Meekatharra Western Australia | |||||||||
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Coordinates | 26°35′37″S 118°29′43″E / 26.59361°S 118.49528°E | ||||||||
Population | 675 (UCL 2021)[1] | ||||||||
Postcode(s) | 6642 | ||||||||
Elevation | 517 m (1,696 ft) | ||||||||
Area | 26,588.7 km2 (10,266.0 sq mi) | ||||||||
Location | |||||||||
LGA(s) | Shire of Meekatharra | ||||||||
State electorate(s) | North West | ||||||||
Federal division(s) | Durack | ||||||||
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Meekatharra is a town in the Mid West region of Western Australia. Meekatharra is a Yamatji word meaning "place of little water". At the 2016 census, Meekatharra had a population of 708, with 34.0% being of Aboriginal descent.[2]
Meekatharra is a major supply centre for the pastoral and mining area in the Murchison region of Western Australia. It is located 764 km (475 mi) north-east of Perth and may be reached by the Great Northern Highway. It is a centre for sheep and cattle transshipment, initially by rail but now by road trains. It is also a regional home to the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the School of the Air. No viable horticultural industry exists in the area[citation needed], although extensive but poor cattle stations in the Murchison and Gascoyne exist.