Kalbarri, Western Australia

Kalbarri is a coastal town in the Mid West region located north of Perth, Western Australia. The town is located at the mouth of the Murchison River, which has an elevation of . It is connected by public transport to Perth via Transwa coach services N1 and N2.

History

Kalbarri is a part of the traditional lands of the Nanda people, who were recognised as the traditional owners of more than of land and water in the Yamatji region, in Western Australia, on 28 November 2018. Nanda people have been awarded exclusive native title rights over several key areas including Paradise Flats, Bully, Wilgie Mia, Mooliabatanya and Syphon pools.

The story of the Beemarra serpent is the central Dreaming story of Nanda people. The Beemarra is, according to Nanda culture, an ancestral being responsible for the creation of the land and waters in the region.

Kalbarri was named after an Aboriginal man from the Nanda tribe and is also the name of an edible seed.

The cliffs near the river mouth were named after a trading ship, '' Zuytdorp'', that was wrecked there in 1712.

The area became a popular fishing and tourist spot in the 1940s, and by 1948 the state government declared a townsite. Lots were soon surveyed and the town was gazetted in 1951.

In April 2021 the town suffered serious damage from Tropical Cyclone Seroja.

Tourism

The town is geared towards tourism and fishing, with attractions including the daily pelican feeding, the Kalbarri National Park, Murchison River Gorge and the Murchison River. There are two charter boats to go on to view the Murchison River. The town attracts 200,000 tourists every year, with the population of the town swelling to 8,000 during holiday seasons. Electricity to the town and hotels is supplied by a fragile 33kV power line from the central grid. To increase grid stability, a 5MW, grid battery is installed.

The Kalbarri National Park is home to a phenomenon of geography and geology known as the Z Bend, a tourist lookout, and Nature's Window, a rock formation overlooking the Murchison River. Red Bluff and other coastal cliffs and formations are located south of the town. The Rainbow Jungle (The Australian Parrot Breeding Centre), was severely damaged by the 2021 cyclone and is permanently closed.

Climate

Carnamah possesses a hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen: BSh) with hot, dry summers and very mild, somewhat rainy winters. Average maxima vary from in February to in July, while average minima fluctuate between in February and in July. Annual precipitation is rather low, (averaging ), and is spread across 62.6 precipitation days. However, on 11 April 2021 the town was struck by Category 3 Cyclone Seroja, causing significant damage and causing widespread power outages. The town is very sunny, experiencing 185.9 clear days and only 59.9 cloudy days annually. Extreme temperatures have ranged from on 20 January 2025 to on 24 July 1979.

In popular culture

Kalbarri was featured at the end of the 2005 film '' Wolf Creek'' when character Ben Mitchell ( Nathan Phillips) was airlifted to hospital from Kalbarri Airport.

In the television series ''Prison Break'', character James Whistler states he is originally from Kalbarri.

References

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Coastal towns in Western Australia
Shire of Northampton