Wheatbelt region

Located: North of Perth
Population: 72,282 ABS
Main employment sources:  Mining, agriculture
Main towns: Northam, Narrogin, Merredin and Moora
Location: Northam is 95.76 km / 1 hour 10 mins north-east of Perth

Overview
Also called the "Heartlands" the diverse terrain of the WA's Wheatbelt supports mining and tourism as well as wheat and crop farming. The population is widely dispersed - only a quarter of its 72,000 citizens live in the main towns of Northam, Moora, Narrogin and Merredin.

The physical environment of the Wheatbelt includes 150km of pristine coastline, expanding from Guilderton to Jurien Bay. Closer to Perth and around the Avon region the lands are lush. The areas to the East are rich in minerals, including, gold, nickel and iron ore, while the remainder of the region is mostly agricultural.

The region has well-developed transport links. Most of WA's major highways and rail routes to Perth pass through the Wheatbelt and 35 per cent of WA's roads are located within the Wheatbelt. Daily passenger rail services operate on the main east-west line as well as a variety of passenger road coach services.

An expat's view

When Rhonda Ratcliffe moved to Cunderdin from the Lake District in the North England, she had no problem fitting into the community. Like areas of the Lake District, Cunderdin has a small rural population of less than 1500 people and is very scattered, with a strong community focus.

However, WA is so much larger than England and so a neighbour in the Wheatbelt is not "next door".

"Only a certain type of person can survive in this environment. You have to be resilient and adaptable," Rhonda told CareerOne.com.au.

"Whatever you try to do is not easy and quite often you have to go to Perth to get things done," she said referring to the sort of domestic tasks that are no challenge to those living in a city.

Rhonda moved to Cunderdin after her husband started working there two years ago. It takes her 50 minutes to drive to work at Radio West in Northam but she would rather live and work within the Wheatbelt than live in Perth.

"In the few years I've been here, I've see a lot of people moving in. People are coming from Perth because the cost of housing here is at least half the price of many Perth suburbs," Rhonda said.

Employment
Although crop farming is the dominant industry in the Wheatbelt it is also home to world exporters including aqua culture and furniture makers. Cambinata Yabbies operate hundreds of farms and export to the US, Asia and Europe. Jarrah World in Narrogin that uses recycled timbers to make cabinet, chairs and other furniture. It's high end products are exported to the US. Employment is also generated by tourism, local government, retail and mining.
 
Education

The region has extensive educational services including several tertiary institutions such as the C Y O'Connor College of TAFE, Curtin University's Muresk Institute of Agriculture and the Western Australian College of Agriculture - Cunderdin

Things to do and see
The Wheatbelt is the "face of rural life" in Western Australia and is rich in history and scenic beauty.

Its key attractions include:  

The Pinnacles Desert in Nambung National Park.

Located near the coastal township of Cervantes, the Pinnacles Desert covers an area of approximately 404 hectares. The Pinnacles are thousands of limestone pillars up to 4m tall that rise out of a stark landscape of yellow sand.

New Norcia

Australia's only monastic town, New Norcia is the home of a community of Benedictine monks who own and operate the town. New Norcia is registered on the National Estate and features a museum and impressive art gallery.

Avon Valley

An hour's drive from Perth, the Avon Valley features the towns of Toodyay, Northam, York and
Beverley and offers a range of holiday activities from historic sightseeing to hot-air ballooning.

Wave Rock

Towering 15 metres high and over 2,700 million years old, Wave Rock is located near Hyden, 350 km east of Perth.

For more information about the Wheatbelt you can refer to the following publications:

Living in the Regions, The Wheatbelt Report
Wheatbelt Economic Perspective