Carnarvon

Coastal town in Western Australia, 902 km/560 mi north of Perth; population (1996) 6,400. Farming in the area includes the production of bananas, beans, melons, pineapples, tomatoes, sheep, and cattle. A whaling station operated between 1950 and 1952, and fishing remains an important local industry. Between 1964 and 1974, NASA operated a space vehicle tracking station in the town. Carnarvon has become an important base for satellite communications. Tourism has also been important since the 1970s and the town is a popular destination for recreational fishing and watersports.

The town was named after Lord Carnarvon, British secretary for colonies 1866–74. The district around Carnarvon was explored in the 1830s, although the area was first settled in 1876 when 4,000 sheep from York were driven into the region to establish farming. The townsite emerged in the 1880s as a service centre for the pastoral industry and was proclaimed a town in 1886. In 1920 a government research centre was established to assist the development of a banana industry. Large areas of agricultural land were made available to returned soldiers after World War II.