Karratha City Complex

Karratha
Modern and expensive town catering for mine workers in the Pilbara.
Located 1557 km north of Perth, on Nickol Bay, Karratha is a modern town providing accommodation and services for the employees of Hamersley Iron, Robe River Associates, the Dampier Salt Company and the workers on the North West Shelf Gas and Petroleum project.

The Karratha area was first settled as a result of F. W. Gregory's glowing reports about the pastoral potential of the Pilbara. In 1866 Dr Baynton and Harry Whittal-Venn established Karratha Station. The name 'Karratha' supposedly meant 'good country' in the language of the local Aborigines. The station continued to operate under Baynton and Whittal-Venn until 1879.

The modern, rather soulless town of Karratha, was planned and constructed in 1968-9 as a joint State government - Hamersley Iron project to meet the expanding accommodation needs of the mining company.

The township of Dampier, which was serving the needs Hamersley Iron and housing the people employed at the port facilities, was restricted in its ability to grow and consequently Karratha was developed on Nickol Bay. By 1973 Dampier had reached its growth capacity.

As it grew the other major mining company, Robe River Iron Associates, invested money in the town. Today it is home to over 7000 people and, as the population continues to increase, the town has taken on a life of its own and the number of service industries continues to grow. It is the only town in the north west to have a major industrial estate servicing the needs of the community. It is planned that the town will eventually house over 30 000 people. Inevitably the administrative functions of the Pilbara have all been moved to the town.

St Pauls Roman Catholic Church

It has simply outgrown its 'company town' status and now is the largest and most important centre in the Pilbara.

It is an 'open town' providing a variety of accommodation (albeit very over-priced) for visitors and purporting to have some attractions which go beyond the mining industry.

Things to see:  

Karratha Visitor Centre
Located on Karratha Road, the centre is usually open on weekdays from 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.and, on weekends and public holidays, from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. However, from December to March, the hours are restricted to 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9.00 a.m. to midday, tel: (08) 9144 4600; fax: (08) 9144 4620, and email: info@tourist.karratha.com

Jaburara Heritage Trail
Visitors to the town who are interested in the Aboriginal history of the area should obtain a copy of the Jaburara Heritage Trail booklet (available from the Karratha Community Library or Karratha Tourist Information Centre) which details a 3.5 km walk around the town stopping at Aboriginal carvings, old quarries and shell middens. It is worth recalling that only the Aborigines have lived in this area with any success. The early Europeans left it as quickly as possible and today it is only air-conditioning and swimming pools which make the harshness of the environment bearable.

Fenaclng Festival
Each year in August Karratha holds a Fenaclng Festival. This is not a creation of Fred Dagg but rather, reflecting the mining background of the region, an acronym of the chemical symbols for iron (Fe), salt (NaCL) and the abbreviation for liquefied natural gas (LNG). A fundraiser, the festival is a popular community event.

	Tourist Information
	Karratha Tourist Bureau Karratha Rd P.O. Box 1234 Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9144 4600 Facsimile: (08) 9144 4620
	Hotels
	Karratha International Hotel Cnr Millstream & Hillview Rds Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9185 3111 or 1800 099 801 Facsimile: (08) 9185 4472 Rating: ****
	Mercure Inn Karratha Searipple Rd Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08)9185 1155, 1800 642 244 Facsimile: (08) 9185 4325 Rating: ***
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Delilah's Bed & Breakfast 303 Meares Dve Point Samson Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9187 1471 or 1407 992 656 Facsimile: (08) 9187 1596
	Lodges & Chalets
	Point Samson Lodge Point Samson Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9187 1052 Facsimile: (08) 9187 1603 Email: pslodge@kisser.net.au
	Caravan Parks
	Karratha Caravan Park Mooligunn Rd Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9185 1012 Rating: **
	Pilbara Holiday Park Rosemary Rd Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9185 1855 Facsimile: (08) 9144 1243 Rating: ***
	Point Samson Caravan Park Point Samson Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9187 1414
	Balmoral Road Caravan Park Balmoral Rd Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9185 3628 Facsimile: (08) 9144 1243 Rating: ***
	Restaurants
	Karratha Chinese Garden Restaurant Karratha Shopping Cntr Welcome Rd Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9185 2469
	Karratha International Hotel Millstream Rd Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9185 1333
	Karratha Tavern Bond Pl. Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9144 4641
	Mercure Inn Karratha Searipple Rd Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08)9185 1155, 1800 642 244 Facsimile: (08) 9185 4325
	Moby's Kitchen Point Samson Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9187 1052 Facsimile: (08) 9187 1603 Email: pslodge@kisser.net.au
	Moby's Kitchen Point Samson Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9187 1052 Facsimile: (08) 9187 1603 Email: pslodge@kisser.net.au
	Paradiso Pizza Shop 68 Karratha City Shopping Cntr Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9144 4177
	Point Samson Lodge Point Samson Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9187 1052 Facsimile: (08) 9187 1603 Email: pslodge@kisser.net.au
	Shell Roadhouse Searipple Rd Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9185 1558
	Trawlers Restaurant 1955 Warrambie Rd Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9144 1113
	Trawlers Tavern Point Samson Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9187 1414
	Universal Chinese Restaurant Balmoral Rd Karratha WA 6714 Telephone: (08) 9185 4333