Business categories in Roebourne, WA
Welcome to Roebourne, WA
This small town used to be the largest settlement between Darwin and Perth. Now it has a population of 850 people.
History
The former gold rush town is 1,500 kilometres away from the state capital in Perth.
The area was first explored in the 1860s. The European settlers hired local Aboriginal people to work on their land as shepherds, labourers and sheep shearers.
A store and church were set up in the 1860s when the population grew to 200 people. By the 1870s and 1880s this number grew again with people attracted to gold in the area.
The town was named after the first Surveyor General of WA, John Septimus Roe.
Lifestyle and Entertainment
Aboriginal people in the area were subject to strict controls and curfews, as recently as the 1960s. The town has become notorious for struggles between the Indigenous peoples and local police.
The town caters to a lot of passing traffic, and acts as a gateway to many national parks.
