The Wheatbelt is one of nine

regions of Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is divided into regions according to a number of systems. The most common system is the WA Government division of the state into regions for economic development purposes, which comprises nine defined regions; however, t ...

defined as administrative areas for the state's regional development, and a vernacular term for the area converted to agriculture during colonisation. It partially surrounds the

Perth metropolitan area The Perth metropolitan region or the Perth metropolitan area is the administrative area and geographical extent of the Western Australian capital city of Perth and its conurbation. It generally includes the coastal strip from Two Rocks in t ...

, extending north from Perth to the

Mid West The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

region, and east to the

Goldfields–Esperance The Goldfields–Esperance region is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located in the south eastern corner of Western Australia, and comprises the local government areas of Coolgardie, Dundas, Esperance, Kalgoorlie– ...

region. It is bordered to the south by the

South West The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

and Great Southern regions, and to the west by the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by ...

, the Perth metropolitan area, and the

Peel Peel or Peeling may refer to: Places Australia * Peel (Western Australia) * Peel Island, Queensland *Peel, New South Wales * Peel River (New South Wales) Canada * Peel Parish, New Brunswick * Peel, New Brunswick, an unincorporated communi ...

region. Altogether, it has an area of (including islands). The region has 42 local government authorities, with an estimated population of 75,000 residents. The Wheatbelt accounts for approximately three per cent of Western Australia's population.

Ecosystems

The area, once a diverse ecosystem, reduced when clearing began in the 1890s with the removal of plant species such as eucalypt woodlands and mallee, is now home to around 11% of Australia's critically endangered plants. A number of nationally threatened birds reside in the Wheatbelt, including the endangered

Carnaby's black cockatoo Carnaby's black cockatoo (''Zanda latirostris''), also known as the short-billed black cockatoo, is a large black cockatoo endemic to southwest Australia. It was described in 1948 by naturalist Ivan Carnaby. Measuring in length, it has a s ...

and the vulnerable

malleefowl The malleefowl (''Leipoa ocellata'') is a stocky ground-dwelling Australian bird about the size of a domestic chicken (to which it is distantly related). It is notable for the large nesting mounds constructed by the males and lack of parental ca ...

. The Wheatbelt encompasses a range of ecosystems and, as a result, there are a range of industries operating in the region. In the

Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) is a biogeographic regionalisation of Australia developed by the Australian government's Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population, and Communities. It was deve ...

there are a number of subdivisions such as the

Avon Wheatbelt The Avon Wheatbelt is a bioregion in Western Australia. It has an area of . It is considered part of the larger Southwest Australia savanna ecoregion. Geography The Avon Wheatbelt bioregion is mostly a gently undulating landscape with low reli ...

(AVW), and a further breakdown of Avon Wheatbelt P1 (AW1) and Avon Wheatbelt P2 (AW2),

Jarrah Forest Jarrah forest is tall open forest in which the dominant overstory tree is '' Eucalyptus marginata'' (jarrah). The ecosystem occurs only in the Southwest Botanical Province of Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is ...

Geraldton Sandplains Geraldton ( Wajarri: ''Jambinu'', Wilunyu: ''Jambinbirri'') is a coastal city in the Mid West region of the Australian state of Western Australia, north of the state capital, Perth. At June 2018, Geraldton had an urban population of 37,648. ...

and Mallee regions.

Industry and economy

Near the coast, the region receives relatively high rainfall and mild temperatures, and its of coastline is a significant

tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism ...

area. In contrast, the eastern fringe is very arid, and is mainly used for

pastoral farming Pastoral farming (also known in some regions as ranching, livestock farming or grazing) is aimed at producing livestock, rather than growing crops. Examples include dairy farming, raising beef cattle, and raising sheep for wool. In contrast, a ...

of sheep.

Mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

nickel Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow ...

and

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the ...

also occurs. The remainder of the region is highly suited to

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peop ...

, and is the source of nearly two thirds of the state's

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeolog ...

production, half of its

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...

production, and the majority of its

lamb and mutton Lamb, hogget, and mutton, generically sheep meat, are the meat of domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries''. A sheep in its first year is a lamb and its meat is also lamb. The meat from sheep in their second year is hogget. Older sheep meat is mutton. Ge ...

oranges An orange is a fruit of various citrus species in the family Rutaceae (see list of plants known as orange); it primarily refers to ''Citrus'' × ''sinensis'', which is also called sweet orange, to distinguish it from the related ''Citrus × ...

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

, cut flowers and a range of other agricultural and pastoral products.

Change

With a range of climate and economic changes in the region, considerable effort is made by government at all levels to cope with the decline of some communities, and create opportunities for ventures that keep population in the region.

Transport

The Wheatbelt once had an extensive

railway system Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

, which transported bulk wheat grain. It has been reduced in part, while the main lines are being supported. Grain is transported on the those lines to ports for export from the

CBH grain receival points CBH grain receival points (also known as ''the bins'' or ''wheat bins'' in local popular usage) are grain silos spread around Western Australia, primarily in the wheatbelt region. Historically they have been linked with the wheatbelt railway ...

(grain

silo A silo (from the Greek σιρός – ''siros'', "pit for holding grain") is a structure for storing bulk materials. Silos are used in agriculture to store fermented feed known as silage, not to be confused with a grain bin, which is used ...

s), which are primarily located in the Wheatbelt region. Six main highways radiating out from Perth serve the Wheatbelt:

Brand Highway Brand Highway is a main highway linking the northern outskirts of Perth to Geraldton in Western Australia. Together with North West Coastal Highway, it forms part of the Western Australian coastal link to the Northern Territory. The highway i ...

(north-west to ),

Great Northern Highway Great Northern Highway is an Australian highway that links Western Australia's capital city Perth with its northernmost port, Wyndham. With a length of almost , it is the longest highway in Australia, with the majority included as part of the ...

(north-east to ),

Great Eastern Highway Great Eastern Highway is a road that links the Western Australian capital of Perth with the city of Kalgoorlie. A key route for road vehicles accessing the eastern Wheatbelt (Western Australia), Wheatbelt and the Goldfields-Esperance, Goldfie ...

(east to ),

Great Southern Highway Great Southern Highway is a highway in the southern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, starting from Great Eastern Highway at The Lakes, from Perth, and ending at Albany Highway near Cranbrook. It is the primary thoroughfare for this pa ...

(east to , then south to ),

Brookton Highway Brookton Highway is a long undivided single carriageway highway in Western Australia, running from the southern Perth suburb of Kelmscott, through Westdale, to the southern Wheatbelt town of Brookton. It is signposted as State Route 40; ho ...

(east-south-east to ), and

Albany Highway Albany Highway links Western Australia's capital city Perth with its oldest settlement, Albany, Western Australia, Albany, on the state's South coast of Western Australia, south coast. The highway travels through the southern Wheatbelt (Weste ...

(south-east to ). A network of main roads connects towns within the Wheatbelt to each other, the highways, and neighbouring regions, with local roads providing additional links and access to smaller townsites. Roads are often named after the towns they connect.

Local government areas

The following list is the shires listed in the Wheatbelt as designated by the Wheatbelt Development Commission. Some shires in adjoining regions are traditionally considered part of the Wheatbelt – there are shires in the Great Southern, Goldfields-Esperance and Mid West regions that are dominantly grain growing areas. *

Beverley Beverley is a market and minster town and a civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, of which it is the county town. The town centre is located south-east of York's centre and north-west of City of Hull. The town is known for ...

* Brookton *

Bruce Rock Bruce Rock is a town in the eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, approximately east of Perth and southwest of Merredin. It is the main town in the Shire of Bruce Rock. History Originally known as Nunagin or Noonegin, the name of ...

* Chittering * Corrigin * Cuballing * Cunderdin *

Dandaragan Dandaragan is a small town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. The name of Dandaragan was first recorded in 1850 as the name of a nearby gulley and spring or watering hole known as Dandaraga spring. The word is Indigenous Australian i ...

* Dalwallinu * Dowerin * Dumbleyung * Gingin * Goomalling * Kellerberrin * Kondinin * Koorda * Kulin *

Lake Grace A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much lar ...

* Merredin * Moora *

Mount Marshall The Shire of Mount Marshall is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about north-northwest of Merredin and about northeast of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of governm ...

* Mukinbudin * Narembeen * Narrogin * Northam * Nungarin * Pingelly *

Quairading Quairading is a Western Australian town located in the Wheatbelt region. It is the seat of government for the Shire of Quairading. History The town was named for Quairading Spring, derived from a local Aboriginal word recorded in 1872 by sur ...

* Tammin * Toodyay * Trayning *

Victoria Plains Victoria Plains is a rural locality in the Mackay Region, Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_ ...

* Wagin * Wandering *

West Arthur The Shire of West Arthur is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, generally to the west of Albany Highway about south-east of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of and its seat of government i ...

* Westonia * Wickepin * Williams * Wongan-Ballidu * Wyalkatchem *

Yilgarn The Yilgarn Craton is a large craton that constitutes the bulk of the Western Australian land mass. It is bounded by a mixture of sedimentary basins and Proterozoic fold and thrust belts. Zircon grains in the Jack Hills, Narryer Terrane have bee ...

York York is a cathedral city with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many hist ...

Sub-regions within the Wheatbelt

There are numerous subdivisions of the Wheatbelt, and in most cases the separation is by local government areas.

Wheatbelt Development Commission

The Wheatbelt Development Commission (WDC) breaks the region up into five sub-regions with four offices: * Avon **

Shire of Beverley The Shire of Beverley is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia about southeast of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of , starting outside Armadale in the Darling Scarp and extending eastwards ...

Shire of Cunderdin The Shire of Cunderdin is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about west of Merredin and about east of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of government is the town of Cu ...

** Shire of Dowerin **

Shire of Goomalling The Shire of Goomalling is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about northeast of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of and its seat of government is the town of Goomalling. History On 18 Ja ...

Shire of Koorda The Shire of Koorda is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about northeast of Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous ...

Shire of Northam The Shire of Northam is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, beyond the northeastern fringe of the Perth metropolitan area centred on the town of Northam itself. The Shire covers an area of . In 2007, it mer ...

– WDC office in Northam **

Shire of Quairading The Shire of Quairading is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about east of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of government is the town of Quairading. History Quairadin ...

Shire of Tammin The Shire of Tammin is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. Its seat of government is the town of Tammin, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of Merredin and about 180 kilometres (112 mi) ea ...

Shire of Toodyay The Shire of Toodyay is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, beyond the north-eastern limits of the Perth metropolitan area. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of government is the town of Toodyay. H ...

Shire of Wyalkatchem The Shire of Wyalkatchem is a local government area located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. Its seat of government is the town of Wyalkatchem, about northeast of Perth, the state capital. History On 18 June 1920, the Wyalkat ...

Shire of York The Shire of York is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, covering an area of just beyond the eastern fringe of Perth's metropolitan area. The Shire's seat of government is the town of York. History The Shi ...

* Central Coast, comprising: **

Shire of Chittering The Shire of Chittering is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, covering an area of about just beyond the northeastern fringe of the Perth Perth is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and la ...

Shire of Dandaragan The Shire of Dandaragan is a local government area located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about north of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of and its seat of government is the town of Jurien Bay. History ...

Shire of Gingin The Shire of Gingin is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, just beyond the northern fringe of the Perth metropolitan area. The Shire covers an area of and its seat of government is the town of Gingin. Hist ...

* Central Midlands, comprising: **

Shire of Dalwallinu The Shire of Dalwallinu is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about NNE of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of and its seat of government is the town of Dalwallinu. History Initiall ...

** Shire of Moora – WDC office in Moora **

Shire of Victoria Plains The Shire of Victoria Plains is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about north of the state capital, Perth. It covers an area of , and its seat of government is the town of Calingiri. History The Victori ...

Shire of Wongan-Ballidu Shire is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand. It is generally synonymous with county. It was first used in Wessex from the begin ...

* Central East **

Shire of Bruce Rock The Shire of Bruce Rock is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about south of Merredin and about east of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of government is the town of B ...

Shire of Kellerberrin The Shire of Kellerberrin is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about west of Merredin and about east of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of and its seat of government is the town of ...

Shire of Merredin The Shire of Merredin is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about east of Perth, the state capital. Its seat of government is the town of Merredin, where 2,804 of the Shire's 3,595 residents live. The Sh ...

– WDC office in Merredin **

Shire of Mount Marshall The Shire of Mount Marshall is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about north-northwest of Merredin and about northeast of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of governm ...

Shire of Mukinbudin The Shire of Mukinbudin is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about north of Merredin and about east of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of government is the town of ...

Shire of Narembeen The Shire of Narembeen is a local government area in the eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about east of the state capital, Perth, and between the shires of Merredin to the north, and Kondinin to the south. The Shire has a la ...

Shire of Nungarin The Shire of Nungarin is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, and with a population of 257 as at the , is one of the nation's smallest. It is located about north of Merredin and about east of the state capi ...

Shire of Trayning The Shire of Trayning is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about northwest of Merredin and about east of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of government is the town of ...

Shire of Westonia The Shire of Westonia is a local government area in the eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about east of Perth, the state capital. Its seat of government is the small town of Westonia. Although the Shire of Westonia is located ...

Shire of Yilgarn The Shire of Yilgarn is a local government area in the eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia about east of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of and its seat of government is the town of Southern Cross. The main i ...

* Wheatbelt South **

Shire of Brookton The Shire of Brookton is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about southeast of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of and its seat of government is the town of Brookton. The local economy, ...

Shire of Corrigin The Shire of Corrigin is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about east of the state capital, Perth. Its seat of government is the town of Corrigin. The shire covers an area of and the economy, worth appr ...

Shire of Cuballing The Shire of Cuballing is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. Cuballing is located north of the town of Narrogin and southeast of the capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of and its seat of governmen ...

Shire of Dumbleyung The Shire of Dumbleyung is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about east of Wagin and about southeast of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of , and is involved in grain and livestock prod ...

Shire of Kondinin The Shire of Kondinin is a local government area in the eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about east of the state capital, Perth. The Shire's land area of forms a narrow east-west band, located between the Shire of Narembeen ...

Shire of Kulin The Shire of Kulin is a local government area in the eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about ESE of the state capital, Perth. The Shire's land area of forms a narrow east-west band, located between the Shire of Kondinin to th ...

Shire of Lake Grace The Shire of Lake Grace is a local government area in the eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about ESE of the state capital, Perth. The Shire has a land area of and its seat of government is the town of Lake Grace. History Th ...

Shire of Narrogin The Shire of Narrogin is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about south-east of the state capital, Perth. The seat of government is in the town of Narrogin. Until 2016, when the two entities merged, the Na ...

– WDC office in Narrogin **

Shire of Pingelly The Shire of Pingelly is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about southeast of the state capital, Perth, between the Shires of Brookton and Cuballing along the Great Southern Highway. The Shire covers a ...

Shire of Wagin The Shire of Wagin is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about southeast of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of about , and its seat of government is the town of Wagin. History It was ...

Shire of Wandering The Shire of Wandering is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, and, with a population of 444 as at the , is one of the nation's smallest. It covers an area of generally to the east of Albany Highway about s ...

Shire of West Arthur The Shire of West Arthur is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, generally to the west of Albany Highway about south-east of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of and its seat of government ...

Shire of Wickepin The Shire of Wickepin is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, east of Narrogin and about southeast of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of government is the town of Wicke ...

Shire of Williams The Shire of Williams is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about southeast of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of government is the town of Williams. History The Will ...

Tourism regions

Most of the Wheatbelt is included in the larger Australia's Golden Outback. Due to their proximity to Perth, however, the following shires are instead promoted as part of the Destination Perth region. The tourist precincts are included: * Avon Valley **

** Brookton ** Goomalling ** Northam ** Toodyay **

and Rockingham ** Wandering * Sunset Coast ** Gingin * Swan Valley ** Chittering Finally, the northwestern

is promoted as part of Australia's Coral Coast region due to the presence of the larger seaside towns of

Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best know ...

and Jurien Bay, which developed independently of wheat-growing.

Other regional designations

The Wheatbelt is separated into other designations at various times as well: *Wheatbelt North East *Wheatbelt Central *The Open Wheatbelt

Notes

References

External links

Wheatbelt Development Commission
{{coord, -32, 118, display=title Regions of Western Australia