Shire of Ashburton

The Shire of Ashburton is one of the four local government areas in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, covering an area of 105,647 square kilometres (40,791 sq mi). It is named after the Ashburton River.

Shire of Ashburton
Western Australia
Location in Western Australia
Population7,391 (LGA 2021)[1]
Established1972
Area105,647 km2 (40,790.5 sq mi)
Shire PresidentKerry White
Council seatTom Price
RegionPilbara
State electorate(s)North West Central
Federal division(s)Durack
WebsiteShire of Ashburton
LGAs around Shire of Ashburton:
Indian Ocean Karratha Port Hedland
Exmouth Shire of Ashburton East Pilbara
Carnarvon Upper Gascoyne Meekatharra

The shire's administration centre is in the town of Tom Price. It had a population of about 13,000 as at the 2016 Census, most of whom live in the mining towns or in nearby mining camps. Most of the land is taken up by pastoral leases or protected areas (including the Karijini National Park). Other than agriculture, industries important to Ashburton include mining, oil, natural gas, fishing, and tourism.

History

It was established on 27 May 1972 as the Shire of West Pilbara, formed by the amalgamation of the original Shire of Ashburton and the Shire of Tableland.[2] The new shire was described at the time as "the largest workable shire in Australia". It was originally based at Onslow, with a second office at Wittenoom.[3]

It originally had nine members divided into six wards, but by 1977 had one councillor for each of the five towns in the shire (Onslow, Pannawonica, Paraburdoo, Tom Price, Wittenoom) and four members for the rural areas of the shire.[3]

It was renamed the Shire of Ashburton on 18 December 1987.[2] The name was changed to provide more identity to the particular region and to discriminate from the Newman region, which is also referred to as the "West Pilbara".

It was decided to move the administration office from Onslow to the more centrally located town of Tom Price in January 1990, when the Shire's administration office was officially opened in Poinciana Street.

Wards

The Shire is divided into 6 Wards, 9 Councillors in total.

  • Tom Price (3 Councillors)
  • Paraburdoo (2 Councillors)
  • Ashburton (1 Councillor)
  • Onslow (1 Councillor)
  • Pannawonica (1 Councillor)
  • Tableland (1 Councillor)

Towns and localities

The towns and localities of the Shire of Ashburton with population and size figures based on the most recent Australian census:[4][5]

Locality Population Area Map
Barrow Island45 (SAL 2021)[6]259.1 km2 (100.0 sq mi)
Cane5 (SAL 2021)[7]3,458.8 km2 (1,335.5 sq mi)
Chichester41 (SAL 2021)[8]6,486.1 km2 (2,504.3 sq mi)
Fortescue190 (SAL 2021)[9]9,340.7 km2 (3,606.5 sq mi)
Hamersley Range197 (SAL 2021)[10]7,312.6 km2 (2,823.4 sq mi)
Innawanga4 (SAL 2021)[11]15,223.4 km2 (5,877.8 sq mi)
Juna Downs4 (SAL 2021)[12]2,143 km2 (827 sq mi)
Karijini National Park39 (SAL 2021)[13]6,244.28 km2 (2,410.93 sq mi)
Millstream5 (SAL 2021)[14]2,795.1 km2 (1,079.2 sq mi)
Mount Sheila794 (SAL 2021)[15]5,074.7 km2 (1,959.4 sq mi)
Mulga Downs23 (SAL 2021)[16]3,453.6 km2 (1,333.4 sq mi)
Nanutarra37 (SAL 2021)[17]14,060.1 km2 (5,428.6 sq mi)
Onslow829 (SAL 2021)[18]185.2 km2 (71.5 sq mi)
Pannawonica685 (SAL 2021)[19][20]27.6 km2 (10.7 sq mi)
Paraburdoo1,324 (SAL 2021)[21]153.1 km2 (59.1 sq mi)
Peedamulla15 (SAL 2021)[22]2,487.9 km2 (960.6 sq mi)
Rocklea150 (SAL 2021)[23]6,132.6 km2 (2,367.8 sq mi)
Talandji82 (SAL 2021)[24]5,705.7 km2 (2,203.0 sq mi)
Tom Price2,910 (SAL 2021)[25]73.8 km2 (28.5 sq mi)
Wittenoom0 (SAL 2021)[26]353.1 km2 (136.3 sq mi)
Yannarie15 (SAL 2021)[27]9,990.5 km2 (3,857.4 sq mi)

Heritage-listed places
Main article: List of State Register of Heritage Places in the Shire of Ashburton

As of 2023, 84 places are heritage-listed in the Shire of Ashburton,[28] of which six are on the State Register of Heritage Places, among them Nanutarra Station and Peedamulla Homestead.[29]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Ashburton (Local Government Area)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  2. "Municipality Boundary Amendments Register" (PDF). Western Australian Electoral Distribution Commission. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  3. "FIVE YEARS OF GROWTH FOR BIGGEST SHIRE". Hamersley News. Western Australia. 2 June 1977. p. 10. Retrieved 12 January 2020 – via Trove.
  4. "SLIP Map". maps.slip.wa.gov.au. Landgate. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  5. "NationalMap". nationalmap.gov.au. Geoscience Australia. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  6. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Barrow Island (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  7. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Cane (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  8. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Chichester (WA) (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  9. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Fortescue (WA) (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  10. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Hamersley Range (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  11. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Innawanga (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  12. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Juna Downs (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  13. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Karijini (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  14. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Millstream (WA) (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  15. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Mount Sheila (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  16. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Mulga Downs (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  17. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Nanutarra (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  18. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Onslow (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  19. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Pannawonica (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  20. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Pannawonica (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021. 
  21. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Paraburdoo (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  22. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Peedamulla (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  23. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Rocklea (WA) (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  24. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Talandji (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  25. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Tom Price (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  26. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Wittenoom (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  27. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Yannarie (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  28. "Shire of Ashburton Heritage Places". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  29. "Shire of Ashburton State Register of Heritage Places". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 23 February 2023.

Further reading
  • (1993) Ashburton Shire - brief history, named Shire of Ashburton 18 Dec. 1987 with the main offices in Tom Price, crest described Shire of Ashburton directory, 1993, p. 13

22°41′38″S 117°47′42″E

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