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'Northam' () is a town in Western Australia, situated at the confluence of the Avon and Mortlock Rivers. Home to an estimated 6,227 people in 2005,2005 Estimate www.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 17 September 2006. it is the largest town in the Avon region. It is also the largest inland town in the state not founded on mining.
Northam is located 96km North East of Perth in the Avon Valley.

Contents

History

Government

Railways

Sport

Events in Northam

Notable people

See also

References

External links

History

The area around Northam was first explored in 1830 by a party of colonists led by Ensign Robert Dale, and subsequently founded in 1833. It was named by Governor Stirling, probably after a village of the same name in Devon, England. Almost immediately it became a point of departure for explorers and settlers who were interested in the lands which lay to the east.
This initial importance declined with the growing importance of the other nearby towns of York and Beverley, but the arrival of the railway made Northam the major departure point for fossickers and miners who headed east towards the goldfields.
A notable scandal occurred in 1933 when the town's entire Aboriginal population were rounded up by police and dumped in the Moore River Native Settlement. The Northam Shire Council said they had scabies and were a health risk.^[1]
In the 1940's and 1950's in Northam there were extensive camps for displaced European refugees and immigrants.
Steve Fossett became the first person to fly around the world alone, non-stop, in a balloon when he launched from Northam on 19 June 2002, and returned to Australia on 3 July, landing in Queensland.

Government

Northam consists of the Town of Northam and Shire of Northam. After 53 years of debates and attempts, these two councils will merge on July 1, 2007 to form one new council called the Shire of Northam.

Railways

Northam is a major railway junction, and serves as the commercial centre for much of the western Wheatbelt. The dual gauge Eastern Railway terminates here and becomes the standard gauge Eastern Goldfields Railway. narrow gauge radiates both south of the town to York and beyond (Great Southern Railway), and north to Goomalling, another rural railway junction.
The Northam Railway station is used for the Prospector and Avonlink rural train services. The original station on Fitzgerald Street was opened in 1900 and closed in 1966 when the new Eastern Railway route became operational.^[2]
The Australian Railroad Group have a large railway yard named ''Avon Yard'' west of the town.

Sport

Northam has some very committed sporting teams. Australian rules football is an obsession with many of the people of Western Australia. Northam has two teams that play in the Avon Football Association competition, the Federals and Railways.
Information on the Avon Football Association can be found here.
Field and indoor hockey, cricket, and netball also attract significant numbers of players and spectators. Individual sports such as tennis and cycling including BMX are also popular.
The BMX State Championships were held in Northam in 2003 with 3,000 competitors and spectators attending the event for over 1 week with Northam competitors shoowing their dominance in the sport in the state. 3 local riders who participated in this event (Dale Reynolds - then ranked 3WA for 18 Mens, Chris Marris - Then ranked 1WA for 18 Mens, and Kyle Martin - Then ranked 4WA for 18 Mens) have subsquently completed cross country rides from Adelaide to Perth demonstrating the interest in cycling in Northam.
Northam also maintains an active running club.

Events in Northam

The Avon Descent is held every year starting in Northam.

The Northam Flying 50's, a historic car racing event, is held each year in early April and attracts around 5,000 spectators each year.
The Northam Agricultual Show is also a yearly attraction which is held over a Friday an Saturday in mid September.

Notable people

★ It is the birthplace of Shirley Strickland, Frederick Henry Piesse and Carmen Lawrence

See also

★ Muresk

References

1. Northam The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 February 2004. Retrieved 17 September 2006.
2. Breath of life for old railway station Avon Valley Advocate Retrieved 1 January 2007.


★ Peters, Nonja, and Fiona Bush and Jenny Gregory 'The Holden Immigration Camp, Northam' / [Nedlands, W.A.] : Centre for Western Australian History ; [East Perth, W.A : distributed by the Heritage Council], 1993.

External links

★ History of Northam www.westaustralianvista.com. Retrieved 17 September 2006.

★ Official Northam town website Retrieved 17 September 2006.