Geraldton

Geraldton Western Australia
Geraldton Marina
Geraldton
Coordinates	28°46′45″S 114°36′52″E / 28.77917°S 114.61444°E / -28.77917; 114.61444Coordinates: 28°46′45″S 114°36′52″E / 28.77917°S 114.61444°E / -28.77917; 114.61444
Population	38,030 (2012)[1]
• Density	149.72/km2 (387.8/sq mi)
Established	1850
Postcode(s)	6530, 6531, 6532
Area	254 km2 (98.1 sq mi)
Time zone	AWST (UTC+8)
Location	424 km (263 mi) NNW of Perth
LGA(s)	City of Greater Geraldton
State electorate(s)	Geraldton
Federal Division(s)	Durack

Geraldton is a city in the Mid West region of Western Australia, located 424 kilometres (263 mi) north of Perth. Geraldton's population was 38,030 in June 2012.^[1] Geraldton is the seat of government for the local government district, City of Greater Geraldton, which also incorporates the town of Mullewa and large rural areas previously forming the shires of Greenough and Mullewa. The town is an important service centre for regional mining, fishing, wheat, sheep and tourism industries.

History

Though many European maritime explorers encountered or were even wrecked on the Houtman Abrolhos islands 60 kilometres (37 mi) west of Geraldton during the 17th and 18th centuries, there is no evidence that any made landfall near the site of the current town.^{[citation needed]}

The explorer George Grey, while on his second disastrous expedition along the Western Australian coast, passed over the future site of Geraldton on 7 April 1839.^[2]

A decade later, explorer Augustus Gregory travelled through the area. He discovered lead on the Murchison River. The Geraldine mine was subsequently established, named after the 4th governor of Western Australia Charles Fitzgerald. The town of Geraldton was gazetted in 1850, also named after Governor Fitzgerald.

Attractions

St Francis Xavier Cathedral

The construction of the St Francis Xavier Catholic Cathedral started in 1916 but was not completed until 1938. The cathedral was designed by Monsignor John Hawes who was both an architect and a priest. The Moore Point Lighthouse was recently repainted and established as another cultural attraction of Geraldton.

Memorial to HMAS Sydney

The memorial for the World War II cruiser HMAS Sydney is located on top of nearby Mount Scott.^[3] The memorial recognises the loss of the light cruiser during a mutually destructive fight with the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran off Shark Bay in November 1941, with none of the 645 aboard surviving.^[4] A temporary memorial, consisting of a large boulder, a flagpole, and a bronze plaque, was erected in 1998.^[5] A permanent memorial (made up of four major elements: a stele based on the ship's prow, a granite wall listing the ship's company, a bronze statue of a woman looking out to sea and waiting in vain for Sydney to return, and a dome made up of 645 stainless steel seagulls) was dedicated on 18 November 2001, the day before the 60th anniversary of the battle.^[6] In May 2009, the memorial was recognised by the Australian government as being of national significance.^[4]

St Georges Beach

Scenic Beaches such as St Georges beach surround Geraldton, and the town foreshore has recently been redeveloped to host a modern playground complete with water activities, Basketball court and shaded play areas for different age groups.

Surfing is a popular activity in and around Geraldton. Popular surf spots include Flat Rocks, Back Beach, Greenough, Glenfield and Sunset Beach. Geraldton is also an internationally renowned windsurfing location. A popular spot is Coronation Beach, located just north of the town. "Coro" is a spectacular port tack jumping site,^{[citation needed]} with flat water on the inside and unhindered Indian Ocean rolling swell offshore. In the late afternoon, the wind swings a little more offshore and starboard tack waveriding becomes possible.

There are several wreck diving sites off the coast, including the South Tomi, which was sunk in 2004.

Geraldton is home to a horse racing industry and since 1887 has hosted the annual Geraldton Gold Cup meeting.

Things to do in Geraldton

Every week, Geraldton is home to many activities that appeal to a diverse range of people. Markets, family fetes, outdoor movies, comedy shows and much more can regularly be found happening around the city. A calendar of events called Geraldton Calendar hosted by Everything Geraldton exists to keep the community and visitors informed about activities happening in Geraldton.^[7]

Facilities

Geraldton has a variety of hotels, motels, clubs, pubs and sporting venues.

Geraldton is serviced by most mobile phone companies with 3G networks provided by Telstra and Optus, and 4G from Telstra. Nbnco now provide a fixed wireless service for some parts and have introduced fibre optic high speed broadband for some areas of Geraldton.^[8][9]

The Greater Geraldton Regional Library is open seven days a week. It provides free access to the internet and is a WiFi hotspot, meaning tourists can use this for video calls, online shopping and general leisure.

Education

Tertiary Education

The Geraldton University Centre is an independent not-for-profit incorporated body, supporting and delivering university courses in Geraldton on behalf of a range of universities. The centre is an Australian first with university places allocated specifically for Geraldton, allowing students to study locally while living and working in the Mid West. The majority of graduates now work in regional Western Australia. The student body has grown from 20 student places in 2001 to 180 enrolled students in 2010 undertaking a range of bridging and full degree programs.

High Schools

Entertainment

As a city, Geraldton has a wide variety of clubs, cinemas and auditoriums. Queens Park Theatre is a landmark entertainment and conference venue. Orana Cinemas offers the latest movies and premieres. The cinema has 3D on selected movies. During the summer months, a movie is often shown at the side of Dome on Foreshore Drive by Sun City Cinema. Geraldton attracts roaming carnivals and circuses. Carnivals often appear at Maitland Park and the circuses head to Eadon Clarke Oval. Near Beachlands, a wide variety of clubs are offered. The Vibe, Geraldton Beach Hotel and others are main clubs near the Geraldton CBD.

Sport Teams

Geraldton has a large range of sporting teams, from the usual AFL, Basketball, Netball and Soccer, to the newest and most adventurous, Roller Derby. Formed in February 2013, Geraldton Roller Derby League. Being a coastal town Geraldton hosts lots of surfing, windsurfing and other beach sports.

Nearby

Wind turbines at the Walkaway Wind Farm

North of Geraldton is the town of Northampton, as well as the Hutt River Province, an area which claims to be an independent nation since its self-proclaimed secession from Western Australia in 1969. The Houtman Abrolhos islands are 60 kilometres (37 mi) west of Geraldton. They are famous for the 1629 wreck of the Dutch ship Batavia. A stone portico recovered from the wreck has been reconstructed at the local museum, along with other artefacts. The Walkaway Wind Farm, 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of Geraldton, was completed in August 2005. It consists of 54 turbines, each producing 1.8 megawatts (2,400 hp), 80 metres (260 ft) high, and with 40-metre (130 ft).

Australian Defence Satellite Communications Station

The Australian Defence Satellite Communications Station (ADSCS) is located at Kojarena, inland near Geraldton.

Transport

Geraldton has a public bus service run by TransGeraldton and is connected to Perth with coach services N1, N2 and N3 provided by Transwa. QantasLink and Skywest Airlines provide services from Geraldton Airport; the airport is also used for general aviation.

Media

Radio

Radio services available in Geraldton:

• 6 TTT (97.3FM) – (Community Access Radio Station)
• ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt (6GN 828 AM) – Part of the ABC Local Radio Network.
• ABC Radio National – (6ABCRN 99.7 FM) – Speciality talk and music.
• Triple J – (6JJJ 98.9 FM) – Alternative music
• ABC News Radio – (6PNN 101.3 FM) – Rolling News bulletins, news magazine programs and LIVE coverage from Federal Parliament House of Representatives.
• ABC Classic FM – (6ABCFM 94.9 FM) – Classical and Jazz Music.
• WAFM (96.5FM) – Top 40 Music
• The Spirit Network (Radio 6BAY FM 98.1 \ 1512 AM) – Classic Hits / Adult Contemporary Music format aimed at 35 years + audience.
• Radio Mama- 100.5FM- Indigenous Community station

Television

Broadcast television services available in Geraldton:

• Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) – ABC1, ABC2, ABC3, ABC News 24 (digital channels)
• Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) – SBS One, SBS Two, SBS HD (digital channels)
• WIN Television, a dual affiliate of both the Nine Network and Network Ten.
• GWN7 (Golden West Network), an affiliate of the Seven Network.

The programming schedule is mainly the same as the Seven, Nine and Ten stations in Perth, with variations for news bulletins, sport telecasts such as the Australian Football League and National Rugby League, children's and lifestyle programs and advertorials. GWN7 produces a 30-minute regional news program each weeknight (originating from Bunbury) with a newsroom based in Geraldton, covering the local area.

Newspapers

The Geraldton Guardian is a local newspaper for Geraldton and the wider Mid West / Wheatbelt region. The Geraldton Guardian is issued on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The Midwest Times is published on Thursday and is issued free to residents and businesses in the Geraldton and the Midwest.

Yamaji News, published since 1995 by the Yamaji Languages Aboriginal Corporation, is a fortnightly Geraldton newspaper presenting issues and stories affecting indigenous people in the Gascoyne and Murchison districts.^[10]

Digital news sources include Everything Geraldton, a locally based community and news company. It incorporates a website, smartphone app and Facebook page.

Notable residents

• Edith Cowan (1861-1932), the first woman elected to an Australian Parliament, was born and raised at Glengarry Station
• Xavier Herbert (1901–1984), Miles Franklin Award-winning writer, was born here
• Chris Mainwaring (1965-2007), an Australian rules footballer, inaugural player for the West Coast Eagles
• Randolph Stow (1935-2010), novelist. His The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea was set in the Geraldton area in the 1940s
• Tasma Walton, a television and film actress, wife of Australian comedian, television presenter and producer Rove McManus

Climate

Geraldton lies in the transition zone between a Mediterranean and a semi-arid climate. In the winter, the temperature is rather mild, averaging around 20 °C (68 °F), with most of the yearly rainfall falling in this period. This is due to cold fronts from Antarctica moving up and hitting the coast. In the summer months, Geraldton averages 31–32 °C (88–90 °F), with some days over 40 °C (104 °F). High pressure in the Great Australia Bight sends warm easterly winds to Geraldton and a west-coast trough is formed. Hot weather generally persists for a few days as the trough moves inland. Daily afternoon sea breezes cool coastal areas and summer temperatures in coastal suburbs of Geraldton (Tarcoola, Bluff Point, Seacrest) are generally cooler than in inland suburbs, such as Strathalbyn, Woorree and Deepdale.

See also

• Everything Geraldton
• City of Greater Geraldton

References

External links

Media related to Geraldton, Western Australia at Wikimedia Commons

• Everything Geraldton
• City of Greater Geraldton
• Western Australian Museum – Geraldton
• Finding Sydney Foundation
• Geraldton Port Authority
• Greater Geraldton Regional Library
• Geraldton Information Centre
• Geraldton Universities Centre
• Queens Park Theatre

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