Shire of Northampton
The Shire of Northampton is a local government area in the Mid West region of Western Australia, about north of Geraldton and about north of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of government is the town of Northampton, with the largest settlement being Kalbarri. The shire includes the Houtman Abrolhos, a chain of islands off the coast of Western Australia, as well as the Principality of Hutt River, a micronation which has no recognition by the state or federal governments. History. The Mines Road District was constituted on 25 January  1871 under the "Road Boards Act 1871". It was renamed the Northampton Road District on 10 February 1887. On 1 July 1961, it became a shire following the passage of the "Local Government Act 1960", which reformed all remaining road districts into shires. Wards. The Shire is divided into six wards, most of which elect one councillor: Prior to May 2003, the Coastal Ward was known as the Horrocks Ward, the Kalbarri Ward had three councillors and all the others had two councillors. Population. The population of the Shire of Northampton as at the 2006 census was 3,204 (Usual Residents ) or 4,085 (Place of Enumeration). The disparity is due to holiday accommodation in Kalbarri being picked up in the latter count. Heritage-listed places. As of 2021, 223 places are heritage-listed in the Shire of Northampton, of which 30 are on the State Register of Heritage Places, among them the Lynton Convict Hiring Depot.