Carnarvon, Western Australia

Carnarvon is a coastal town situated approximately 900 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia. It lies at the mouth of the Gascoyne River on the Indian Ocean. The town was founded in 1883, initially as a port and supply centre for the surrounding region,and is the administrative centre for the Carnarvon Shire, population 6622 (ABS estimate 2003).

Main industries of the area have included wool, agriculture, particularly fruit, and more recently, tourism. During the 1960s, NASA set up a tracking station nearby to support the Apollo space program. The tracking station was closed in the mid 1970s, however the site remains, and is now a tourist attraction in its own right.

The popular Shark Bay world heritage area lies to the south of the town.