Marble Bar

Marble Bar is a town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is known as "Australia's hottest town" because of the very high temperatures it often has.[1] The town is about 1,476 kilometers north of Perth, the state capital. It was a very important center for gold mining in the early 1900s.

The town's name comes from a nearby rock formation in the Coongan River. This formation looks like marble but is actually a type of jasper.

Marble Bar
Western Australia
Chinaman's Pool in 1976
Marble Bar
Coordinates21°10′12″S 119°44′49″E / 21.17000°S 119.74694°E / -21.17000; 119.74694
Population500
Established1893
Elevation178 m (584 ft)
Location
  • 1,476 km (917 mi) north east of Perth
  • 152 km (94 mi) south east of Port Hedland
  • 242 km (150 mi) north of Newman
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
35.3 °C
96 °F
19.9 °C
68 °F
361.7 mm
14.2 in


History

Gold was found near Marble Bar in 1890. This led to a gold rush, and many people moved to the area. The town was officially created in 1893. At its busiest time, over 5,000 people lived there.

Marble Bar was a very important place in the Pilbara region a long time ago, even before other towns like Port Hedland and Karratha were built.

The town experienced a famous heatwave. From October 1923 to April 1924, the temperature stayed above 100 °F (37.8 °C) for 160 days in a row. This is a world record.

Geography

Marble Bar has a hot desert climate. Summers are very hot, and winters are warm. Most rain falls in the summer.

The town is located on the Coongan River, which often forms pools during dry times.

Demographics

The population of Marble Bar is around 500 people. The traditional owners of the land are the Nyamal people.

  1. "Hottest places by maximum mean temperature in Australia". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 3 August 2018.