Western Australia is the largest of all the Australian states with a total land area of 2,529,875 square kilometres. It has also been the most robust Australian state with an economy that has been fuelled by the resources boom. It has a population of approximately 2.5 million people, with the vast majority (more than 90%) living in the state’s south-west region.
Western Australia is bordered by South Australia and the Northern Territory to the east and by the Indian Ocean to the north and west and by the Southern Ocean and the Great Australian Bight to the south.
The Western Australian climate varies from the tropics of the far north to the more temperate areas of the south west and the hot arid interior of the state’s outback regions.
Perth, the Western Australian capital, averages approximately eight of hours of sunshine per day. The city enjoys mild winters with an average temperature of 17˚C in July and hot summers with February’s average around 30˚C. Most of Perth’s rainfall of 800 mm per year falls in the winter months.
The majority of the population of Western Australia (more than 75%) is of European descent. Those of English origin out number all other groupings. However, those of Irish, Italian, Scottish, German and Chinese origins are significant in their representation. There are also around 60,000 Indigenous Australians living in Western Australia.
Perth
Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, is located in the south west of the state on the banks of the Swan River. It is generally regarded as one of Australia’s most beautiful cities and has recently been listed in the top 10 of the world’s most liveable cities by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
Perth has a population of around 1.9 million. It is a very modern city with rows of architecturally distinct skyscrapers set against the tranquil waters of the Swan River. The mining boom has added significantly to the size of Perth’s CBD with a number of new commercial buildings being constructed for companies directly involved in this industry.
Perth’s climate is best described as Mediterranean with the majority of the city’s rainfall received during the winter months. Temperatures also conform to this climate category with summer hot to very hot and winters cool to mild.
The city is the business and administrative centre of Western Australia. Since the middle of the last century, Perth has moved towards being primarily a service based city, a change which has been hastened by the mining resources boom and the city’s relatively rapid rate of growth.
Secondary industry has never developed in Perth to the extent it has in the eastern Australian states simply because of Perth’s relative isolation. It was never going to be feasible to ship manufactured goods across the country to eastern markets because of the cost of transportation.
Perth is a highly developed city with a wide range of excellent facilities available to its residents. Its transportation system includes modern rail and bus networks and ferries. It has an extensive and modern network of freeways and highways. Pre-schools, schools and post secondary education technical and further education institutes and colleges are available as are four public universities and one private university.
The public health system is extensive with a number of major public hospitals operating in the Perth metropolitan area as well as a selection of private hospitals. Medical centres and clinics both public and private are also available.
Perth Airport is very busy major international and domestic airport and Jandakot airport is also available for regional and charter air services.
The Indian Pacific rail line connects Perth to the rest of Australia via Adelaide and Sydney.
In summary, Perth is a vibrant and modern city that offers its citizens a very high quality of life. This lifestyle, along with Western Australia’s continued economic development, is expected to underpin Perth’s growth and to make Perth a very desirable city in which to live for many years to come.
Education
Western Australia’s education system is world class. The Western Australian government places a very high priority on education and the educational opportunities in Western Australia reflect this level of priority.
Five universities, a state-wide technical and further education system, private vocational colleges and dual public and private school systems cater for more than 500,000 students each year. There are 9, 500 students from overseas.
In addition to formal courses, post-secondary and tertiary institutions provide management and workforce training tailored to meet the needs of individual employers or industry organisations.
Universities regularly participate in collaborative research activities with private sector and government bodies, sharing staff, equipment and
Western Australian Economy
The state is resource rich and has benefitted substantially from the recent growth in world demand for iron ore and coal. Currently, Western Australia supplies more than 45% of all Australian exports.
Extensive natural gas reserves ensure Western Australia will be an important source of energy well into the next century. The State supplies liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Japan, and is developing markets in Taiwan and Korea.
With more than 270 operating mines, Western Australia is a leading supplier of many commodities including alumina, diamonds, iron ore and mineral sands, – monazite; ilmenite; rutile/synruite and zircon.
For more information on the Western Australian economy: here
Major Regions
The Kimberley Region is the most northern of Western Australia’s nine non metropolitan regions. The region covers over 420,000 square kilometres, representing approximately 16.3% of the State’s total area. The major population centres in the Kimberley region include the towns of Broome, Derby, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Kununurra and Wyndham.
For more information on Regional Western Australia: here
