16 Facts About Pilbara

Pilbara is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia.

The Pilbara Creek is a tributary of the Yule River, a significant river in the region.

Pilbara Goldfield, discovered in 1885, was named after the creek, and the name later became associated with the region.

Mining in the region started on 1 October 1888, when the Pilbara Goldfield was officially declared – named after a local creek, the goldfield would later give its name to the region as a whole.

Rock art in the Pilbara appears to have been primarily etched into the hard rock surfaces, compared to predominantly paintings on the softer sandstone in the Kimberley.

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Family clans in the Pilbara who were supported by mining prospector, Don McLeod, developed skills for mining and the concentration of rare metals.

At the McClelland Royal Commission into British nuclear testing, Aboriginals from the Pilbara provided evidence regarding the explosion on the Montebello Islands.

Under the Regional Development Commissions Act Pilbara is situated south of the Kimberley, and is made up of the local government areas of Shire of Ashburton, Shire of East Pilbara, City of Karratha and Town of Port Hedland.

Pilbara contains some of the world's oldest surface rocks, including the ancient fossilised remains known as stromatolites and rocks such as granites that are more than three billion years old.

Pilbara's economy is dominated by mining exports and petroleum export industries.

The Pilbara has one of the world's major manganese mines, Woodie Woodie, situated 400 kilometres southeast of Port Hedland.

Significant part of Pilbara's economy is based on liquified natural gas through the North West Shelf Venture and Pluto LNG plant, both operated by Woodside.

Dominant flora of the Pilbara is acacia trees and shrubs and drought-resistant Triodia spinifex grasses.

Several species of acacia trees are endemic to the Pilbara and are the focus of conservation programs, along with wildflowers and other local specialities.

Pilbara is home to a wide variety of endemic species adapted to this tough environment.

Wildlife has been damaged by the extraction of iron, natural gas and asbestos, but the protection of culturally and environmentally sensitive areas of the Pilbara is enhanced by the delineation of several protected areas, including the Millstream-Chichester and the Karijini National Parks.