Portal:Western Australia

Topics

Culture

Geography

Health

History

Mathematics

Nature

People

Philosophy

Religion

Society

Technology

---

The Western Australia Portal

Location of WA in Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia occupying the western third of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent and with a total land area of 2,529,875 km2 (976,790.2 sq mi), it is the largest of Australia's states and territories. It is bordered to the east by South Australia and the Northern Territory, to the west by the Indian Ocean and to the south by the Southern Ocean. With 2 million people, the state comprises around 10 percent of the Australian population and ranks fourth in population among the states and territories. The majority of its people reside in the capital city Perth, with most of the remainder settled in the South West region. The state has been inhabited by Indigenous Australians for around 40,000 years. The first European to visit Western Australia was a Dutch explorer, Dirk Hartog who on 26 October 1616 landed at (what is now known as) Cape Inscription, Dirk Hartog Island. In 1829, the Swan River Colony was established on the Swan River by Captain James Stirling. The colony eventually became a state of Australia on 1 January 1901. Paddy Hannan, (1840 – November 4, 1925) was a gold prospector whose discovery on June 17, 1893 near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia set off a gold rush in the area. After registering his claim an estimated 700 men were prospecting in the area with three days. Hannan, Tom Flanagan and Daniel Shea discovered gold near Mount Charlotte less than 40 kilometres from the Coolgardie Goldfields. After registering his claim an estimated 700 men were prospecting in the area with three days. Photo credit: Sean Mack Fremantle Prison is a former Australian prison located in Fremantle in Western Australia. The 60,000 m² site includes the prison, gatehouse, perimeter walls, cottages, tunnels, and prisoner art. The prison was built by convict labour in the 1850s, and transferred to the colonial government in 1886 for use as a gaol for locally-sentenced prisoners. It closed as a prison in 1991 and re-opened as a historic site and is now a public museum. Featured articles Banksia brownii Banksia epica Banksia telmatiaea Hamersley, Western Australia Red-winged Fairy-wren Yagan Good articles Aquinas College, Perth Australian Ringneck Avondale Agricultural Research Station Banksia prionotes BankWest Tower Black Swan emblems and popular culture Bon Scott Canning Dam Central Park (skyscraper) Convict era of Western Australia Council House, Perth Cullacabardee, Western Australia Cyclone Glenda Cyclone Inigo Cyclone Rosita Dryandra Woodland Electoral district of Perth Hughie Edwards Narrows Bridge (Perth) Palace Hotel, Perth Scotch College, Perth "Showdown" (Pendulum song) Western Australia Buildings and structures Conservation Crime Culture Education Elections Energy Geography Government History Images Lists Media Natural history Organisations People Politics Prisons Sport Transport Visitor attractions Stubs Lists Amphibians Birds Caves Convict ship voyages Courts and tribunals Cyclones Government agencies Governors Highways Hospitals Islands Lakes Mammals Pastoral leases Power stations Premiers Postcodes Protected areas Remote roads Reptiles Rocks Schools Statues Towns Watercourses Fremantle Harbour ...that when the 1987 America's Cup was raced off Fremantle, Western Australia it was the first time for 132 years that the regatta had not been hosted by the New York Yacht Club? ...that the original Victoria Dam, constructed in 1891, was the first dam in Western Australia, and it stood for almost 100 years before being replaced with the current dam? ...that Anglican bishop Kay Goldsworthy was consecrated as the first woman bishop of any Australian church on 22 May 2008? ▼ Western Australia ► Buildings and structures in Western Australia ► Conservation in Western Australia ► Culture in Western Australia ► Geography of Western Australia ► History of Western Australia ► Western Australia-related lists ► People from Western Australia ► Science and technology in Western Australia ► Transport in Western Australia ► Visitor attractions in Western Australia ► Western Australia stubs Western Australia Australia Perth Maritime History Literature Banksia Queensland Northern Territory Western Australia South Australia New South Wales Victoria Tasmania Australian Capital Territory Visit Australia Portal The following Wikimedia sister projects provide more on this subject:

• What are portals?
• List of portals
• Featured portals