Gibson, Western Australia
| Gibson Western Australia | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  Gibson | |||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 33°38′56″S 121°48′50″E / 33.64889°S 121.81389°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 406 (SAL 2021)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1921 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 6448 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 218 m (715 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 735.3 km2 (283.9 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Shire of Esperance | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Roe | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | O'Connor | ||||||||||||||
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Gibson is a town and locality of the Shire of Esperance in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, about 22 kilometres (14 mi) north of Esperance. The Coolgardie–Esperance Highway and Kalgoorlie to Esperance railway the run through the locality from north to south. Esperance Airport and Helms Arboretum Reserve are located in the south-west of Gibson.[2][3]
At the 2016 census, Gibson had a population of 449.[4]
History
[edit]The population of the area was 16 (7 males and 9 females) in 1898.[5]
Gibson was originally proposed in about 1910 as a siding on the Esperance branch railway due to a reliable water source in the area, named by surveyor A. W. Canning after a man who discovered the soak whilst searching for stock. The railway itself was not completed until 1925, but the townsite was gazetted on 19 October 1921.[6][7]
Transport
[edit]It is served by a station on the Brookfield Rail network, and is also the site of the Esperance Airport. In 2009, a 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) long crossing called by this name but located slightly away from the town was built.[8]
Parks and reserves
[edit]Esperance Bird & Animal Park is a small animal park located at Gibson[9] and includes: cockatoos, parrots, macaws, eagles, emus, sheep, goats, highland cattle, horses, llamas, kangaroos, wallabies and foxes.
Helms Arboretum Reserve, a biodiversity hotspot and popular wedding venue, was severely damaged by fire in December 2024. The arboretum, home to more than 120 species of planted trees, has a size of 8 square kilometres (3.1 sq mi).[10]
References
[edit]- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Gibson (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ "SLIP Map". maps.slip.wa.gov.au. Landgate. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
- ^ "NationalMap". nationalmap.gov.au. Geoscience Australia. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Gibson (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- ^ "Population of Western Australia". Western Mail. Perth, Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 22 April 1898. p. 23. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ^ Western Australian Government Gazette, file 2874/16, 19 October 1921, page 1921:1889.
- ^ "History of country town names – G". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
- ^ Railway Digest October 2009, p17
- ^ "Esperance Bird & Animal Park". Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ Delandgrafft, Tara; Smith, Hayden (7 December 2024). "First day of summer bushfires damages iconic Helms Arboretum in WA". ABC Esperance. Esperance. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
