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The Great Southern Region is one of the nine
regions of Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is divided into regions according to a number of systems.
The most common system is the WA Government division of the state into regions for economic development purposes, which comprises nine defined regions; however, t ...
, as defined by the
Regional Development Commissions Act 1993
The ''Regional Development Commissions Act 1993'' is legislation passed by the Parliament of Western Australia:
to establish regional development commissions, to coordinate and promote the development of regions and to establish a regional devel ...
, for the purposes of economic development. It is a section of the larger
South coast of Western Australia
The south coast of Western Australia comprises the Western Australian coastline from Cape Leeuwin to Eucla. This is a distance of approximately , fronting the Great Australian Bight and the Southern Ocean.
Components
The Bureau of Meteorology ...
and neighbouring agricultural regions.
The region officially comprises the
local government areas
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory.
The phrase i ...
of
Albany,
Broomehill-Tambellup,
Cranbrook,
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
,
Gnowangerup,
Jerramungup,
Katanning,
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
,
Kojonup,
Plantagenet
The House of Plantagenet () was a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. The family held the English throne from 1154 (with the accession of Henry II at the end of the Anarchy) to 1485, when Richard III died in ...
and
Woodanilling.
The Great Southern Region has an area of and a population of about 54,000. Its administrative centre is the historic port of
Albany. It has a
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
, with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The
Stirling Range is the only place in Western Australia that regularly receives
snowfalls
Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes.
It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...
, if only very light.
The economy of the Great Southern Region is dominated by
livestock
Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animal ...
farming, dairy farming and
crop
A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. When the plants of the same kind are cultivated at one place on a large scale, it is called a crop. Most crops are cultivated in agriculture or hydropon ...
-growing. It has some of the most productive
cereal grain
A cereal is any grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. Cereal grain crops are grown in greater quantities and provide more food ...
and
pastoral land in the state, and is a major producer of
wool
Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...
and
lamb
Lamb or The Lamb may refer to:
* A young sheep
* Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep
Arts and media Film, television, and theatre
* ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut
* ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...
. Albany is a major
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
centre.
The coast of the Great Southern Region has milder summer weather than areas on the west coast proper and is also a popular destination for holidaymakers,
tourists
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...
,
anglers and
surfers
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable ...
. Albany is home to the
Kalgan River
The Kalgan River is a river in the Great Southern (Western Australia), Great Southern region of Western Australia.
Geography
The river is long and, along with the King River (Western Australia), King River, drains into Oyster Harbour. The l ...
which is associated with
riverboats
A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury un ...
, from 1918 to 1935 with the ''Silver Star'' which lowered its funnel to get under a bridge, and today with the ''Kalgan Queen'' which lowers its roof to pass beneath the same bridge.
Noongar
The Noongar (, also spelt Noongah, Nyungar , Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyungah, Nyugah, and Yunga ) are Aboriginal Australian peoples who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia, from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the so ...
people have inhabited the region for tens of thousands of years.
European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
settlement began with the establishment of a temporary
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
military base, commanded by Major
Edmund Lockyer
Edmund Lockyer, (21 January 1784 – 10 June 1860) was a British soldier and explorer of Australia.
Born in Plymouth, Devon, Lockyer was the son of Thomas Lockyer, a sailmaker, and his wife Ann. Lockyer began his army career as an ensign in ...
, at
King George Sound
King George Sound ( nys , Menang Koort) is a sound on the south coast of Western Australia. Named King George the Third's Sound in 1791, it was referred to as King George's Sound from 1805. The name "King George Sound" gradually came into use ...
(Albany) on Christmas Day, 1826. Albany is consequently regarded as the oldest European settlement in Western Australia.
See also
*
Great Southern Wine Region
The Great Southern wine region is in Western Australia's Great Southern region. It comprises an area from east to west and over from north to south, and is Australia's largest wine region.
It has five nominated subregions for wine, the Po ...
References
Notes
Further reading
*
External links
Great Southern Development Commission
{{Western Australian regions
Regions of Western Australia