Gascoyne region of Western Australia
The Gascoyne has a moderate arid tropical climate. It is generally warm all year round, with mean maximum daily temperatures ranging from 22°C (72°F) in July to 35°C (95°F) in January. The region receives about 320 days of sunshine per year. Annual rainfall is low and variable, averaging about 200 mm (8 in), most of which occurs as a result of cyclonic activity. Because of the semi-arid climate, most of the Gascoyne is covered in scrub, primarily Spinifex and Mulga, with very little tree cover.
The Gascoyne has a diverse economy. Tourism is a major industry, due to the warm, dry climate and the long coastline, which includes the Ningaloo Reef and the World Heritage listed nature reserve at Shark Bay. Pastoralism is another important industry, and represents the region's main land use: 84% of the Gascoyne's land area is covered by pastoral leases. The Gascoyne also has a substantial mining sector, mainly based on extraction of salt and gypsum.
Before its discovery by Westerners, the Gascoyne had been home to Australian Aborigines for many thousands of years. The first known westerner to land in the region was Dirk Hartog in 1616; other early visitors include Willem Jansz, William Dampier, Nicolas Baudin, and Phillip King. In 1939, George Grey explored the area and gave the Gascoyne River its name. Shark Bay became the site of Australia's first pearling industry in the 1850s. In 1858 Francis Gregory explored the region and subsequently publicised it as highly suitable to pastoralism. Settlement began in the 1860s, and Carnarvon was gazetted in 1883.
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