| Lga | City of Karratha |
|---|---|
| Zoom | 12 |
| Coordinates | 20°40′30″S 117°08′25″E |
| Est | 1970 |
| Postcode | 6720 |
| Dist 1 | 33 |
| Location 1 | Karratha |
| Fedgov | Durack |
| Stategov | North West |
| State | wa |
| Maxtemp | 31.9 |
| Mintemp | 20.1 |
| Rainfall | 295.0 |
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.[1]
History
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.[2]
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.[3] 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.[3]
Notable people
- Amber Bradley, rower
- Tanya Oxtoby, soccer coach and former player
- Lawson Humphries, AFL player
References
- ^
- ^ Reay, Justin. "Voyage of the Beagle to Western Australia 1837-43 and her commanders’ knowledge of two VOC wrecks". Western Australian Museum. Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Maritime Museum. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- ^ Latimer, Cole (18 April 2012). "Rio announces massive Wickham expansion". Australian Mining. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2019.