|
Statistics
|
Km from Perth |
1553 |
|
Population |
2400 |
|
Rainfall |
330mm |
|
Max Temp |
46.7C |
|
Min Temp |
0C |
|
Autogas |
Available |
|
Telecentre |
|
Caravan Parks
Tom
Price 08 9189 1515
Services
|
Police |
08
9189 1344 |
|
Hospital |
08
9159 5222 |
|
Fire |
08
9143 3332 |
|
SES |
08
9189 1712 |
|
RAC |
08
9189 1400 |
|
Tourist bureau |
08
9188 1112 |
Attractions
Mount Nameless,
Karijini' Kings
lake, Mine site tours.
Buildings of note
Unknown
Calendar of events
September: Nameless festival. October:
Picnic day.
(C)
gladysclancy
|
Description
In 1952
Langley Hancock flew over the area and
saw places where large deposits of iron ore were located. After surveying
the area, Hamersley Iron was founded and the richest deposit of iron ore in
the world has since been mined there.
Construction of the first 250 houses in what was to become the town of Tom
Price commenced in 1965.
As the town is sometimes subject to cyclonic conditions the houses are built
to cyclone proof standards and may be offered to Hamersley Iron employees
for purchase when they are first employed by the company.
There are now over 1200 homes in the town accommodating some 3500 residents.
Located at the edge of the Hamersley Ranges, 747 metres above sea level. Tom
Price is the highest town in Western Australia.
The town of Tom Price (gazetted in 1964) was named after
Thomas Moore Price,
an American raw minerals surveyor and Vice President of Kaiser Steel, who was involved in
early feasibility studies.
After viewing some of the ore deposits, Tom Price is reported to have said:
‘God made men out of a bit of dust and if you cannot make some money out of
the mountains of ore I have seen so far, then our very God would have wasted
his time.’
An enthusiastic supporter of plans to develop the vast iron ore deposits of
the Pilbara, he played a key role in the establishment of the industry which
has seen enormous benefits to the state and nation including thousands of
jobs and the construction of towns like the one that bears his name. (Tom
Price died one day after Burns and Whitcher made the discovery of the major
ore body.)
When the ore body was first located there was some consternation as it lay
some 40 kilometres outside the temporary mining reserve held by C.R.A. but
only 1 kilometre from a temporary reserve that had been held by B.H.P. (a
competitor.)
Often described as an oasis in the desert, Tom Price has a modern shopping
centre. The town was judged overall state winner of the Tidy Towns
Competition in 1977, 1988 and 1992. It was also placed either first or
second in its category in 1980, 1983, 1989, 1991 and 1993.
Sporting facilities in the town are excellent and cater for a wide range of
sports. There are tennis, basketball, net ball and squash courts, as well as
three ovals, a lawn bowls green, an indoor cricket centre, a swimming pool
and a golf course.
During the summer months (wet season) it is hot with mostly clear days and
an average temperature of 35C. The highest recorded temperature in Tom Price
was 46.7C, but it can be much higher in the full sun and workers on rail
maintenance and road construction are one group who often experience 50C.
plus.
The annual average rainfall is 330 mm, but more may be experienced depending
on the cyclone pattern during the wet season.
Winter months are very pleasant with daytime temperatures around 23C,
however the nights can be as low as 0C.
Tom Price is well catered for accommodation wise. Visitors can choose
between the hotel, the lodge or the caravan park.
Like Newman, Tom Price is a modern mining town,
not a quaint old fashioned town like many in the wheat belt and south west.
Most towns in the north west are relatively modern and lack the country
charm of older settlements.
One of the big attractions near Tom Price is the
Karijini National Park. This area is one of the most beautiful and
striking in Australia. Anyone who visits the north west and doesn't go to
Karijini hasn't seen anything.
Mount Nameless?
The oddly named Mount Nameless actually does have a name.
The Aborigines call it 'Jarndrunmunhna' and it is the highest mountain in
W.A. (1128 metres) to have vehicle access. There is also a walk trail
starting at the caravan park which takes about 2.5 hours to complete.
(Thanks
to:
Chantelle, Casual Records Officer, Tom Price. Who helped in compiling this
information.)
|
