Wickham, Western Australia
History
Wickham was established in 1970 by Cliffs Robe River Iron Associates (Robe) and named after John Clements Wickham, the captain of HMS Beagle, who surveyed the north-west coast in 1840.
The town's first permanent buildings were completed in 1970 by Robe to support its iron-ore mine at Pannawonica, and pelletising plant and shiploading at Cape Lambert. The majority of the residences and facilities in town are owned by Rio Tinto. Wickham was originally a closed company town but from 1980 has been jointly administered by Robe and the Shire of Roebourne. In August 2000 Rio Tinto acquired a majority interest in the Robe River Iron Associates joint venture and in 2012 established a new Wickham South subdivision that included 212 new dwellings, 25 residential lots, and 198 new FIFO accommodation units.
Notable people
- Amber Bradley, rower
- Don Fergusson, rower and police officer
- Tanya Oxtoby, soccer coach and former player
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Wickham (urban centre and locality)". Australian Census 2021.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Wickham (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- ^ Reay, Justin. "Voyage of the Beagle to Western Australia 1837-43 and her commanders' knowledge of two VOC wrecks" (PDF). Western Australian Museum. Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Maritime Museum. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- ^ Latimer, Cole (18 April 2012). "Rio announces massive Wickham expansion". Australian Mining. Retrieved 5 May 2019.