About Northam

Northam, the major town of the Avon Valley,  is WA's largest inland town and the commercial hub for the areas rich farmlands.  
  
Located just over one hours drive from Perth on the Great Eastern Highway, Northam makes a perfect day trip, weekender or central base from which to explore the valley. The Avon River flows through the town and is fringed by soft grassy banks and shady trees - providing numerous picturesque spots where you can relax, stretch out and enjoy the sights and sounds of the river. The river is also home to an abundance of bird life including the unique and much revered White Swans. Spanning the river, Northams pedestrian suspension bridge is the longest of its kind in Australia and makes an ideal spot from which to view and photograph the swans. 

The Avon Valley Visitor Centre is ideally placed to take advantage of this beautiful setting. It houses the Visitor Information Centre, a cafe with alfresco dining and a permanent exhibition "A Sense of Place" .  There are extensive public amenities including showers and a parents room, all with access for the disabled.

POPULATION: Approximately 10 500. Town of Northam 7000. Shire of Northam 3500. 

Please visit the Shire of Northam Web Site for other related points of interest in Northam.

HISTORY: Northams humble beginnings in 1836 as a relatively small agricultural village was transformed into a substantial town occurred during the Premiership of Sir John Forrest in the 1890s. In December 1891 in preference to York and Beverley, Northam was chosen as the point of departure for the rail to the Goldfields assuring its development as a service centre and the gateway to the east. Today it is the largest inland town in Western Australia. 

LOCATION: On the Avon River just 98kms from Perth, Northam is the commercial centre for the surrounding agricultural district and offers excellent facilities including banks, supermarkets, car repairs, accommodation, restaurants, shopping and modern medical facilities.

CLIMATE: Northam has a mild winter temperature averaging between 15-25C with summer temperatures averaging the mid 30sC, however during the summer temperatures can reach the high 30s. The average rainfall is approx 430mm with most of the rain falling during June and July.

TRANSPORT: Getting to Northam is easy: By car along the Great Eastern Highway from Perth and Kalgoorlie. By rail on TransWA Avonlink and Prospector from Perth or Kalgoorlie or Australian National Railways Indian Pacific from Sydney and Adelaide with links to Melbourne, Brisbane and Darwin. By  coach from any major City in Australia. Once in Northam hire cars are available.