Wickham, Western Australia
| Wickham Western Australia | |||||||||
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 Wickham townsite | |||||||||
  Wickham | |||||||||
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| Coordinates | 20°40′30″S 117°08′25″E / 20.67500°S 117.14028°E | ||||||||
| Population | 2,016 (UCL 2021)[1] | ||||||||
| Established | 1970 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 6720 | ||||||||
| Area | 24.1 km2 (9.3 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Location | 33 km (21 mi) from Karratha | ||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Karratha | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | North West | ||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Durack | ||||||||
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Wickham is a town located 1,572 km north of Perth and 13 km north of Roebourne in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. In 2016 Wickham had a population of 2,295 people. Aboriginal people made up 17.2% of the population, five times the state average.[2]
History
[edit]Wickham was established in 1970 by Cliffs Robe River Iron Associates (Robe) and named after John Clements Wickham, the captain of HMS Beagle, who surveyed the north-west coast in 1840.[3]
The town's first permanent buildings were completed in 1970 by Robe to support its iron-ore mine at Pannawonica, and pelletising plant and shiploading at Cape Lambert. The majority of the residences and facilities in town are owned by Rio Tinto. Wickham was originally a closed company town but from 1980 has been jointly administered by Robe and the Shire of Roebourne.[4] In August 2000 Rio Tinto acquired a majority interest in the Robe River Iron Associates joint venture and in 2012 established a new Wickham South subdivision that included 212 new dwellings, 25 residential lots, and 198 new FIFO accommodation units.[4]
Notable people
[edit]- Amber Bradley, rower
- Don Fergusson, rower and police officer
- Tanya Oxtoby, soccer coach and former player
References
[edit]- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Wickham (urban centre and locality)". Australian Census 2021.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Wickham (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- ^ Reay, Justin. "Voyage of the Beagle to Western Australia 1837-43 and her commanders' knowledge of two VOC wrecks" (PDF). Western Australian Museum. Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Maritime Museum. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- ^ a b Latimer, Cole (18 April 2012). "Rio announces massive Wickham expansion". Australian Mining. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
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