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Geraldton ( Wajarri: ''Jambinu'', Wilunyu: ''Jambinbirri'') is a coastal city in the Mid West region of
Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
, north of the state capital,
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
. As of the , Geraldton had an urban population of 38,595. Geraldton is the seat of government for the City of Greater Geraldton, which also incorporates the town of Mullewa, Walkaway and large rural areas previously forming the shires of Greenough and Mullewa. The Port of Geraldton is a major west coast seaport. Geraldton is an important service and logistics centre for regional mining, fishing, wheat, sheep and tourism industries.


History


Aboriginal

Clear evidence has established Aboriginal people living on the west coast of Australia for at least 40,000 years, though at present it is unclear when the first Aboriginal people reached the area around Geraldton. The original local Aboriginal people of Geraldton are the Amangu people, with the Nanda immediately to the north and Badimaya immediately to the east. Today the Aboriginal people of the region generally identify as Yamatji or Wajarri people. Wajarri country is inland from Geraldton and extends as far south and west as Mullewa, north to Gascoyne Junction and east to Meekatharra. The Aboriginal people of the Murchison-Gascoyne region were instrumental in assisting early settlers in the area in identifying permanent water sources, and worked in the pearling, pastoral and fishing industries. Yamatji art is a distinctive style of painting, using thousands of dots of
ochre Ochre ( ; , ), iron ochre, or ocher in American English, is a natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the colou ...
and other earth-based pigments to create patterns and images relevant to Yamatji/Wajarri culture. The Western Australia Museum at the marina in Geraldton hosts a permanent exhibit on Yamatji/Wajarri culture and history of the region.


European arrival

Many European mariners encountered, or were wrecked on, the Houtman Abrolhos islands west of Geraldton during the 17th and 18th centuries. Although two mutineers from the were marooned on the mainland in 1629 there is no surviving evidence that they made landfall at or near the site of the current town. The wreck of the ''Batavia'', flagship of the
Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( ; VOC ), commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, was a chartered company, chartered trading company and one of the first joint-stock companies in the world. Established on 20 March 1602 by the States Ge ...
(VOC) fleet on her maiden voyage, on Morning Reef of the Houtman Abrolhos on 4 June 1629, and the events surrounding the subsequent mutiny, rescue and punishment of her crew are of great historical significance to the region. A detailed account of the events is recorded in a 24 December 1897 Western Mail article "The Abrolhos Tragedy", translated from the notes of Francois Pelsaert, the commander of the ''Batavia'' when she ran aground. The Western Australian Museum in Geraldton houses an exhibition of clay pipes, silver coins, cannons, the original ''Batavia'' stone portico and numerous other relics recovered from the wreck of the ''Batavia'' and other notable local historical shipwrecks such as the , and . The explorer
George Grey Sir George Grey, KCB (14 April 1812 – 19 September 1898) was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Gov ...
, while on his second disastrous expedition along the Western Australian coast, passed over the future site of Geraldton on 7 April 1839. George Fletcher Moore, the colony's
attorney-general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
, on the colonial
schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...
'' Champion'', explored the region in January 1840 and discovered Champion Bay. He was followed by Captain John Clements Wickham and Lieutenant
John Lort Stokes Admiral John Lort Stokes (1 August 1811 – 11 June 1885) was a Royal Navy officer who served onboard for almost eighteen years.Although 1812 is frequently given as Stokes's year of birth, it has been argued by author Marsden Hordern that Stok ...
of , who led an expedition to the area in April 1840, and named and surveyed Point Moore and Champion Bay. A decade later, explorer Augustus Gregory travelled through the area. A member of his party, James Perry Walcott, discovered
lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...
ore in 1848 in the bed of the Murchison River. The ''Geraldine'' mine was subsequently established, named after the
County Clare County Clare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern part of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council ...
family home of Charles FitzGerald, the 4th Governor of Western Australia. The town of Geraldton, named after Governor FitzGerald, was surveyed in 1850 and land sales began in 1851.


World War II

During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Geraldton was the location of No. 4 Service Flying Training School RAAF. This flying school was formed on 10 February 1941 and disbanded in May 1945.


Climate

Geraldton has a
Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Csa'') with
semi-arid A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a aridity, dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below Evapotranspiration#Potential evapotranspiration, potential evapotranspiration, but not as l ...
(''BSk'') influence. Geraldton is very sunny, receiving around 164 clear days annually. Summers are long lasting and hot, though with relatively mild nights. Winters are short but mild and wet with cool nights. Mean sea temperatures in the summer months (measured at 10m) are consistently above , often exceeding . Surface sea temperatures in summer regularly exceed . In the winter the temperature is mild with daily highs averaging around . Most of the yearly rainfall falls in this period. In the summer months, Geraldton averages , with some days over . Afternoon
sea breeze A sea breeze or onshore breeze is a wind that blows in the afternoon from a large body of water toward or onto a landmass. By contrast, a land breeze or offshore breeze is a wind that blows in the night from a landmass toward or onto a large ...
s cool coastal areas and summer temperatures in coastal suburbs of Geraldton (Seacrest, Tarcoola, Geraldton CBD, Beresford, Sunset Beach, Bluff Point and Drummond Cove) are generally cooler than in inland suburbs, such as Strathalbyn, Utakarra, Woorree, Deepdale and Moonyoonooka. On 18 February 2024 and 20 January 2025, Geraldton recorded its highest ever temperature of , breaking the previous record of set on 9 January 1954.


Demographics

As of the 2021 census, the population of the Geraldton urban area was 38,595, and in urban Geraldton: * Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 9.7% of the population. * 65.1% of people were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth were England 7.7%, New Zealand 2.6%, South Africa 1.5% and Philippines 1.3%. * 82.7% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Malay 0.7%, Afrikaans 0.7%, Tagalog 0.5%, Filipino 0.4% and Italian 0.4%. * The most common responses for religion were No Religion (41.2%),
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
(22.2%), and
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
(11.9%).


Economy

The economic output generated within Greater Geraldton, the
local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a federated state, state, province, division (politica ...
incorporating Geraldton, is estimated at $2.944 billion. Greater Geraldton represents 56.26% of the $5.233 billion in output generated in Mid West Region and 1.19% of the $247.705 billion in output generated in Western Australia.


Port of Geraldton

The Port of Geraldton is a major west coast port with seven bulk handling berths (and an average loading rate of seven tonnes per hour), ranking nationally (in tonnage for 2012/2013) 12th in exports (14,812,513); 23rd in imports (632,330); and 13th overall (15,444,843). The major exports from the Geraldton port in 2012/2013 were (tonnage): iron ore (10,741,662); grain (2,618,507); mineral sands (849,933); copper concentrate (149,450); zinc concentrate (148,420); nickel concentrate (65,919); and livestock (2,758). Major imports were petroleum products (328,021). In 2012/2013 the Geraldton port serviced 328 bulk haulage vessels.


Tourism


Visitor Centre

The Geraldton Visitor Centre is located in the art gallery on 24 Chapman Road. Its former location was the original Railway Station, a historic building in Geraldton's West End, and was originally built in 1878. It was the first railway station constructed on a Government line in Western Australia.


Point Moore Lighthouse

The Point Moore Lighthouse, located south of the Geraldton Port is a cultural and historical attraction. It is the oldest surviving Commonwealth lighthouse in Western Australia and was also the first steel tower to be constructed on the mainland of Australia. The Point Moore lighthouse stands 35m tall and its 1000w Tungsten Halogen Lamp can be seen for 23 nautical miles. It began operation in 1878. The tower was prefabricated in Birmingham, England in 1876 and reached Australia by boat in 1877. However, the foundation for the lighthouse was laid at the wrong place by the local contractors and had to be reconstructed at the new site. Currently, it is a heritage-listed structure which is visited by photographers, travellers, couples, artists, etc.


Geraldton foreshore and city centre

In 2007, the Geraldton foreshore area, previously an abandoned railway marshalling yard, was redeveloped and today hosts a playground with water activities, public green spaces, public beaches, picnic areas, basketball court and shaded play areas. The project was completed in 2008. Geraldton is a regular port of call for cruise ships with visits occurring approximately ten times per year. Volunteers, organised by the City of Greater Geraldton, greet visitors on arrival to provide information on activities and other assistance.


HMAS ''Sydney'' memorial

The memorial for the World War II cruiser is located on Gummer Avenue, at the summit of Mount Scott. The memorial recognises the loss of the light cruiser during a mutually destructive fight with the German auxiliary cruiser ''Kormoran'' off
Shark Bay Shark Bay () is a World Heritage Site in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. The area is located approximately north of Perth, on the westernmost point of the Australian continent. UNESCO's listing of Shark Bay as a World Heritage S ...
in November 1941, with none of the 645 crewmen aboard surviving. A temporary memorial, consisting of a large boulder, a flagpole, and a bronze plaque, was erected in 1998. A permanent memorial was dedicated on 18 November 2001, the day before the 60th anniversary. The HMA
Sydney
memorial is made up of four major elements: 1. A
stele A stele ( ) or stela ( )The plural in English is sometimes stelai ( ) based on direct transliteration of the Greek, sometimes stelae or stelæ ( ) based on the inflection of Greek nouns in Latin, and sometimes anglicized to steles ( ) or stela ...
, based on the ships prow; 2. A granite wall listing the ships company; 3. A bronze statue of a woman looking out to sea and waiting in vain for ''Sydney'' to return; and 4. A dome made up of 645 stainless steel seagulls. The 645 stainless steel seagulls represent the souls of the lost sailors. In Folklore, birds such as seagulls are sometimes known as 'soul birds' because they are regarded as the souls of people who died at sea. (Armstrong, 1958) ''Sydney'' In May 2009, the memorial was recognised by the Australian government as being of national significance.


Activities

The Geraldton foreshore area has pathways for walking, running, cycling, dog-walking, skateboarding and in-line skating. There are skate parks at Cape Burney, Maitland Park, Wonthella, Strathalbyn, Tarcoola Beach, Forrester and Drummond Cove. Farmers markets occur on Saturday from 8 am to 12 noon in Maitland Park on Cathedral Avenue and on Sunday at the Old railway station on the corner of Chapman Road and Forrest Street. 4WD access is permitted on many beaches around Geraldton. Many beaches are impassable at times around high tide and during periods of ocean surges. At certain times of year, access may become impossible due to beach erosion.


Beaches

The main beaches in Geraldton are Tarcoola Beach, Back Beach, Separation Point, Point Moore, Pages Beach, Town Beach, Champion Bay, St Georges, Sunset Beach and Bluff Point.


Sport and recreation


Windsurfing and kitesurfing

During the spring, summer and early autumn months from September through April, Geraldton experiences consistent seabreezes.
Windsurfing Windsurfing is a wind-propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the Californian aerospace and surf culture. Windsurfing gain ...
and kitesurfing locations include Back Beach, Separation Point ("Seppos"), Point Moore, Hell's Gate, St. George’s and Sunset Beach. The region is a popular windsurfing location, attracting significant numbers of overseas visitors and product testing by manufacturers. In 2005, Geraldton was host to the Australian KiteSurfing Associatio
(AKSA)
Australian National Championships.


Surfing and stand-up paddlesurfing

Surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...
, and more recently Stand up paddle surfing, are also popular activities in and around Geraldton. Popular surf spots include Flat Rocks, Greenough, Back Beach, Sunset Beach and Glenfield. Stand-Up Paddlesurfing spots include Point Moore, Town Beach, The Foreshore, St. Georges Beach and Drummond Cove to the north. In winter, local weather conditions shift to predominantly easterly (offshore) winds. Indian Ocean storms generate large swells that produce good conditions for surfing (though the fringe barrier reef protecting the Geraldton coastline blocks much of the swell, significantly reducing the size of the waves that reach the beaches). Large swells may create potentially dangerous rip currents as water flows through passages between the reef.


Fishing, boating and sailing

Saltwater
fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
,
boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, suc ...
and
sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, Windsurfing, windsurfer, or Kitesurfing, kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (Land sa ...
are popular along Geraldton's coastline. Local and visiting recreational fishermen and women target a wide variety of native sport fish from the beaches and wharves that includes Mulloway, Bream, Tailor, Whiting, Sharks and Cod; larger fish such as Dhufish, Mackerel, Tuna, Snapper, Sampsonfish, Coral Trout and larger sharks, amongst many others are found on Geraldton's offshore reefs, located from approximately 8 km to more than 80 km offshore. A recreational fishing licence is not required when fishing from the shore but a licence must be obtained from the Department of Fisheries to fish from a boat. Significant fines apply for non-compliance. Recreational fishing for local Western Rock Lobster is also permitted during the season from December–April (exact dates vary from year to year) however, a special licence is required. Size and daily bag limits apply to certain species of fish and to all lobster catches. The city is home to the Geraldton Yacht Club, which marked its 100th anniversary in 2014.


Scuba diving and snorkelling

Scuba diving Scuba diving is a Diving mode, mode of underwater diving whereby divers use Scuba set, breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface breathing gas supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The word ''scub ...
and
snorkelling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming face down on or through a body of water while breathing the ambient air through a shaped tube called a snorkel, usually with swimming goggles or a ...
are popular activities around Geraldton. There are several wreck diving sites off the coast, including the ''South Tomi'', which was sunk in 2004. The South Tomi is a 58.7-metre long, 9.81-metre wide vessel that was built by Niigata Engineering and Shipping Co Ltd. in Niigata City, Japan. In March 2001, the Republic of Togo registered South Tomi. The same month, the ship was identified fishing illegally in Australian sub-Antarctic waters and pursued by Australian Fisheries officers for 14 days, covering 3,300 nautical miles (approximately 6,100 kilometres). The vessel was boarded by Australian defence forces 320 nautical miles (approximately 600 km) south of Cape Town in South Africa and inspected. The vessel was found to be carrying an illegal catch of protected Patagonian toothfish and the vessel and its catch were confiscated by Australian authorities. The vessel was escorted 8,500 km to Western Australia and arrived on 5 May in Fremantle. The catch was sold by the Australian government for $1.4 million. The City of Geraldton secured the vessel to be sunk as an artificial reef. The ship was towed from Fremantle to Geraldton and scuttled on 18 September 2004 2.9 nautical miles off the Geraldton coast. The site is registered with the WA Department of Fisheries as a wreck and is closed year round to fishing within the defined boundaries – commencing at 28°43.968'S 114°33.392'E, then east to 114°33.206'E, then north to 28°43.752'S, then east to 114°33.392'E, then south to the commencement point. Water depth at the site is approximately 24.5 metres and the deck is 13 metres from the surface. The wreck of the South Tomi provides an easily accessible diving alternative to the nearby Houtman Abrolhos.


Team sports

Geraldton has a number of resident sporting teams, including Australian Rules Football, Basketball, Netball, Soccer and Roller Derby League. The men's basketball team, the Geraldton Buccaneers of the
NBL1 West NBL1 West, formerly the State Basketball League (SBL), is a semi-professional basketball league in Western Australia, comprising both a men's and women's competition. In 2020, Basketball Western Australia partnered with the National Basketball L ...
, has been described as the "pride of the city". They play at Activewest Stadium on Eighth Street, where most home games are sold out to capacity with upwards of 2,000 people. Geraldton is home to the Mid West Academy of Sport, a non-profit community organisation providing support to sporting talent (athletes, coaches, officials and administrators) throughout the Mid West Region of Western Australia.


Horse racing

Geraldton is home to a
horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...
industry and since 1887 has hosted the annual Geraldton Gold Cup meeting.


Entertainment

Queens Park Theatre is the largest entertainment and conference venue in Geraldton, with a 673-seat auditorium (including box and circle seating), two large foyers with bars, a reception room, and a 500-seat outdoor amphitheatre. The theatre hosts professional events and performances from around the world. Theatre 8 is an amateur theatre that presents various local talents. The Orana Cinemas in the historical West End is Geraldton's only cineplex with 3D available on selected movies. During the summer months, a movie is sometimes shown at the side of Dome on Foreshore Drive by Sun City Cinema.


Events

The Geraldton Sunshine Festival, established in 1958, is one of Australia's longest-running festivals. The festival takes place annually in October, celebrating the arrival of Spring and providing opportunities for residents and visitors to engage with local businesses and other organisations. The Goodness Sustainability and Innovation Festival is held each August in and around Geraldton and showcases and celebrates innovation and achievement towards sustainability in the Mid West. The Big Sky Readers and Writers Festival – The festival has been hosted by the City of Geraldton and run by The Geraldton Library staff. Australian and International authors come together to share their knowledge and experiences in many ways, from intimate dinners to large scale debates.


Churches

The St Francis Xavier Cathedral is the
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
cathedral of the Diocese of Geraldton. It was designed by the architect and Catholic priest John Hawes. Construction began in 1916 and was completed in 1938. The Cathedral of the Holy Cross is the
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
cathedral of the North West Anglican Diocese. It was built during the early 1960s, and "is renowned for having one of the largest areas of stained glass windows in Australia."


Facilities and services

The Greater Geraldton Regional Library is open seven days a week and provides free access to the Internet via a public WiFi hotspot. Other free public WiFi hotspots are available along the Geraldton Foreshore, from the marina to the Esplanade. The Geraldton Batavia Coast Marina consists of three jetties, 47 commercial and recreation boat pens, 42 floating pens, boat ramps, toilets, carpark, fishing platform and a boardwalk. Geraldton Volunteer Marine Rescue (active on weekends and public holidays) monitor marine radio frequency 27.88 MHz and VHF Channel 16. Local groups also monitor other frequencies such as 27.90 MHz, 27.91 MHz and VHF channels 72 and 73, as well as their own channels. The Geraldton Regional Art Gallery opened in 1984 and was one of the first "A Class" regional galleries in Australia. The Aquarena is a public swimming facility managed by the City of Greater Geraldton. It has 50-metre and 25-metre pools, a leisure pool, a water slide and hydrotherapy facilities, with water polo and swimming squads and group fitness sessions. The Queen Elizabeth II Centre (QE2) is home to a variety of community and seniors' groups, and offers facilities for public hire, including two large halls with equipped kitchens. The QEII Centre is available for local and visiting seniors, group meetings and also provides an internet hub for seniors.


Communications

Geraldton is host to one of the 121 "points of interconnection" for the Australian National Broadband Network (NBN), providing service to the largest geographic region in Australia. Geraldton was the first regional community in Western Australia where the NBN Fibre to the Premises (FttP) network was deployed in July 2013. NBNCo provides a fixed wireless broadband service for some parts of the region and in 2013/2014 introduced high speed optic fibre broadband services to areas of Geraldton in and near the city centre. All occupiable premises in Geraldton's urbanised areas between Tarcoola Beach in the south and Drummond Cove in the north are outfitted with NBN Fibre to the Premise services, with construction completed in mid 2017. (Excluding Mandurah) Geraldton is currently (2017) the only regional town in Western Australia with NBN Fibre to the Premise services. A number of Internet Service Providers offer services to Geraldton that include (where available) Fibre to the Premise (FttP) via NBNCo, private fibre networks (Seacrest Estate), as well as via public spectrum (5.8 GHz Class License) wireless links. Upon completion of the nbn rollout, nearly all copper-based services (ADSL, Frame Relay, Standard Analogue Telephone lines, etc.) were decommissioned and are no longer available. In 2012, the City of Greater Geraldton was one of 33 cities worldwide selected to receive a Smarter Cities® Challenge grant from IBM. The stated aim of the project is to "identify smart digital services and opportunities that leverage the increasing availability of broadband and to develop smart energy strategies that will enable the community's vision of becoming a carbon-neutral region by 2029". The region is serviced by the major mobile phone companies with 4G networks provided by
Telstra Telstra Group Limited is an Australian telecommunications company that builds and operates telecommunications networks and markets related products and services. It is a member of the S&P/ASX 20 stock index, and is Australia's largest telecomm ...
,
Optus Singtel Optus Pty Limited is an Australian Telecommunications in Australia, telecommunications company headquartered in Macquarie Park, a suburb in the Northern Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is a wholly owned subsidiar ...
and
Vodafone Vodafone Group Public Limited Company () is a British Multinational company, multinational telecommunications company. Its registered office and global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England. It predominantly operates Service (economic ...
.


Healthcare

Geraldton has two hospitals: Geraldton Regional Hospital (GRH) (public) and St John of God Hospital (SJOGH) (private). Geraldton Regional Hospital is the only facility in Geraldton with a 24-hour Emergency Room. Geraldton Regional Hospital is a 55-bed hospital comprising accident and emergency, medical, surgical, paediatrics, maternity, intensive nursing, chemotherapy unit, day surgery and a renal dialysis unit. Allied health services (speech pathology, psychology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy and audiology) are also available at the hospital. St John of God Hospital is a 60-bed hospital with medical, surgical, acute care, maternity and palliative care. There is also an adjoining specialist centre where residential specialists are based. This included three general surgeons, radiologists, an orthopaedic surgeon, two obstetrician/gynaecologists, an ophthalmologist, GPs and anaesthetists. Visiting specialists consulting rooms are also based here. There are 42 private general practitioners resident in Geraldton, including four general practitioners employed by the Geraldton Regional Aboriginal Medical Service (GRAMS). Most of the GPs and resident specialists in Geraldton are involved in teaching Rural Clinical School medical students. Community services include the Aboriginal Medical Service, the Community Drug Service Team, the Community Health and Development Centre, and the Community Mental Health Team.


Education


Tertiary education

The Geraldton Universities Centre is an independent, not-for-profit, incorporated body, supporting university courses in Geraldton on behalf of a range of universities including CQUniversity, Charles Sturt University and the University of Southern Queensland. 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 more than 200 enrolled students in 2015, undertaking a range of bridging and full degree programs. Central Regional TAFE (formerly Durack Institute of Technology) is a college of
TAFE Technical and further education or simply TAFE () is the common name in Australia for vocational education, as a subset of tertiary education. TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational courses. Colloquially also known ...
providing education, training programs and services to the community including school leavers, mature age students, industry/corporate groups, international students, employers and those who study for their own personal and professional development. The Batavia Coast Maritime Institute (BCMI), a subsidiary of Central Regional TAFE, is a training, research and development facility located at Separation Point in Geraldton.


Primary and secondary schools and colleges


Nearby

The Houtman Abrolhos islands are west of Geraldton. The Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory Support Facility in Geraldton, operated by
CSIRO The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government agency that is responsible for scientific research and its commercial and industrial applications. CSIRO works with leading organisations arou ...
, provides support services for the
Square Kilometre Array The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is an intergovernmental organisation, intergovernmental international radio telescope project being built in Australia (low-frequency) and South Africa (mid-frequency). The combining infrastructure, the Square ...
project located at the
Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory was established by CSIRO, Australia's national science centre in 2009. It lies in a designated radio quiet zone located near Boolardy Station in the Murchison Shire of ...
, 315 km northeast of Geraldton. The Australian Defence Satellite Communications Station is located at Kojarena, 30 km east of Geraldton.


Transport

Geraldton has a public bus service run by TransGeraldton and is connected to Perth with coach services provided by
Transwa Transwa is Western Australia's regional public transport provider, linking 240 destinations, from Kalbarri in the north to Augusta in the south west to Esperance in the south east. The Transwa system provides transport between Perth and the ...
.
QantasLink QantasLink is a full-service, Regional airline, regional brand of Australian flag carrier airline Qantas. As of 2024, QantasLink provides over 2,000 flights each week to 65 metropolitan, regional and remote destinations across Australia, as wel ...
and Nexus Airlines provide commercial services from Geraldton Airport; Several charter companies provide tourist charter flights and services to the mining industry. The airport is also used for
general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...
. The airport provides multiple daily flights to and from Perth, operated by
QantasLink QantasLink is a full-service, Regional airline, regional brand of Australian flag carrier airline Qantas. As of 2024, QantasLink provides over 2,000 flights each week to 65 metropolitan, regional and remote destinations across Australia, as wel ...
and Nexus Airlines. General aviation services include charter flights to the Abrolhos Islands, to WA minesites and to various tourist destinations. Flight training schools, aircraft maintenance facilities and a local aero club are based here. Construction is underway as of 2014 on an Airport Technology Park.


Media


Radio

Radio services available in Geraldton: * Vision Christian Radio (87.8FM) - Christian talk and music * Tourist Radio (88.0FM) – (Information for travellers and tourists) * TAB Radio (88.6FM) - Racing and sport * 6 TTT (97.3FM) – (Community Access Radio Station) * ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt (6GN 828 AM) – Part of the
ABC Local Radio ABC Local Radio is a network of publicly owned radio stations in Australia, operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ABC Local Radio stations broadcast across the continent using terrestrial transmitters and satellites. Its programm ...
Network. *
Radio National ABC Radio National, more commonly known as Radio National or simply RN, is an Australian nationwide public service radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2. ...
– (6ABCRN 99.7 FM) – Speciality talk and music. *
Triple J Triple J is an Australian government-funded national radio station founded in 1975 as a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). It aims to appeal to young listeners of alternative music, and plays far more Australian conten ...
– (6JJJ 98.9 FM) – Music for young Australians (non-commercial, ABC affiliate) *
ABC News Radio ABC News Radio is the news radio service of ABC Audio, a division of ABC News (United States), ABC News in the United States. Formerly known as ABC Radio News, ABC News Radio feeds, through Skyview Networks, five-minute newscasts on the hour ...
– (6PNN 101.3 FM) – Rolling News bulletins, news magazine programs and LIVE coverage from Federal Parliament House of Representatives. *
ABC Classic ABC Classic, formerly ABC-FM (also ABC Fine Music), and then ABC Classic FM, is an Australian classical music radio station available in Australia and internationally. Its website features classical music news, features and listening guides. I ...
– (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

Free-to-Air Television services: * ABC * SBS * Seven Regional WA (formerly GWN7) *
WIN Television WIN Television is an Australian television broadcasting, Australian television network owned and operated by WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single television stat ...
(
Nine 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Hindu–Arabic digit Circa 300 BC, as part of the Brahmi numerals, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bot ...
) *
West Digital Television West Digital Television is an Australian digital television network jointly owned by Seven West Media and WIN Corporation. It broadcasts free-to-air on a number of digital terrestrial transmitters in regional and remote areas of Western Aust ...
( Ten) 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 The Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent professional sports, professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition ...
and
National Rugby League The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...
, children's and lifestyle programs and
advertorial An advertorial is an advertisement in the form of editorial content. The term "advertorial" is a blend word, blend (see portmanteau) of the words "advertisement" and "editorial". Merriam-Webster dates the origin of the word to 1946. In printed pub ...
s. Seven 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'' was established in 1878 as the ''Victorian Express'' and is the state's second oldest extant newspaper in continuous circulation (after
The West Australian ''The West Australian'' is the only locally edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia. It is owned by Seven West Media (SWM), as is the state's other major newspaper, ''The Sunday Times''. It is the second-oldest continuousl ...
). It is published on Tuesday and Friday. ''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. The ''Midwest Times'' is published on Wednesday and is issued free to residents and businesses in the Geraldton and the Mid West.


Notable residents

* Liam Anthony (1987– ), Australian rules footballerAnthony makes the most of his chance
Theage.com.au (2009-07-20). Retrieved on 2012-08-16.
* Alfred Carson (1859–1944), journalist and social worker * Edith Cowan (1861–1932), the first woman elected to an Australian Parliament, was born and raised at Glengarry Station *
Patricia Gallaher Patricia Evelyn Gallaher OAM (1937 – 11 December 2014) was an Australian librarian who established the Randolph Stow Young Writers award and promoted the arts in regional parts of Western Australia. Early life Gallaher was born in England in ...
OAM (1937–2014), regional librarian established the Randolph Stow award for young writers *
Geoff Gallop Geoffrey Ian Gallop (born 27 September 1951) is an Australian academic and former politician who served as the 27th premier of Western Australia from 2001 to 2006. He is currently a professor and director of the Graduate School of Government at ...
(1951– ), 27th
Premier of Western Australia The premier of Western Australia is the head of government of the state of Western Australia. The role of premier at a state level is similar to the role of the prime minister of Australia at a federal level. The premier leads the executive br ...
* Nene Gare (1919–1994), her novel The Fringe Dwellers was inspired by and set in Geraldton * Xavier Herbert (1901–1984),
Miles Franklin Award The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize awarded to "a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases". The award was set up according to the Will (law), will of Miles Franklin ...
-winning writer, was born here * Brenda Hodge, the last person sentenced to death in Australia. Her sentence was commuted when WA abolished the death penalty; she was eventually released from prison and now lives in Geraldton. * Chris Mainwaring (1965–2007), an
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
er, inaugural player for the
West Coast Eagles The West Coast Eagles are a professional Australian rules football club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and first competed in 1987 as one of two expansion teams in the Australian Football League (AFL), then known ...
* Jack Martin (1995– ), Australian rules footballer * Stephen McCann (1958–), Australian rules footballer * Judd McVee (2003–), Australian rules footballer * Johny Narkle (2001– ), basketball player * Doris Pilkington (1937–2014), author best known for her 1996 book '' Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence'' * Graham Polak (1984-), Australian rules footballer * Liam Ryan (1996– ), Australian rules footballer * Paddy Ryder (1988-), Australian rules footballerPaddy Ryder Returns to Essendon
by essendonfc.com.au 6 March 2023
* Lieutenant General John Sanderson (1940– ), 29th Governor of Western Australia, former Chief of the Australian Army * Brett Sheehan (1979– ) Rugby Union player for Reds, Waratahs and Western Force * Randolph Stow (1935–2010), Miles Franklin Award-winning novelist. His ''The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea'' was set in the Geraldton area in the 1940s * Tasma Walton (1973– ), a television and film actress, wife of Australian comedian, television presenter and producer
Rove McManus John Henry Michael 'Rove' McManus (born 21 January 1974) is an Australian comedian, television and radio presenter, producer and media personality who has received three Gold Logie awards. He was the host of the eponymous variety show '' Rove ...
*
John Willcock John Collings Willcock (9 August 1879 – 7 June 1956) was an Australian politician. He was the premier of Western Australia from 1936 to 1945, holding office as state leader of the Western Australian Labor Party, Australian Labor Party (ALP). ...
(1879–1956), 15th Premier of Western Australia * Sir Ronald Wilson (1922–2005), Justice of the
High Court of Australia The High Court of Australia is the apex court of the Australian legal system. It exercises original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified in the Constitution of Australia and supplementary legislation. The High Court was establi ...
, President of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission * Sir Albert Wolff (1899–1977), Chief Justice of Western Australia, Lieutenant Governor of Western Australia


See also

* City of Greater Geraldton


References


External links


Geraldton Visitors Centre

City of Greater Geraldton

Western Australian Museum – Geraldton

Finding Sydney Foundation

Geraldton Port Authority

Greater Geraldton Regional Library

Geraldton Universities Centre

Queens Park Theatre

Everything Geraldton
{{Authority control Coastal cities in Australia Mid West (Western Australia)