Fires Across Northwest Australia
Fires haven’t abated in northwest and central Australia. This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer image was captured by the Aqua satellite on October 16, 2002. Active fires are indicated by red dots. Burn scars appear deep reddish brown.
The North West, North West Coast, North Western Australia and North West Australia. Also are usually informal names for the northern regions of the State of Western Australia. However, some conceptions of “North West Australia” have included adjoining parts of the Northern Territory. (NT) – or even the entire NT.
Major offshore islands include Barrow Island, Monte Bello Islands and the Dampier Archipelago.
Apart from land areas, the term “North West” is also used for seabed oil and gas fields of the North West Shelf.
The whole area north of the Murchison River was designated the North District by land regulations. And gazetted in 1862 by the government of the Colony of Western Australia. From February 1865, the North District was officially administered. And done by a Government Resident, Robert John Sholl. Therefore initially based in Camden Harbour, then moved to Roebourne in November 1865.
The official North-West Land Division, created in 1887. The North-West Land Division, created by legislation in 1887, includes only the western Pilbara. Also northern Gascoyne and part of the Mid West, but not the Kimberley. And thereby excluding many areas usually encompassed by popular definitions.
Western Australian law, state government policy and popular culture sometimes creates exceptions for the area “north of the 26th parallel. For instance, a Western Australian Government Tourist Bureau publication. And The North West of Western Australia (1963) both uses the 26th Parallel as a boundary and delineates smaller regions: the Gascoyne, the “De Grey and Fortescue.
Credit: Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
