Peel
Western Australia
Peel is located in Western Australia
Peel
Peel
Coordinates32°31′47″S 115°43′30″E / 32.52972°S 115.72500°E / -32.52972; 115.72500[1]
Population142,960 (2019)[3]
 • Density25.9159/km2 (67.1219/sq mi)
Area5,516.3 km2 (2,129.9 sq mi)[3]
LGA(s)
State electorate(s)
Federal division(s)Canning

The Peel region is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located on the west coast of Western Australia, about 75 km (47 mi) south of the state capital, Perth. It consists of the City of Mandurah, and the Shires of Boddington, Murray, Serpentine-Jarrahdale and Waroona.

It has a total area of 6,648 km².[4] In 2017, Peel had a population of 136,854, of which over sixty percent lived in Mandurah.[5] In June 2019 the total population for the constituent LGAs was 142,960[3] within an area of 5516.3 sq km.[3]

History

Before European settlement, the Peel region was inhabited by Indigenous Australians, specifically the Pindjarup dialect group of the Noongar people. Shortly after the establishment of the Swan River Colony in 1829, part of the northern coastal area of the Peel region was settled under a program known as the Peel Settlement Scheme, organised by Thomas Peel. However the scheme was poorly administered, and many settlers died of malnutrition in the first few months. The surviving settlers abandoned the area, with some moving inland where they found fertile soil.

In 1846, Western Australia's first mining operation was established at Yarrabah (near present-day Mundijong), mining lead, silver and zinc. The Jarrahdale timber mill, established in May 1872, became the state's largest timber operation, and led to the development of service centres for the timber industry along the Perth–Picton railway line at Mundijong, Waroona and Dwellingup. In recent times, the timber industry has declined, but the establishment of alumina refineries at Pinjarra and Wagerup, and gold mines at Boddington, have helped the local economy.

Economy

The economy of the Peel region is dominated by mining and mineral processing; the area has large reserves of bauxite, some gold and mineral sands, and an aluminium refinery. Other important economic sectors include agriculture and a substantial equine industry.

Name controversy

The region is named after Thomas Peel, a British settler in Australia who was involved in the Pinjarra massacre of Aboriginal Binjareb people. On 2017, a campaign to change the name of the region was launched. It received the backing of MP for Murray-Wellington Robyn Clarke.[6][7] The campaign was rejected by the premier of Western Australia Mark McGowan in 25 October 2017.[8]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "Place Name Search: Peel Region". Gazetteer of Australia Place Name Search. Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia). 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  2. "Place Name Search: Peel Region". Gazetteer of Australia Place Name Search. Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia). 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area, 2018 to 2019". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 25 March 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2019.
  4. ↑ Compare: Peel - the developing region : Peel Region profile, 1991. Mandurah, W.A : South West Development Authority, 1991. http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b1526662~S2 Archived 28 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine with Urban growth monitor : Perth metropolitan, Peel and Greater Bunbury regions : Urban Development Program. Perth, W.A. : Western Australian Planning Commission, 2010. ISBN 0-7309-9995-5 (pbk.) http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b2917368~S2 Archived 28 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine for the changes in 20 years in relation to growth and urban development
  5. ↑ "Peel Fast Facts" (PDF). peel.wa.gov.au. Peel Development Commission. November 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  6. ↑ Hondros, Nathan (25 October 2017). "MP backs campaign to change Peel region's 'disrespectful' name". WAtoday. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  7. ↑ "WA premier rejects Peel region name change". The West Australian. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  8. ↑ Hondros, Nathan (26 October 2017). "'I'm not into changing the names of regions': Premier rejects Peel name change". WAtoday. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
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