The Shire of Northam is located in the Wheatbelt district of Western Australia and includes the townsites of Wundowie Bakers Hill Clackline Spencers Brook Northam and Grass Valley. It covers 1 443 sq km and has a population of around 10 500 of which the majority (65%) reside in Northam with Wundowie and Bakers Hill also being significant population centres.
Whilst historically being considered to have a mono-economy based on agriculture the Shire’s economic base is diversifying and includes tourism retail manufacturing light industrial and mineral resources as well as an expanding service industry.
Northam is the regional centre and was declared a SuperTown by the Western Australian Government in 2011. It is anticipated that the SuperTown initiative will add to the significant population growth that is already occurring in the Shire with predictions that the Northam townsite population will grow from 7 000 to over 20 000 in the coming 20 years.
