People & Places

Australia

Canada

Where to live in Western Australia

In recent years Western Australia has become something of a haven for British immigrants. Patricia Curmi goes in search of some of the places to settle

To most people Western Australia means Perth. True, the state capital is a picturesque slice of city life – but travel along Western Oz's 12,000 kilometres of crystal-clear coastline, teeming with brilliant coral, unspoiled reefs, 19th-century shipwrecks, spectacular surf and colourful seaside towns, and you'll be amazed at what else the state has to offer.

Fremantle
Western Australia's 'other' capital, at least in the minds of Western Aussies, Fremantle's easy-going, vibrant lifestyle is luring larger numbers to settle there. 'Freo', as it's known locally, is only about 20 kilometres south of Perth and for a town of far smaller size, it is very diverse. Only 64 per cent of the population was born in Australia, with the largest overseas-born population groups coming from the UK, Italy, New Zealand, Ireland and Germany. There are also sizeable Madeiran, Portuguese and Croatian communities.
Business-wise, Fremantle is a major regional centre with a bustling tourism industry. The significance of Fremantle as a place for business extends far beyond the local community. Freo's catchment area extends well past its borders and takes in more than 200,000 residents. In fact, Fremantle is Western Australia's largest metropolitan retail centre outside of Perth, and over 12 million visitors visit the city annually. Initiatives like the Chelsea Project have delivered support to new business development in Fremantle since their inception in April 2003 – including the Fremantle Property Bank website, and the formation of a West End traders group. The latest offering, the West End Business Report, will help to attract new commercial investment into the area by providing an analysis of current industry and employment trends, emerging markets and opportunities, and an overview of Fremantle's local economy. From an area dominated by port-related industry only a decade ago, Fremantle is now home to a vibrant mix of education, professional services, retail and tourism businesses. It has seen strong support from all sectors of the community in recent years, with over AUS$110 million injected into development annually. Major developments continue to take place, and the local commercial sector is adapting well to the demands of new markets.

Bunbury
Located around 175-kilometres south of Perth, Bunbury is Western Australia's third-largest city, behind the state capital and Fremantle. The city itself is currently home to just over 32,000 people, although when the numbers living in the Greater Bunbury Region are taken into account the population swells to closer to 60,000.

In recent years Emigrate Australia has heard from a number of British familes who have settled in this city, often deeming it to be an ideal alternative to life in vibrant Perth.
With a more temperate climate than much of Western Oz (annual temperatures tend to average around the 16.5oC mark), Bunbury is also popular with those who want to escape the extreme heat of much of Western Oz. And Brits, it would seem, are not the only ones being tempted by life in Bunbury. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released earlier this year showed Bunbury to be Australia's fastest growing non-capital city during 2005–06, experiencing a population boom of 5.1 per cent. This boom has brought with it growing employment opporutnites in and around the city, and has helped to boost the region's economy, with economic output increasing from AUS$4.042 billion in 1997/98 to AUS$7.946 billion in 2005/06.

Broome
Maybe because it's a popular tourist destination, this town of around 15,000 is often mistaken for a bit of a 'Perth of the Top End', but this isn't exactly the case. At its heart, Broome is a small place and other than tourist resorts and the community that lives off the profit of them, going to Broome and expecting a thriving metropolis could leave you disappointed. 'Where the red desert meets the sea' is one of the slogans used to market Broome, and that's exactly the case. That said, however, if you go with eyes open in terms of lifestyle and ambiance, you could end up falling in love with the heady exotic landscapes and happy-go-lucky people.

Geraldton
Geraldton was proclaimed a city during Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's visit in April 1988. It's a flourishing little city with an almost perfect climate, boasting an average annual temperature of 24oC – its nickname, unsurprisingly, is sun city. The summers are warm and the winters are mild. The key cargo port of the region, Geraldton has some brilliant, white-sand beaches, warm, clear waters, and the fishing opportunities there border on the legendary. The area has excellent fishing and is particularly known for its export crayfish.

Other towns
Located 52 kilometres north of Geraldton, Northampton is a small and attractive town in undulating country on the edge of the wheat belt. A piece of living history, Northampton still bears the imprint of its convict settler past: deserted mines, a disused railway line and convict ruins stand testament to the hardships and varied fortunes of its pioneering ancestors, and make for an interesting ambiance. The town of Northampton was awarded historical town status by the National Trust of Australia in 1993.

Here's an interesting piece of trivia for you: Murchison in the central region of Western Oz, is the only Shire in Australia without a town. The settlement was proclaimed in July 1988 and houses the Shire. It's home to a Museum and a single business, the Murchisan Roadhouse and Caravan Park. Just north of Murchison is the shire of Mingenew. The name of the shire is derived either from 'Mininoo' meaning 'place of many waters' or 'Minyanoo', meaning 'place of many ants' – which makes quite a difference, when you think about it. Mingenew is a typical northern wheatbelt town with a railway line, a bulk handling wheat silo, a single pub which has motel-style accommodation, a couple of service stations and a caravan park.

Kalbarri, situated almost 600 kilometres north of Perth, is one of Western Australia's most popular holiday resorts, famous for its fishing, abseiling tours of the Kalbarri Gorges, pelican feeding and beautiful scenery. The town only has a small population, around 200 people, but this doesn't stop Aussies holidaying there, and who could blame them? Situated where the Murchison River flows into the Indian Ocean, it has the benefits of the calm waters of the estuary for swimming and water skiing. The environment is so important, in fact, most of the property you'll find in this town is vastly more considered than elsewhere. Real Estate companies, the most well-known being one called Kilbarri Vision, specialise in the kind of eco-friendly homes that blend into the hauntingly beautiful surroundings yet don't impact on the bank balance too much.

Further north still, one of the amazing natural wonders of the world is to be found at Shark Bay's World Heritage and Marine Park. The Shark Bay World Heritage area is home to one of the world's last surviving great herds of Dugong (a large marine mammal), while the dolphins of Monkey Mia have put Shark Bay on the map as a holiday destination. Again, don't expect big numbers of people, the resident population currently hovers at around 1,000, but tourism swells the numbers to 18,000 at certain times of the year and this figure is rising annually. Most people who live in Shark Bay settle in Denham, or the delightfully named town of Useless Loop.

Just outside the Shark Bay area, the town of Carnarvon is situated at the mouth of the Gascoyne River. This coastal town has an important fishing industry which supplies fresh seafood year round. It's the largest of the region's settlements with a population of around 6,700 (again that soars during the winter tourist season), but you're still likely to find more stretches of road that have more cows wandering around on them than the average Indian street. The town has a family-friendly feel, and a strong sense of community. Economically, Carnarvon has been the star performer in the West Coast region.

Subscibe to Emigrate Australia. Read more ...

Search EmiLinks for hundreds of web sites in Western Australia

05 September 2007

Back to results