Wedgefield is an industrial area in
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 ...
's
Pilbara region, off
Great Northern Highway
Great Northern Highway is an Australian highway that links Western Australia's capital city Perth with its northernmost port, Wyndham. With a length of almost , it is the longest highway in Australia, with the majority included as part of the ...
2 km north of
South Hedland, and was gazetted in 1973. It contains a variety of light and service industry premises, and also supports a small residential population. It was named for government surveyor
Charles Wedge
Charles Wedge (1810–1895) was a surveyor and explorer of the North-West regions of Western Australia.
Wedge was born in Cambridgeshire, England; he was the eldest son of Edward Davy Wedge and a nephew of John Helder Wedge. In 1824, he emigra ...
who, in June 1866, investigated Port Hedland as an alternative to
Port Walcott
Port Walcott, formerly known as Tien Tsin Harbour, is a large open water harbour located on the northwest coast of Western Australia, located near the town of Point Samson.
History
Before the port was established, the land was inhabited by th ...
to service the
De Grey River
The De Grey River is a river located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It was named on 16 August 1861 by the explorer and surveyor Francis Gregory after Thomas de Grey, 2nd Earl de Grey, who was at the time the president of the Royal ...
pastoral industry.
At the , Wedgefield had a population of 538.
Notes and references
Towns in Western Australia
Port Hedland, Western Australia
{{WesternAustralia-geo-stub