Meekatharra Tourism & Travel
Meekatharra is located 764 km northeast of Perth, it is now the centre of a vast mining and pastoral region.
Meekatharra owes its existence to the discovery of gold in the area, in the 1880s.Meekatharra is believed to be an Aboriginal word meaning ' place of little water', which is an apt description for Meekatharra, the township sitting on the edge of a desert.Meekatharra became the railhead at the end of the Canning Stock Route. The Canning Stock Route is a vast and important series of 54 wells, stretching along the cattle trail, from the East Kimberley's to the Murchison. The Canning Stock Route was vital to the growth of the remote Kimberley. The Canning Stock Route is through seriously remote regions, and is traversable only by experienced and well-prepared 4Wdrivers.
5 km north of Meekatharra, off the Gascoyne Junction Road, are Peace Gorge and The Granites, an interesting area of rock formations. The Old Meekatharra Courthouse is National Trust building and the Meekatharra Museum has an interesting display of local memorabilia. Some156 kilometres from Meekatharra on the Gascoyne Junction Road, you can see the remains of the first police station in the Murchison. Originally built around 1897 the station was restored in 1987 by the National Trust. The chains used to hold prisoners are still intact.The Royal Flying Doctor Service operates an important base at Meekatharra, as does the School of the Air where you can experience schooling outback-style.