The Shire of Northampton is a

local government area 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 (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

in the

Mid West The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

region of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

, about north of

Geraldton Geraldton (Wajarri: ''Jambinu'', Wilunyu: ''Jambinbirri'') is a coastal city in the Mid West region of the Australian state of Western Australia, north of the state capital, Perth. At June 2018, Geraldton had an urban population of 37,648. ...

and about north of the state capital,

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of government is the town of

Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...

, with the largest settlement being Kalbarri. The shire includes the former

Principality of Hutt River The Principality of Hutt River, often referred to by its former name, the Hutt River Province, was a micronation in Australia. The principality claimed to be an independent sovereign state, founded on 21 April 1970. It was dissolved on 3 Augus ...

, a now dissolved

micronation A micronation is a political entity whose members claim that they belong to an independent nation or sovereign state, but which lacks legal recognition by world governments or major international organizations. Micronations are classified se ...

which has no recognition by the state or federal governments.

History

The Mines Road District was constituted on 25 January 1871 under the ''Road Boards Act 1871''. It was renamed the Northampton Road District on 10 February 1887. On 1 July 1961, it became a shire following the passage of the ''Local Government Act 1960'', which reformed all remaining road districts into shires.

Wards

The Shire is divided into six wards, most of which elect one councillor: * Kalbarri Ward (four councillors) * Central Ward (three councillors) * Coastal Ward * North East Ward * South East Ward * West Ward Prior to May 2003, the Coastal Ward was known as the Horrocks Ward, the Kalbarri Ward had three councillors and all the others had two councillors.

Towns and localities

The towns and localities of the Shire of Northampton with population and size figures based on the most recent

Australian census The Census in Australia, officially the Census of Population and Housing, is the national census in Australia that occurs every five years. The census collects key demographic, social and economic data from all people in Australia on census nig ...

Population

The population of the Shire of Northampton as at the 2006 census was 3,204 (Usual Residents) or 4,085 (Place of Enumeration). The disparity is due to holiday accommodation in Kalbarri being picked up in the latter count.

Notable councillors

Thomas Burges Thomas Burges (July 1830 – 7 August 1893) was an Australian pastoralist and politician who was a member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia on three occasions – from 1874 to 1878, from 1885 to 1887, and from 1890 until his deat ...

, Mines Road Board member 1871–1877, briefly chairman; later a colonial MP * Samuel Mitchell, Mines Road Board member 1872–1879, chairman 1876–1879; later a colonial MP * John Cunningham, Northampton Road Board member 1900s; later a state MP *

William Patrick William Patrick may refer to: * William Patrick (author), American author * William Patrick (minister) (1791–1872), minister of the Church of Scotland * William Patrick Sr. (1845–1936), Australian politician * William Patrick Jr. (1880–1968), ...

, Northampton Road Board member 1918–1930; later a state MP *

Les Logan Leslie Arthur Logan AM (28 January 1908 – 15 December 2000) was an Australian politician who was a Country Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1947 to 1974. He served as a minister in the government of Sir Dav ...

, Northampton Road Board member 1940–1945; later a state MP

Heritage-listed places

As of 2021, 223 places are heritage-listed in the Shire of Northampton, of which 30 are on the

State Register of Heritage Places The State Register of Heritage Places is the heritage register of historic sites in Western Australia deemed significant at the state level by the Heritage Council of Western Australia. History In the 1970s, following its establishment of the ...

, among them the

Lynton Convict Hiring Depot The Lynton Convict Hiring Depot (1853–1857) was the first convict depot north of Fremantle, Western Australia. It was established on 22 May 1853 with the arrival of the 173 ton brigantine ''Leander'', which transferred 60 ticket-of-leave conv ...

References

External links

* {{coord, -28.351, 114.628, type:adm2nd_region:AU-WA, format=dms, display=title