Cervantes, Western Australia

Town in Western Australia

30°30′00″S 115°03′58″E / 30.5°S 115.066°E / -30.5; 115.066Population480 (SAL 2021)^[1]^[2]Established1962Postcode(s)6511Area9.8 km² (3.8 sq mi)Location

198 km (123 mi) NNW of Perth
227 km (141 mi) SSE of Geraldton
24 km (15 mi) S of Jurien Bay

LGA(s)Shire of DandaraganState electorate(s)Moore Federal division(s)Durack

Cervantes is a town in Western Australia located about 198 kilometres (123 mi) north-north-west of the state capital, Perth, in the Shire of Dandaragan local government area. At the 2016 census, Cervantes had a population of 527.^[3] The town was named after a ship that was wrecked nearby. The ship, in turn, was named after Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote.

The principal industry in the town is fishing. The Pinnacles are nearby in Nambung National Park which supports a small tourism industry. The saline Lake Thetis, which contains stromatolites, is nearby.

An arts festival is held every year in the town, usually on the last weekend of October. Cervantes lies on the shore of the Jurien Bay Marine Park.^[4]

Most of the streets are named after cities, regions and rivers in Spain.

References

^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Cervantes (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Cervantes (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021.
^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Cervantes (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
^ Department of Fisheries site on Jurien Bay Marine Park Archived March 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine