Newman, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Newman, located about 1186 km north of Perth
and 9 km north of the Tropic of Capricorn
, is a town in the Pilbara
region. It can be reached by the Great Northern Highway
. With a population at the 2006 census
of 4,245, it is a modern mining town with suburban-style homes providing a stark contrast to the surrounding reddish arid desert area.
The Hickman Crater
sits 35 km to the north.
Newman was first set up as white only town and hence developed a negative image as a racist centre of intolerance. Aboriginal people were refused entry to the town facilities from its early days and this only changed in the 1990's. Today many positive signs of fair play, opportunity and tolerance do exist today. There remains much work to be done as the mining giant here makes massive profits from the local land.
Originally marginal cattle country, Newman was built in the 1960s by the Mount Newman Mining Company, with the discovery of rich iron deposits on nearby Mount Whaleback
. The discovery marked the start of the resource boom in Western Australia in the 1970s. The town takes its name from nearby Mount Newman, named in honour of A.W. Newman, an early explorer who died of typhoid just before reaching the area in 1896.
, was constructed linking it to Port Hedland
which itself was upgraded to handle shipment of the ore to the world market. On 21 June 2001 a train 7.353 km (4.6 mi) long, comprising 682 ore cars and eight locomotives made the Newman—Port Hedland trip and is listed as the world's longest train ever .
The ore trains are typically over 2 km long. Newman is also a service town to the nearby mining settlements like Tom Price
and Paraburdoo
.
The town is served by Newman Airport
.
halves inserted together into a steel I-section frame, the columns of which are left exposed on the exterior of the home. This construction method serves not only to showcase the company's product, but also gives strong resistance to cyclone
winds which can affect the region from time to time. For this same reason, most houses are elevated from the ground by a few steps. Many houses also have large air-conditioning units situated next to them to provide adequate cooling against the very hot summer temperatures.
and Baghdad
. The temperature reaches or exceeds over 38°C almost everyday in the summer. On January 15, 1998, the temperature reached an all-time recorded high of 47.0°C.
Precipitation
is sparse, but the influx of monsoonal moisture in the summer, which generally begins in December and lasts until March, raises humidity levels and can cause heavy precipitation. Winter months are mild to warm, with daily high temperatures ranging from the 20°C to 26°C (18-22°C), and low (nighttime) temperatures rarely dipping below 6°C.
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and 9 km north of the Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn
The Tropic of Capricorn, or Southern tropic, marks the most southerly latitude on the Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead. This event occurs at the December solstice, when the southern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun to its maximum extent.Tropic of Capricorn is one of the five...
, is a town in the Pilbara
Pilbara region of Western Australia
The Pilbara is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia known for its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore...
region. It can be reached by the Great Northern Highway
Great Northern Highway
The Great Northern Highway is a generally north-south Western Australian highway which links the state's capital Perth with its most northern port, Wyndham. It is in length, with being National Highway...
. With a population at the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
of 4,245, it is a modern mining town with suburban-style homes providing a stark contrast to the surrounding reddish arid desert area.
The Hickman Crater
Hickman Crater
The Hickman Crater is a newly discovered probable meteorite impact crater, 35 kilometres north of Newman, Western Australia in the Ophthalmia Range...
sits 35 km to the north.
History
Despite the "white settlers/invaders' lack of knowledge, interest and empathy for the Aboriginal (First Nations/ Indigenous)people who have lived here for more than 10,000 years (possibly 50,000) there exists today a thriving and challenged Aboriginal community.Newman was first set up as white only town and hence developed a negative image as a racist centre of intolerance. Aboriginal people were refused entry to the town facilities from its early days and this only changed in the 1990's. Today many positive signs of fair play, opportunity and tolerance do exist today. There remains much work to be done as the mining giant here makes massive profits from the local land.
Mount Whaleback mine
The Mount Whaleback mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 6 kilometres west of Newman.The mine is majority-owned and operated by BHP Billiton, and is one of seven iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara...
. The discovery marked the start of the resource boom in Western Australia in the 1970s. The town takes its name from nearby Mount Newman, named in honour of A.W. Newman, an early explorer who died of typhoid just before reaching the area in 1896.
Commercial area
Typical of company towns, Newman is laid out with a core, where shopping and hotels are located, surrounded by residential areas, with more industrial activities on the outskirts. There is one shopping mall in the town, two shopping plazas, three hotels, and three bars/restaurants outside of those contained in the hotels. One public outdoor pool serves the town's population.Transport
A privately-owned railway, the Mount Newman railwayMount Newman railway
The Mount Newman railway, owned and operated by BHP Billiton, is a private rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia for the purpose of carrying iron ore...
, was constructed linking it to Port Hedland
Port Hedland, Western Australia
Port Hedland is the highest tonnage port in Australia and largest town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with a population of approximately 14,000 ....
which itself was upgraded to handle shipment of the ore to the world market. On 21 June 2001 a train 7.353 km (4.6 mi) long, comprising 682 ore cars and eight locomotives made the Newman—Port Hedland trip and is listed as the world's longest train ever .
The ore trains are typically over 2 km long. Newman is also a service town to the nearby mining settlements like Tom Price
Tom Price, Western Australia
Tom Price, situated in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, is an industrial town. The town is located inland, at the edge of the Hamersley Range...
and Paraburdoo
Paraburdoo, Western Australia
Paraburdoo is a town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The name of the town comes from the Aboriginal word for 'white cockatoo'. It is located 1,536 kilometres north of Perth and 79 kilometres southwest of Tom Price. Paraburdoo was developed in the early 1970s to support Hamersley...
.
The town is served by Newman Airport
Newman Airport
Newman Airport is an airport near Newman, Western Australia. Situated 11 km from the town centre, it is the most ready form of transport between Perth and Newman....
.
Architecture
Being founded in the 1960s, Newman's architecture reflects the modernist styles of that decade and the next, being predominantly functional and devoid of detail or embellishment. As the town was founded and built by a steel company, the majority of buildings use a steel frame construction. This applies to the suburban style homes themselves, most of them being two prefabricatedPrefabrication
Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located...
halves inserted together into a steel I-section frame, the columns of which are left exposed on the exterior of the home. This construction method serves not only to showcase the company's product, but also gives strong resistance to cyclone
Cyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-scale...
winds which can affect the region from time to time. For this same reason, most houses are elevated from the ground by a few steps. Many houses also have large air-conditioning units situated next to them to provide adequate cooling against the very hot summer temperatures.
Climate
Newman has an arid climate, with very hot summers and mild winters. The average summer high temperature is one the hottest of any areas in Australia and approaches those of cities such as RiyadhRiyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
and Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. The temperature reaches or exceeds over 38°C almost everyday in the summer. On January 15, 1998, the temperature reached an all-time recorded high of 47.0°C.
Precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
is sparse, but the influx of monsoonal moisture in the summer, which generally begins in December and lasts until March, raises humidity levels and can cause heavy precipitation. Winter months are mild to warm, with daily high temperatures ranging from the 20°C to 26°C (18-22°C), and low (nighttime) temperatures rarely dipping below 6°C.
See also
- Pilbara historical timelinePilbara historical timelinePilbara historical timelineThis timeline is a detailed list of events and locations of the development of the Pilbara region of Western Australia.-References:* Hamersley Iron Diary titled Hamersley Iron. The Pilbara Flora Collection 1984...
- Pilbara newspapersPilbara newspapersPilbara newspapersThis is a selection of newspapers published in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.The rise and fall of some of the newspapers reflect the shifts and changes in population in various localities of the region as mining starts and moves through different zones, and also as some...
- Red Dog StoryRed Dog (Karratha)Red Dog was a Kelpie/cattle dog cross that was well-known for his travels through Western Australia's Pilbara region. There is a statue in his memory in Dampier, which is one of the towns to which he often returned...
Further reading
- Austin, Noel (1999) The Newman story, 1967-1969. Publication details not known - held at Battye library, Perth, Western Australia
- DuBois, Lesley et al. (1994) Moving a mountain: an historic illustrated and photographic study of the town of Newman. Perth, Western Australia: L. DuBois
- Eckhart, Peter (1996) Whaleback tales. Carlisle, Western Australia: Hesperian Press. ISBN 0859052303