Location

The Shire of Northam is located in the Wheatbelt Region of Western Australia, about 60 kilometres north-east of the Perth CBD. The Shire of Northam is bounded by the Shire of Goomalling in the north, the Shire of Cunderdin in the east, the Shire of York in the south, and the Shire of Mundaring and the Shire of Toodyay in the west.

Included Areas

The Shire of Northam includes the localities of Bakers Hill, Buckland, Burlong, Clackline, Copley, Grass Valley, Irishtown, Jennapullin, Katrine, Malabaine, Meenaar, Mokine, Muluckine, Muresk, Northam, Southern Brook, Spencers Brook, Throssell, Woottating and Wundowie.

Land Use

The Shire of Northam is a predominantly rural area, with a township at Northam and smaller townships at Bakers Hill and Wundowie. More than half the population lives in the township of Northam. Rural land is used largely for agriculture, particularly sheep and cattle grazing and grain growing. The Shire of Northam encompasses a total land area of about 1,400 square kilometres.

Name Origin

The Shire of Northam is thought to have been named by Governor James Stirling after Northam in Devonshire, England.

Indigenous Meaning

The original inhabitants of the Shire of Northam were the Ballardong Noongar Aboriginal people.

Settlement

European settlement dates from the early 1830s, with the township of Northam gazetted in 1836, although population was minimal until the 1860s. Land was used mainly for agricultural purposes. Growth took place during the 1890s and early 1900s, spurred by the opening of the railway line in 1886, with the township of Northam developing as a staging post for diggers on their way to the Eastern Goldfields. The Shire’s population grew from about 5,000 in 1911 to about 10,000 in 1954. The population declined slightly during the 1960s and 1970s, and then was relatively stable during the 1980s and early 1990s at about 9,500 people. The population gradually increased from the late 1990s, rising from under 10,000 in 2001 to over 11,000 in 2016.

Major Features

Major features of the Shire of Northam include the Avon River, Bilya Koort Boodja, Burlong Pool, Morby Cottage, Northam Heritage Centre, Windward Balloon Adventures, Avonbrook Wines, Summer Creek Brewery, Northam Country Club, El Caballo Golf Course, Northam Aquatic Centre, Northam Recreation Centre, Apex Park, Bernard Park, Hooper Park, Kep Track, Woondowing Nature Reserve, Avon Valley Speedway, Northam Army Camp, Northam Health Service, Central Regional TAFE (Northam Campus) and Muresk Institute.

Transport

The Shire of Northam is served by the Great Eastern Highway, the Great Southern Highway and the Avonlink, MerredinLink and Prospector train services.