significance to the region. A detailed account of the events is recorded in a 24 December 1897 Western Mail article "The Abrolhos Tragedy", translated from the notes of Francois Pelsaert, the commander of the Batavia when she ran aground. The Western Australian Museum in Geraldton houses an exhibition of clay pipes, silver coins, cannons, the original Batavia stone portico and numerous other relics recovered from the wreck of the Batavia and other notable local historical shipwrecks such as the Zuytdorp, Zeewijk and Vergulde Draeck.

The explorer George Grey, while on his second disastrous expedition along the Western Australian coast, passed over the future site of Geraldton on 7 April 1839.

A decade later, explorer Augustus Gregory travelled through the area. A member of his party, Pemberton Walcott, discovered lead ore in 1848 in the bed of the Murchison River. The Geraldine mine was subsequently established, named after Charles Fitzgerald, the 4th governor of Western Australia. The town of Geraldton was gazetted in 1850, also named after Governor Fitzgerald.

Economy

The economic output generated within Greater Geraldton, the 12,626 square kilometres (4,875 sq mi) local government area incorporating Geraldton, is estimated at $5.072 billion. Greater Geraldton represents 47.65% of the $10.645 billion in output generated in Mid West Region and 1.01% of the $501.018 billion in output generated in Western Australia.

Port of Geraldton

The Port of Geraldton is a major west coast port with seven bulk handling berths and an average loading rate of seven tonnes per hour, ranking nationally (in tonnage for 2012/2013) 12th in exports (14,812,513); 23rd in imports (632,330); and 13th overall (15,444,843).

The major exports from the Geraldton port in 2012/2013 were (tonnage): iron ore (10,741,662); grain (2,618,507); mineral sands (849,933); copper concentrate (149,450); zinc concentrate (148,420); nickel concentrate (65,919); and livestock (2,758). Major imports were petroleum products (328,021). In 2012/2013 the Geraldton port serviced 328 bulk haulage vessels.

Tourism

Visitors Centre

The Geraldton Visitor Centre is located at 246 Marine Terrace in the historic Geraldton railway station.

Point Moore Lighthouse

The Point Moore Lighthouse, located south of the Geraldton Port is a cultural and historical attraction. It is the oldest surviving Commonwealth lighthouse in Western Australia and was also the first steel tower to be constructed on the mainland of Australia. The Point Moore lighthouse stands 35m tall and its 1000w Tungsten Halogen Lamp can be seen for 23 nautical miles. It began operation in 1878.

Geraldton Foreshore and City Centre

In 2007, the Geraldton foreshore area, previously an abandoned railway marshalling yard, was redeveloped and today hosts a playground with water activities, public green spaces, public beaches, picnic areas, basketball court and shaded play areas. The project was completed in 2008.

Geraldton is a regular port of call for luxury cruise ships with visits occurring approximately ten times per year. Volunteers, organised by the City of Greater Geraldton, greet visitors on arrival to provide information on activities and other assistance.

HMAS Sydney Memorial

Memorial to HMAS Sydney

The memorial for the World War II cruiser HMAS Sydney is located on top of nearby Mount Scott. The memorial recognises the loss of the light cruiser during a mutually destructive fight with the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran off Shark Bay in November 1941, with none of the 645 aboard surviving. A temporary memorial, consisting of a large boulder, a flagpole, and a bronze plaque, was erected in 1998. A permanent memorial (made up of four major elements: 1. a stele based on the ship's prow; 2. a granite wall listing the ship's company; 3. a bronze statue of a woman looking out to sea and waiting in vain for Sydney to return; and 4. a dome made up of 645 stainless steel seagulls) was dedicated on 18 November 2001, the day before the 60th anniversary of the battle. In May 2009, the memorial was recognised by the Australian government as being of national significance. [Note, this vessel is the second Australian warship to be named HMAS Sydney, and is sometimes referred to as HMAS Sydney (II)]

Activities

Geraldton has a Mediterranean climate with dry, sunny conditions and warm sea temperatures throughout the summer. Mean sea temperatures in the summer months (measured at 10m) are consistently above 22C, often exceeding 24C. Surface sea temperatures in summer regularly exceed 26C.

The Geraldton foreshore area has pathways for walking, running, cycling, dog-walking, skateboarding and in-line skating. There are skate parks at Cape Burney, Maitland Park, Wonthella, Strathalbyn, Tarcoola Beach, Forrester and Drummond Cove.

Farmers markets occur on Saturday from 8 am to 12 noon in Maitland Park on Cathedral Avenue and on Sunday at the Old railway station on the corner of Chapman Road and Forrest Street.

4WD access is permitted on many beaches around Geraldton. Access points are usually labelled with information and cautions. Road rules apply and beaches are patrolled by local rangers. Non-compliance to road rules or entry into prohibited areas attracts significant penalties. Many beaches are impassable at times around high tide and during periods of ocean surges. At certain times of year, access may become impossible due to beach erosion.

Windsurfing and Kitesurfing

During the spring, summer and early autumn months from September through April, Geraldton experiences consistent seabreezes. Kitestock, a national kitesurfing festival, is held in mid-February each year at nearby Dongara, approximately 60 km to the south of Geraldton. In 2005, Geraldton was host to the Australian KiteSurfing Association (AKSA) Australian National Championships.

Windsurfing and kitesurfing locations in and near Geraldton include Back Beach, Separation Point ("Seppos"), Point Moore, Hell's Gate, St. George, Sunset Beach and Coronation Beach.

Coronation Beach is an internationally renowned windsurfing destination, located approximately 25 km north of the city. "Coros" is a port tack jumping site, with flat water on the inside and unhindered Indian Ocean rolling swell offshore. In the late afternoon, the wind often swings slightly more offshore and starboard tack waveriding becomes possible.

Other beaches in and around Geraldton provide world-class wavesailing and kitesurfing; the region has been a popular windsurfing location for a number of decades, attracting significant numbers of overseas visitors and product testing by manufacturers.

A seaport and industrial estate has been proposed for Oakajee, 25 km north of Geraldton, which would likely adversely impact or even completely eliminate one of the most highly-regarded wavesailing and kitesurfing locations in Australia, ("Spot-X"), located just south of Coronation Beach at Oakajee. Proponents of the Oakajee project have suggested the creation of an artificial reef north of the proposed seaport site that could replicate the conditions of the area which would be destroyed by the construction of the seaport and industrial estate. However,there has been no compelling evidence offered to support claims by developers that the artificial reef would be capable of re-creating an environment similar to Spot-X. Although still supported by the WA State Government, the AU$4.37bn port project is presently (October 2015) "mothballed" due to the absence of a significant investment partner capable of funding the bulk of the capital requirements and development is unlikely to progress in the near to immediate future.

Surfing and Stand-Up Paddlesurfing

Surfing, and more recently Stand-Up Paddlesurfing, are also popular activities in and around Geraldton. Popular surf spots include Flat Rocks, Headbutts, Greenough, Back Beach, Sunset Beach and Glenfield. Stand-Up Paddlesurfing spots include Point Moore, Town Beach, The Foreshore, St. Georges Beach and Drummond Cove to the north.

In winter, local weather conditions shift to predominantly easterly (offshore) winds. Indian Ocean storms generate large swells that produce good conditions for surfing (though the fringe barrier reef protecting the Geraldton coastline blocks much of the swell, significantly reducing the size of the waves that reach the beaches). Large swells may create potentially dangerous rip currents as water flows through passages between the reef.

Fishing, Boating and Sailing

Saltwater fishing, boating and sailing are popular along Geraldton's coastline.

Local and visiting recreational fishermen and women target a wide variety of native sport fish from the beaches and wharves that includes Mulloway, Bream, Tailor, Whiting, Sharks and Cod; larger fish such as Dhufish, Mackerel, Tuna, Snapper, Sampsonfish, Coral Trout and larger sharks, amongst many others are found on Geraldton's offshore reefs, located from approximately 8 km to more than 80 km offshore. A recreational fishing license is not required when fishing from the shore but a license must be obtained from the Department of Fisheries to fish from a boat. Significant fines apply for non-compliance. Recreational fishing for local Western Rock Lobster is also permitted during the season from December–April (exact dates vary from year to year) however, a special license is required. Size and daily bag limits apply to certain species of fish and to all lobster catches.

The city is home to the Geraldton Yacht Club, marking its 100th anniversary in 2014. Social sailing takes place at 8:30am on Sunday mornings.

Scuba Diving and Snorkelling

Scuba diving and snorkelling are popular activities around Geraldton. There are several wreck diving sites off the coast, including the South Tomi, which was sunk in 2004. The South Tomi is a 58.7 metre long, 9.81 metre wide vessel that was built by Niigata Engineering and Shipping Co Ltd. in Niigata City, Japan. In March 2001, the Republic of Togo registered South Tomi. The same month, the ship was identified fishing illegally in Australian sub-Antarctic waters and pursued by Australian Fisheries officers for 14 days, covering 3,300 nautical miles (approximately 6,100 kilometres). The vessel was boarded by Australian defence forces 320 nautical miles (approximately 600 km) south of Cape Town in South Africa and inspected. The vessel was found to be carrying an illegal catch of the protected Patagonian Toothfish and the vessel and its catch were confiscated by Australian authorities. The catch was sold by the Australian government for 1.4 million dollars as part of the vessel confiscation. The vessel was subsequently escorted 8,500 km to Western Australia and arrived on 5 May in Fremantle. The then City of Geraldton secured the vessel to be sunk for an artificial reef. The ship was subsequently towed from Fremantle to Geraldton and scuttled on Saturday 18 September 2004 approximately 2.9 nautical miles off the Geraldton coast. The site is registered with the WA Department of Fisheries as a wreck and is closed year round to fishing within the defined boundaries – commencing at 28°43.968' S and 114°33.392' E, then east to the intersection of 114°33.206' E, then north to the intersection of 28°43.752' S, then east to the intersection of 114°33.392' E, then south to the commencement point. Water depth at the site is approximately 24.5 metres and the deck is 13 metres from the surface. The wreck of the South Tomi is one of WA’s Top 10 Dive Wrecks and provides an easily accessible diving alternative to the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, located approximately 60 kilometres offshore which houses the regions’ other shipwrecks.

Team Sports

Geraldton has a number of resident sporting teams, including Australian Rules Football, Basketball, Netball, Soccer and Roller Derby League.

Geraldton is home to the Mid West Academy of Sport, a non-profit community organisation providing support to sporting talent (athletes, coaches, officials and administrators) throughout the Mid West Region of Western Australia.

Horse Racing

Geraldton is home to a horse racing industry and since 1887 has hosted the annual Geraldton Gold Cup meeting.

Events

The Geraldton Sunshine Festival, established in 1958, is one of Australia's longest-running festivals. The festival takes place annually in October, celebrating the arrival of Spring and providing opportunities for residents and visitors to engage with local businesses and other organisations.

The Goodness Sustainability and Innovation Festival is held each August in and around Geraldton and showcases and celebrates innovation and achievement towards sustainability in the Mid West.

Beaches

St Georges Beach

The main beaches in Geraldton are Tarcoola Beach, Back Beach, Separation Point, Point Moore, Pages Beach, Town Beach, Champion Bay, St Georges, Sunset Beach, Bluff Point, and Drummond Cove. Facilities at individual beaches and parks can be found on the City of Greater Geraldton's web page.

Cathedrals

St. Francis Xavier Cathedral

St Francis Xavier Cathedral

The St Francis Xavier Cathedral was designed by Monsignor John Hawes—an architect and a Catholic priest. Construction began in 1916 and was completed in 1938.

Cathedral of the Holy Cross

The Anglican cathedral of Geraldton was built during the 1960s.

Entertainment

Queens Park Theatre is the largest entertainment and conference venue in Geraldton with a 673-seat auditorium (including box and circle seating), two large foyers with bars, a reception room, and a 500-seat outdoor amphitheatre. The theatre hosts professional events and performances from around the world.

The Orana Cinemas in the historical West End is Geraldton's only cineplex with 3D available on selected movies. During the summer months a movie is sometimes shown at the side of Dome on Foreshore Drive by Sun City Cinema.

The main pubs near the Geraldton CBD are the Freemason's Hotel on Marine Terrace, The Camel Bar (next to the Post Office), The Vibe and the Geraldton Beach Hotel.

Restaurants in and around Geraldton offer many international cuisines catering to a variety of tastes.

Facilities and Services

Geraldton has a variety of hotels, healthcare facilities, restaurants, motels, clubs, retail shops, pubs, sporting venues and a marina.

Public Facilities

QantasLink and Virgin Australia Airlines operate from Geraldton Airport with daily flights to and from Perth. General aviation services include charter flights to the Abrolhos Islands, to WA minesites and to various tourist destinations. The main passenger terminal is equipped with a licensed café, a private lounge for hire and a free public WiFi hotspot. Flight training schools, aircraft maintenance facilities and a local aero club are based here. Construction is underway (2014) on an Airport Technology Park.

The Greater Geraldton Regional Library at 37 Marine Terrace, is open seven days a week and provides free access to the Internet via a public WiFi hotspot—a courtesy service of the City of Greater Geraldton. Other free public WiFi hotspots are available along the Geraldton Foreshore from the marina to the Esplanade.Free public WiFi hotspot locations in Geraldton

The Geraldton Batavia Coast Marina consists of three jetties, 47 commercial and recreation boat pens, 42 floating pens, boat ramps, toilets, carpark, fishing platform and a boardwalk.

Geraldton Volunteer Marine Rescue (active on weekends and public holidays) monitor marine radio frequency 27.88 MHz and VHF Channel 16. Local groups also monitor other frequencies such as 27.90 MHz, 27.91 MHz and VHF channels 72 and 73, as well as their own channels.

The Geraldton Regional Art Gallery, on Chapman Road near the city centre, opened in 1984 and was one of the first “A Class” regional galleries in Australia.

The Aquarena is a public swimming facility managed by the City of Greater Geraldton. It has 50-metre and 25-metre pools, a leisure pool, a water slide and hydrotherapy facilities, with water polo and swimming squads and group fitness sessions.

The Queen Elizabeth II Centre (QE2) is home to a variety of community and seniors' groups, and offers facilities for public hire, including two large halls with equipped kitchens. The QEII Centre is available for local and visiting seniors, group meetings and also provides an internet hub for seniors.

Privately owned facilities

There are six caravan parks in Geraldton, located in the suburbs of Greenough Rivermouth, Tarcoola Beach, Point Moore, Waggrakine, Sunset Beach, and Drummond Cove.

Shopping malls in Geraldton include Northgate on Chapman Road north of the city; Sterling Centre on Sanford Street near the Civic Centre; the Homemaker Centre on NW Coastal Highway, north of the city; at Sunset Beach, Bluff Point and Glenfield, all on Chapman Road. Additional shops (hardware and outdoor supplies) are located opposite the Homemaker Centre across NW Coastal Highway.

Pharmacies are located in the CBD on Marine Terrace, at Bluff Point Shopping Centre, in Sterling Centre and at Glenfield Shopping centre.

A co-working space connected to the National Broadband Network is located at City Hive on Marine Terrace.

Trading Hours

Most retail services trade from 8:30am – 5:00pm Monday through Friday. Some larger shops remain open until 6:00pm or 7:00pm weekdays. Many shops are open for extended hours for Thursday night late trading until 8pm or 9pm. Trading hours on Saturday vary from store to store, with many shops closing by 2pm. Most small retail shops and major retailers are closed all day on Sundays, though there are some exceptions.

Communications

Geraldton is host to one of the 121 Points of Interconnection for the Australian National Broadband Network (NBN), providing service to the largest geographic region in Australia. Geraldton was the first regional community in Western Australia where the NBN Fibre to the Premises (FttP) network was deployed in July 2013. NBNCo provides a fixed wireless broadband service for some parts of the region and in 2013/2014 introduced high speed optic fibre broadband services to areas of Geraldton in and near the city centre.

All of Geraldton's urban areas between Tarcoola Beach in the south and Drummond Cove in the north are being provided with Fiber to the Premise services, with construction completion scheduled for end of calendar year 2016.

A number of Internet Service Providers offer services to Geraldton that include (where available) Fibre to the Premise (FttP) via NBNCo, private fibre networks and ADSL, as well as via public spectrum (5.8 GHz Class License) wireless links.

In 2012, The City of Greater Geraldton was one of 33 cities worldwide selected to receive a Smarter Cities® Challenge grant from IBM. The stated aim of the project is to "identify smart digital services and opportunities that leverage the increasing availability of broadband and to develop smart energy strategies that will enable the community’s vision of becoming a carbon-neutral region by 2029".

The region is serviced by the major mobile phone companies with 3G networks provided by Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, and 4G and 4Gx (700 MHz) by Telstra.

Health and Education

Healthcare

Geraldton has two hospitals: Geraldton Regional Hospital (public) and St John of God Hospital (private). Geraldton Regional Hospital is the only facility in Geraldton with a 24-hour Emergency Room.

Geraldton Regional Hospital is a 55-bed hospital comprising accident and emergency, medical, surgical, paediatrics, maternity, intensive nursing, chemotherapy unit, day surgery and a renal dialysis unit.

Allied health services (speech pathology, psychology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy and audiology) are also available at the hospital.

St John of God Hospital is a 60-bed hospital with medical, surgical, acute care, maternity and palliative care. There is also an adjoining specialist centre where residential specialists are based. This included three general surgeons, radiologists, an orthopaedic surgeon, two obstetrician/gynaecologists, an ophthalmologist, GPs and anaesthetists. Visiting specialists consulting rooms are also based here. Geraldton has visiting specialists covering a wide range of medical specialities. Most visit Geraldton monthly.

There are 42 private general practitioners now residing in Geraldton, including four general practitioners employed by the Geraldton Regional Aboriginal Medical Service (GRAMS). Most of the GPs and resident specialists in Geraldton are involved in teaching Rural Clinical School medical students.

Community services include:

Aboriginal Medical Service; Community Drug Service Team; Community Health and Development Centre; Community Mental Health Team;

Private diagnostic facilities include:

Geraldton Radiology at SJOGH; PathCentre at GRH; SJOG Pathology at SJOGH.

Tertiary Education

Geraldton Universities Centre

The Geraldton Universities Centre is an independent, not-for-profit, incorporated body, supporting university courses in Geraldton on behalf of a range of universities including CQUniversity, Charles Sturt University and the University of Southern Queensland. The centre is an Australian first with university places allocated specifically for Geraldton, allowing students to study locally while living and working in the Mid West. The majority of graduates now work in regional Western Australia. The student body has grown from 20 student places in 2001 to more than 200 enrolled students in 2015, undertaking a range of bridging and full degree programs.

TAFE

Durack Institute of Technology

Durack Institute of Technology is a college of TAFE providing education, training programs and services to the community including school leavers, mature age students, industry/corporate groups, international students, employers and those who study for their own personal and professional development.

Batavia Coast Marine Institute

The Batavia Coast Maritime Institute (BCMI), a subsidiary of Durack Institute of Technology, is a training, research and development facility located at Separation Point in Geraldton. BCMI offers coursework in Aquaculture, Aquaponics, Conservation & Land Management, Coxswain, Master Class V, Horticulture, Environmental Science, Marine Engine Driving Grade 1&2,Laboratory Sciences, Sustainability, Marine VHF Radio, Recreational Skippers Ticket and Restricted Coxswains.

Primary and Secondary Schools and Colleges

School	Year Range	Funding
Alendale Primary School	K-6	Public
Beachlands Primary School	K-6	Public
Bluff Point Primay School	K-6	Public
Geraldton Primary School	K-6	Public
Mt Tarcoola Primary School	K-6	Public
St Francis Xavier Primary School	K-6	Private
St Lawrence's School Bluff Point	K-6	Private
Waggrakine Primary School	K-6	Public
Wandina Primary School	K-5	Public
John Willcock College	7–9	Public
Geraldton Senior College	10–12	Public
Geraldton Grammar School	K–12	Private
Nagle Catholic College	7–12	Private
Strathalbyn Christian College	K–12	Private

Nearby

North of Geraldton is the town of Northampton.

East of Northampton is the Hutt River Principality, (an area approximately the size of Hong Kong) which claims to be an independent nation since its self-proclaimed secession from Western Australia in 1969. Hutt River Principality is governed by Prince Leonard (Casley). The government office on the property displays its own coins minted at the Perth Mint, postage stamps and a constitution. On its web page, Hutt River Principality claims to have a diplomatic security force. Correspondence with the Australian Tax office is displayed showing the principality's tax-exempt status.

The Houtman Abrolhos islands are 60 kilometres (37 mi) west of Geraldton.

The Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory Support Facility in Geraldton, operated by CSIRO, provides support services for the Square Kilometre Array project located at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, 315 km northeast of Geraldton.

Other

The Australian Defence Satellite Communications Station (ADSCS) is located at Kojarena, 30 km east of Geraldton.

Transportation

Geraldton has a public bus service run by TransGeraldton and is connected to Perth with coach services provided by Transwa. QantasLink and Virgin Australia provide services from Geraldton Airport; the airport is also used for general aviation.

Media

Radio

Radio services available in Geraldton:

• Tourist Radio (88.0FM)–(Information for travellers and tourists)
• 6 TTT (97.3FM) – (Community Access Radio Station)
• ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt (6GN 828 AM) – Part of the ABC Local Radio Network.
• ABC Radio National – (6ABCRN 99.7 FM) – Speciality talk and music.
• Triple J – (6JJJ 98.9 FM) – Music for young Australians (non-commercial, ABC affiliate)
• ABC News Radio – (6PNN 101.3 FM) – Rolling News bulletins, news magazine programs and LIVE coverage from Federal Parliament House of Representatives.
• ABC Classic FM – (6ABCFM 94.9 FM) – Classical and Jazz Music.
• WAFM (96.5FM) – Top 40 Music
• The Spirit Network (Radio 6BAY FM 98.1 \ 1512 AM) – Classic Hits / Adult Contemporary Music format aimed at 35 years + audience.
• Radio Mama- 100.5FM- Indigenous Community station

Television

Broadcast television services available in Geraldton:

• Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) – ABC1, ABC2, ABC3, ABC News 24 (digital channels)
• Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) – SBS One, SBS Two, SBS HD (digital channels)
• WIN Television, an affiliate of the Nine Network.
• GWN7 (Golden West Network), an affiliate of the Seven Network.
• Ten West, a direct relay of Network Ten from Perth.

The programming schedule is mainly the same as the Seven, Nine and Ten stations in Perth, with variations for news bulletins, sport telecasts such as the Australian Football League and National Rugby League, children's and lifestyle programs and advertorials. GWN7 produces a 30-minute regional news program each weeknight (originating from Bunbury) with a newsroom based in Geraldton, covering the local area.

Newspapers

The Geraldton Guardian was established in 1878 as the Victorian Express and is the state's second oldest extant newspaper in continuous circulation (after The West Australian). It is published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Yamaji News, published since 1995 by the Yamaji Languages Aboriginal Corporation, is a fortnightly Geraldton newspaper presenting issues and stories affecting indigenous people in the Gascoyne and Murchison districts.

The Midwest Times is published on Thursday and is issued free to residents and businesses in the Geraldton and the Midwest.

Online

"Everything Geraldton" is an online news and social media site with a focus on local news, events, community issues and community engagement.

Notable residents

• Alfred Carson (1859-1944), journalist and social worker.
• Edith Cowan (1861–1932), the first woman elected to an Australian Parliament, was born and raised at Glengarry Station
• Patricia Gallaher OAM (1937-2014), regional librarian established the Randolph Stow award for young writers
• Geoff Gallop (1951- ), 27th Premier of Western Australia
• Xavier Herbert (1901–1984), Miles Franklin Award-winning writer, was born here
• Chris Mainwaring (1965–2007), an Australian rules footballer, inaugural player for the West Coast Eagles
• Doris Pilkington (1937-2014), author best known for her 1996 book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence
• Lieutenant General John Sanderson (1940- ), 29th Governor of Western Australia, former Chief of the Australian Army
• Randolph Stow (1935–2010), novelist. His The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea was set in the Geraldton area in the 1940s
• Tasma Walton (1973- ), a television and film actress, wife of Australian comedian, television presenter and producer Rove McManus
• Sir Albert Wolff (1899–1977), Chief Justice of Western Australia, Lieutenant Governor of Western Australia

Climate

Geraldton has a Mediterranean climate with semi-arid influence. Geraldton is very sunny, receiving around 164 clear days annually.

In the winter, the temperature is mild, averaging around 20 °C (68 °F), with most of the yearly rainfall falling in this period.

In the summer months, Geraldton averages 32–33 °C (90–91 °F), with some days over 40 °C (104 °F). Daily afternoon sea breezes cool coastal areas and summer temperatures in coastal suburbs of Geraldton (Seacrest, Tarcoola, Geraldton CBD, Beresford, Sunset Beach, Bluff Point and Drummond Cove) are generally cooler than in inland suburbs, such as Strathalbyn, Utakarra, Woorree, Deepdale and Moonyoonooka.

Climate data for Geraldton Airport, Moonyoonooka (1941–2014)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	47.7 (117.9)	47.3 (117.1)	45.2 (113.4)	39.7 (103.5)	36.6 (97.9)	29.5 (85.1)	29.0 (84.2)	31.6 (88.9)	36.1 (97.0)	40.7 (105.3)	43.8 (110.8)	46.8 (116.2)	47.7 (117.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	31.6 (88.9)	32.6 (90.7)	31.0 (87.8)	27.7 (81.9)	24.1 (75.4)	20.9 (69.6)	19.5 (67.1)	20.1 (68.2)	22.1 (71.8)	24.5 (76.1)	27.2 (81.0)	29.6 (85.3)	25.9 (78.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	18.3 (64.9)	19.2 (66.6)	17.9 (64.2)	15.4 (59.7)	12.9 (55.2)	10.9 (51.6)	9.4 (48.9)	8.9 (48.0)	9.3 (48.7)	11.0 (51.8)	13.9 (57.0)	16.4 (61.5)	13.6 (56.5)
Record low °C (°F)	9.4 (48.9)	10.0 (50.0)	8.8 (47.8)	6.1 (43.0)	2.1 (35.8)	0.5 (32.9)	−0.4 (31.3)	1.2 (34.2)	1.2 (34.2)	2.4 (36.3)	3.8 (38.8)	7.7 (45.9)	−0.4 (31.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	5.7 (0.22)	11.1 (0.44)	15.9 (0.63)	23.8 (0.94)	69.5 (2.74)	97.2 (3.83)	91.3 (3.59)	64.7 (2.55)	32.0 (1.26)	19.6 (0.77)	9.1 (0.36)	5.3 (0.21)	442.4 (17.42)
Average precipitation days	1.7	2.2	2.8	5.7	9.9	13.4	14.8	12.8	10.0	6.9	3.9	2.1	86.2
Average relative humidity (%)	46	44	44	46	49	55	58	58	53	50	47	47	50
Source:

See also

• City of Greater Geraldton

External links

Media related to Geraldton, Western Australia at Wikimedia Commons

• Geraldton Visitors Centre
• City of Greater Geraldton
• Western Australian Museum – Geraldton
• Finding Sydney Foundation
• Geraldton Port Authority
• Greater Geraldton Regional Library
• Geraldton Universities Centre
• Queens Park Theatre
• Everything Geraldton