Location

The Shire of East Pilbara is located in the Pilbara Region, near the top eastern corner of Western Australia, approximately 1,200 km from the southernmost town of Newman to Perth. It is the (geographically) largest Local Government Area in Australia.The Shire is situated predominantly inland, although the top northwest corner runs along the Indian Ocean, the pristine coastal area Cape Keraudren for roughly 60 km before heading into the interior. The northern boundary meets the Shires of Broome, Derby-West Kimberley, and Halls Creek. The eastern boundary touches the Northern Territory and the Central Desert Region. The long southern boundary lies against the Shires of Ngaanyatjarraku, Wiluna and Maakatharra. The western boundary is shared with the Shire of Ashburton and the Town of Port Hedland.

Land Use

The Shire of East Pilbara is predominantly rural, with three townships: Nullagine, Newman and Marble Bar. The Shire also has several small Aboriginal communities including Jigalong, Punmu and Parngurr, Irrungadi and Parnpajinya. The mining industry dominates the economy in East Pilbara, contributing almost 95% of the Shire's total output and making up over 70% of the total employment. The Mount Whaleback iron ore mine is the world’s largest open-cut iron ore mine.The Karlamilyi National Park (also known as Rudall River National Park) is situated in the centre of the Shire. It is notable as the largest national park in Western Australia and one of the largest in the world.

Name Origin

The name for the Pilbara region came from the word bilybara, which means ‘dry’ in the Nyamal and Banyjima languages.

Indigenous Meaning

The traditional custodians of East Pilbara are the Nyiyaparli and the Martu peoples.

Settlement

Colonial history in the Pilbara can be broken up into two parts: the first and second colonisation. Colonisation began in 1866 when the town of Roebourne was established to service farmers in the region. For the First Nations people this resulted in forced labour on pastoral stations and in the pearling industry, mass dispossession of land and relocation to camps, murder, assimilation and the separation of families, as well as social and legislative racial discrimination.The second phase of colonisation unfolded when the Australian government lifted their embargo on iron ore exports in 1961, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the Pilbara's history. By 1965, the establishment of the town of 'Newman' by the Mount Newman Mining Company ushered in a wave of non-Indigenous migration to the region.Since the 1960s, when the economic and social management of the Pilbara region was relinquished to large mining corporations, traditional custodians have been engaged in an ongoing struggle to assert their native title claims and reclaim their connection to the land.The Shire of East Pilbara was established on 27 May 1972 when the Shire of Marble Bar and the Shire of Nullagine were amalgamated.