Editing Pilbara

{{Short description|Region of Western Australia}}
{{For|the fly genus|Pilbara octava}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| name = Pilbara
| state = wa
| type = region
| image = {{maplink
|plain=yes
|frame=yes
|frame-width=300
|frame-height=300
|frame-align=center
|zoom=4
|frame-coord={{coord |-20.18 |118 }}

|from=Western Australian region - Pilbara.map
}}
| caption = Extent of Pilbara region
| coordinates = {{Coord|21|S|119|E|display=inline,title|source:dewiki}}
| lga = Shire of Ashburton
| lga2 = Shire of East Pilbara
| lga3 = City of Karratha
| lga4 = Town of Port Hedland
| stategov = [[Electoral district of Kimberley|Kimberley]]
| stategov2 = [[Electoral district of Pilbara|Pilbara]]
| fedgov = [[Division of Durack|Durack]]
}}
The '''Pilbara''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ɪ|l|b|ər|ə}}) is a large, dry, sparsely populated [[regions of Western Australia|region]] in the north of [[Western Australia]]. It is known for its [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal people]]; its ancient landscapes; the prevailing red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, in particular [[iron ore]]. It is also a global [[biodiversity hotspot]] for [[subterranean fauna]].<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://museum.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/WAM_Supp78(B)_HALSEetal%20pp443-483.pdf |title=Pilbara stygofauna: deep groundwater of an arid landscape contains globally significant radiation of biodiversity |journal=Records of the Western Australian Museum |volume=Supplement 78 |year=2014 |pages=443–483 |author1=S.A. Halse |author2=M.D. Scanlon |author3=J.S. Cocking |author4=H.J. Barron |author5=J.B. Richardson |author6=S.M. Eberhard |issue=2 |doi=10.18195/issn.0313-122x.78(2).2014.443-483 }}</ref>

==Definitions of the Pilbara region==
[[File:Pilbara 1.jpg|thumb|North of the Pilbara looking south at the range]]
At least two important but differing definitions of "the Pilbara" region exist. Administratively it is one of the nine regions of Western Australia defined by the ''[[Regional Development Commissions Act 1993]]''; the term also refers to the Pilbara shrublands [[bioregion]] (which differs in extent) under the [[Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia]] (IBRA).<ref name="IBRA 5.1">{{cite journal | author = Environment Australia | author-link = Environment Australia | title = Revision of the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) and Development of Version 5.1 – Summary Report | publisher = [[Department of the Environment and Water Resources]], [[Government of Australia|Australian Government]] | url = http://www.deh.gov.au/parks/nrs/ibra/version5-1/summary-report/index.html | access-date = 31 January 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060905215218/http://www.deh.gov.au/parks/nrs/ibra/version5-1/summary-report/index.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 5 September 2006}}</ref><ref name="IBRA 6.1">{{cite web |url=http://www.deh.gov.au/parks/nrs/ibra/version6-1/index.html |title=Australia's Biogeographical Regions - IBRA Version 6.1 |website=www.deh.gov.au |access-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060217234114/http://www.deh.gov.au/parks/nrs/ibra/version6-1/index.html |archive-date=17 February 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!rowwidth=100px colspan=5|IBRA regions and subregions: IBRA7
|-
!scope="col" width="250px"|IBRA region / subregion!!scope="col" width="100px"|IBRA code!!scope="col" width="250px"|Area!!scope="col" width="75px"|[[States and territories of Australia|States]] !! Location in Australia
|-
|'''[[Pilbara shrublands]]''' ||align="center"|'''PIL''' ||align="right"|'''{{convert|17823126|ha}}''' ||align="center" rowspan=5|WA ||align="center" rowspan=5 colspan=3|[[File:IBRA 6.1 Pilbara.png|100px]]
|-
|align="right"|[[Chichester (biogeographic subregion)|Chichester]]|| align="center" |PIL01 ||align="right"|{{convert|8374728|ha}}
|-
|align="right"|[[Fortescue (biogeographic subregion)|Fortescue]]|| align="center" |PIL02 ||align="right"|{{convert|1951435|ha}}
|-
|align="right"|[[Hamersley (biogeographic subregion)|Hamersley]]|| align="center" |PIL03 ||align="right"|{{convert|5634727|ha}}
|-
|align="right"|[[Roebourne (biogeographic subregion)|Roebourne]]|| align="center" |PIL04 ||align="right"|{{convert|1862236|ha}}
|}

==Geography==
[[File:Hamersley Range, Pilbara Region, Western Australia.JPG|thumb|[[Hamersley Range]]]]
[[File:Pilbara, EN.svg|thumb|400px|Map of Pilbara]]
The Pilbara region, as defined by the [[Regional Development Commissions Act 1993]] and administered for economic development purposes by the Pilbara Development Commission,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pdc.wa.gov.au/|title=Pilbara Development Commission|website=Pdc.wa.gov.au|access-date=28 June 2022}}</ref> has an estimated population of 61,688 {{As of|2018|06|lc=on}},<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/3218.0~2009-10~Main+Features~Western+Australia?OpenDocument|title=Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2009–10 – Western Australia|author=Australian Bureau of Statistics|date=31 March 2011|access-date=28 August 2011}}</ref><ref name="anrapil">{{cite web |url=http://www.anra.gov.au/topics/rangelands/overview/wa/ibra-pil.html |title=Rangelands – Overview – Pilbara |date=27 June 2009 |work=Australian Natural Resources Atlas |publisher=Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities |access-date=28 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822050139/http://www.anra.gov.au/topics/rangelands/overview/wa/ibra-pil.html |archive-date=22 August 2011  }}</ref> and covers an area of {{convert|507,896|sqkm|sqmi}}.<ref name="rdap">{{cite web |url=http://www.rdapilbara.org.au/the-pilbara.aspx |title=Regional Development Australia Pilbara |access-date=2 November 2020 }}</ref> It contains some of [[Oldest dated rocks|Earth's oldest rock formations]], and includes landscapes of coastal plains and mountain ranges with cliffs and gorges. The major settlements of the region are [[Port Hedland]], [[Karratha]] and [[Newman, Western Australia|Newman]]. The three main ports in this region are Port Hedland, [[Dampier, Western Australia|Dampier]] and [[Port Walcott]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Annual report 2015 – Pilbara ports authority|date=1 May 2016|publisher=PPA (Pilbara ports authority)|location=Port Hedland|url=https://www.pilbaraports.com.au/|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref>

Under the ''Regional Development Commissions Act'', Pilbara is situated south of the [[Kimberley region of Western Australia|Kimberley]], and comprises the [[Local Government Areas of Western Australia|local government areas]] of Shire of Ashburton, Shire of East Pilbara, City of Karratha, and Town of Port Hedland.

The Pilbara region covers an area of 507,896&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (193,826&nbsp;mi<sup>2</sup>) (including offshore islands), roughly the combined land area of the [[United States|US]] States of [[California]] and [[Indiana]].{{citation needed|date=August 2011}}  It has a population of more than 45,000,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cmewa.com/UserDir/CMEResources/100517-MPR-Pilbara%20demographic%20projections-April2010-v121.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=3 December 2011 |archive-date=1 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201082353/http://www.cmewa.com/UserDir/CMEResources/100517-MPR-Pilbara%20demographic%20projections-April2010-v121.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> most of whom live in the western third of the region, in towns such as [[Port Hedland]], [[Karratha]], [[Wickham, Western Australia|Wickham]], [[Newman, Western Australia|Newman]] and [[Marble Bar]].  A substantial number of people also work in the region on a [[fly-in fly-out|fly-in/fly-out]] basis.
There are approximately 10 major/medium population centres and more than 25 smaller ones.

[[File:Karijini8.jpg|thumb|left|Weano Gorge in Karijini National Park]]
The Pilbara consists of three distinct geographic areas.  The western third is the Roebourne coastal sandplain, which supports most of the region's population in towns and much of its industry and commerce.  The eastern third is almost entirely desert, and is sparsely populated by a small number of [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] people. The two areas are separated by the inland uplands of the [[Pilbara craton|Pilbara Craton]], including the predominant [[Hamersley Range]], which has numerous mining towns, the [[Chichester Range]], and others.{{Ambiguous|reason=Other what? |date=November 2024}} The uplands have many gorges and other natural attractions.

The Pilbara contains some of the world's oldest surface rocks, including the ancient fossilised remains known as [[stromatolites]] and rocks such as [[granite]]s that are more than three billion years old. In 2007, some of the oldest evidence of life on Earth was found in 3.4-billion-year-old sandstones at [[Strelley Pool]], which preserve fossils of [[sulfur|sulphur]]-processing bacteria.<ref name=sulphurbacteria>{{cite news | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14614832 | title = Fossil microbes give sulphur insight on ancient Earth | last = Amos | first = Jonathan |date = 22 August 2011 | work = [[BBC News]] | access-date = 22 August 2011}}</ref> The mineralised spheres, which were found on an ancient beach and have a cell-like [[morphology (biology)|morphology]], were chemically analysed, revealing that they used sulphur for fuel.<ref name="woff">{{Cite news |url=http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/08/worlds-oldest-fossils-found-in-a.html?ref=hp |title=World's Oldest Fossils Found in Ancient Australian Beach |author=Elizabeth Pennisi |author-link=Elizabeth Pennisi |access-date=5 September 2011 |date=21 August 2011 |work=[[ScienceNOW]] |publisher=[[American Association for the Advancement of Science]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107123219/http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/08/worlds-oldest-fossils-found-in-a.html?ref=hp |archive-date=7 November 2011  }}</ref>

An extinct genus of stromatolite-forming [[cyanobacteria]], ''[[Pilbaria]]'', was named after the region, where the [[Type (biology)|type specimen]] was found.<ref name="PALASS">{{Cite journal |last=M. R |first=Walter |year=1972 |title=Stromatolites and the biostratigraphy of the Australian Precambrian and Cambrian |url=https://www.palass.org/sites/default/files/media/publications/special_papers_in_palaeontology/number_11/spp11_pp1-190.pdf |journal=Special Papers in Palaentology |publisher=[[The Palaeontological Association]] |volume=11 |access-date=}}</ref>

===Urban centres and localities===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan=2 | Rank !! rowspan=2 | {{Abbr|UCL|Urban centres and localities}} !! rowspan=2 | LGA !! colspan="10" | Population
|-
! {{CensusAU|2001}}
!{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
! {{CensusAU|2006}}
!{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
! {{CensusAU|2011}}
!{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
! [[2016 Australian census|2016 census]]
!{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
! [[2021 Australian census|2021 census]]
!{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
|| 1 || [[Karratha]] || [[City of Karratha|Karratha]]|| align="right" |10,730 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL512800|link=yes}} ||align=right|11,728 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL512800|link=yes}} ||align=right|16,475  || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL513003|link=yes}} ||align=right|15,828 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL513003|link=yes}} ||align=right|17,013 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL513003|link=yes}}
|-
|| 2 || [[Port Hedland]] || [[Town of Port Hedland|Port Hedland]]|| align="right" |12,695 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL523600|link=yes}} || align="right" | 11,557 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL523600|link=yes}} || align="right" | 13,772 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL513004|link=yes}}  || align="right" |13,828 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL513004|link=yes}} || align="right" |15,298 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL513004|link=yes}}
|-
|| 3 || [[Newman, Western Australia|Newman]] || [[Shire of East Pilbara|East Pilbara]]|| align="right" |3,516 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL520800|link=yes}} || align="right" | 4,245 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL520800|link=yes}} || align="right" | 5,478 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL514004|link=yes}} || align="right" |4,567 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL515027|link=yes}} || align="right" |4,239 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL515028|link=yes}}
|-
|| 4 || [[Tom Price, Western Australia|Tom Price]] || [[Shire of Ashburton|Ashburton]]|| align="right" |3,095 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL526400|link=yes}} ||align=right| 2,721 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL526400|link=yes}} ||align=right| 3,134 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL515028|link=yes}} ||align=right|2,956 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL515031|link=yes}} ||align=right|2,874 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL515033|link=yes}}
|-
|| 5 || [[Wickham, Western Australia|Wickham]] || [[City of Karratha|Karratha]]|| align="right" |1,724 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL528400|link=yes}} || align="right" | 1,825 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL528400|link=yes}} || align="right" | 1,651 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL515032|link=yes}} || align="right" |1,572 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL515035|link=yes}} || align="right" |2,016 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL515037|link=yes}}
|-
|| 6 || [[Paraburdoo]] || [[Shire of Ashburton|Ashburton]]|| align="right" |1,202 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL522200|link=yes}} ||align=right| 1,607 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL522200|link=yes}} ||align=right| 1,509 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL515025|link=yes}} ||align=right|1,359 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL515028|link=yes}} ||align=right|1,319 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL515029|link=yes}}
|-
|| 7 || [[Dampier, Western Australia|Dampier]] || [[City of Karratha|Karratha]]|| align="right" | 1,469 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL506200|link=yes}} || align="right" | 1,370 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL506200|link=yes}} || align="right" | 1,341 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL515006|link=yes}} || align="right" |1,104 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL515008|link=yes}} || align="right" |1,282 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL515008|link=yes}}
|-
|| 8 || [[Onslow, Western Australia|Onslow]] || [[Shire of Ashburton|Ashburton]]|| align="right" |802 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL521800|link=yes}} || align="right" |576 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL521800|link=yes}} || align="right" |667 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL521046|link=yes}} || align="right" | 848 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL521047|link=yes}} || align="right" |813 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL521040|link=yes}}
|-
|| 9 || [[Roebourne]] || [[City of Karratha|Karratha]]|| align="right" |950 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL524800|link=yes}} || align="right" |857 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL524800|link=yes}} || align="right" |813 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL521051|link=yes}} || align="right" | 627 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL521052|link=yes}} || align="right" |700 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL521046|link=yes}}
|-
|| 10 || [[Pannawonica]] || [[Shire of Ashburton|Ashburton]]|| align="right" |618 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL522000|link=yes}} || align="right" |686 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL522000|link=yes}} || align="right" |651 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL521047|link=yes}} || align="right" |695 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL521048|link=yes}} || align="right" |685 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL521041|link=yes}}
|-
|| 11 || [[Jigalong]] || [[Shire of East Pilbara|East Pilbara]]|| align="right" |300 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL511900|link=yes}} || align="right" |273 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL511900|link=yes}} || align="right" |357 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL522028|link=yes}} || align="right" |333 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL522029|link=yes}} || align="right" |289 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL522031|link=yes}}
|-
|| 12 || [[Point Samson]] || [[City of Karratha|Karratha]]|| align="right" |322 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL523500|link=yes}} || align="right" |274 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL523500|link=yes}} || align="right" |298 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL522048|link=yes}} || align="right" |211 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL522051|link=yes}} || align="right" |235 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL522055|link=yes}}
|-
|| 13 || [[Kiwirrkurra]] || [[Shire of East Pilbara|East Pilbara]]||{{N/A}} || ||{{N/A}} || || align="right" |216 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL522031|link=yes}} || align="right" |165 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL522032|link=yes}} || align="right" |180 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL522034|link=yes}}
|-
|| 14 || [[Marble Bar]] || [[Shire of East Pilbara|East Pilbara]]|| align="right" |234 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL517200|link=yes}} || align="right" |194 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL517200|link=yes}} || align="right" |208 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL522039|link=yes}} || align="right" |174 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL522039|link=yes}} || align="right" |153 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL522044|link=yes}}
|-
|| 15 || [[Nullagine]] || [[Shire of East Pilbara|East Pilbara]]||{{N/A}} || ||{{N/A}} || || align="right" |178 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL522065|link=yes}} || align="right" |194 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL522047|link=yes}} || align="right" |147 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL522052|link=yes}}
|}

== Local government ==
The Pilbara region, under the Pilbara Development Commission, contains four [[Local government areas of Western Australia|local government areas]]:
{{Div col |colwidth=30em}}
*Ashburton{{snd}}[[Shire of Ashburton]]
*East Pilbara{{snd}}[[Shire of East Pilbara]]
*Karratha{{snd}}[[City of Karratha]]
*Port Hedland{{snd}}[[Town of Port Hedland]]
{{Div col end}}

==Etymology==
According to the Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre ''Wangka Maya'', the name for the Pilbara region derives from the Aboriginal word ''bilybara'', meaning "dry" in the [[Nyamal]] and [[Panyjima language|Banyjima]] languages.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6YdkAAAAMAAJ|title=Bilybara: The Aboriginal Languages of the Pilbara Region of Western Australia|first1=Janet|last1=Sharp|first2=Nick|last2=Thieberger|date=28 June 1992|publisher=Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre|isbn=9780646107110 |access-date=28 June 2022|via=Google Books}}</ref> Another suggested origin is ''pilbarra'', an Aboriginal word for the salt-water [[mullet (fish)|mullet]] found in local waters, reflected in the name of a tributary of the [[Yule River]], Pilbarra Creek, which evolved to "Pilbara" Creek.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.water.wa.gov.au/PublicationStore/first/90031.pdf|title=Fishes in groundwater dependent pools of the Fortescue and Yule rivers, Pilbara, Western Australia|website=Water.wa.gov|access-date=28 June 2022}}</ref><ref name="Pilbara place names">{{cite web|url=http://www.nwsg.com.au/industry/pilbaraplaces.html|title=Pilbara place names|website=nwsg.com.au|access-date=10 November 2024|archive-date=3 May 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060503181839/http://www.nwsg.com.au/industry/pilbaraplaces.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{efn |When Europeans first applied "Pilbarra" in 1885 to Pilbarra Creek, the emphasis was on the second syllable, reflected by the two "R"s, but over time one "R" was dropped, the first syllable was emphasised, and the name came to describe the entire region.<ref name="Pilbara place names"/>}} The Pilbara Goldfield, discovered in 1885, was named after the creek, and the name later became associated with the region.<ref name="Pilbara place names"/>

==History==
[[File:Op hurricane.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Nuclear test mushroom cloud|The [[mushroom cloud]] resulting from the Operation Hurricane detonation]]
[[Radiocarbon dating]] estimates in evidence show that [[Aboriginal rock art|rock art]] and standing stones at [[Murujuga]] in the [[Dampier Archipelago]], Australia's earliest known stone structures, believably dating from 6046 to 5338 BC, are of contextualization by thousands of years of unique cultural traditions and [[Australian folklore|folklore]]. These sites have lived up as part of survival in present times.

The first European to explore the area was [[Francis Thomas Gregory]] in 1861. Within two years, European settlers had begun arriving. The region was regarded as part of the [[North West Australia|North West]] at first – a larger area that included the modern Kimberley and Gascoyne regions.

Settlements along the coast at [[Cossack, Western Australia|Tien Tsin Harbour]] (later Cossack), [[Roebourne, Western Australia|Roebourne]] and [[Condon, Western Australia|Condon]] (officially Shellborough; later abandoned) were established over ensuing decades, mainly as centres of the [[Station (Australian agriculture)|rangeland livestock]] (grazing/pastoral) industry or [[pearling industry|pearling ports]]. However, as natural [[mother of pearl]] beds around Cossack were fished out, the pearling fleet began to move northward, and by 1883 it was based at Broome, in the Kimberley region. From {{circa|1900}}, pastoralism went into decline with the growth of other, more productive agricultural areas of the state.

Mining in the region started on 1 October 1888, when the Pilbara Goldfield was officially declared – named after a local creek, the goldfield would later give its name to the region as a whole. It was later divided into the [[Nullagine]] Goldfield and [[Marble Bar]] Goldfield. However, gold mining began to decline in the Pilbara in the mid-1890s, after [[alluvial]] ore had been exhausted. In 1937, mining of [[asbestos]] commenced at [[Wittenoom Gorge]]. While the presence of abundant [[iron ore]] had been known for about a century, it was not until the 1960s and the discovery of high-grade ore in the [[Hamersley Range]]s that the area became pivotal to the state's economy, and towns built to accommodate mining and allied services boomed.<ref name="discover">{{cite book |title=Discover Australia's National Parks |last=Hema Maps |year=1997 |publisher=[[Random House]] Australia |location=Milsons Point, New South Wales |isbn=1-875-99247-2 |page=274}}</ref>

In the 1950s, three [[Nuclear weapons tests in Australia#Monte Bello Islands|British nuclear weapons tests]] were carried out in the [[Montebello Islands]], 130&nbsp;km (81&nbsp;mi) off the Pilbara coast.

==Aboriginal people==
{{See also|Aboriginal Western Australians}}

===Prehistory===
The [[Aboriginal Australian|Aboriginal]] population of the Pilbara considerably predates, by 30,000 to 40,000 years, the European colonisation of the region. [[Archaeological]] evidence indicates that people were living in the Pilbara even during the harsh climatic conditions of the [[Last Glacial Maximum]].<ref name="marwick2002">{{cite journal|last1=Marwick|first1=Ben|title=Milly's Cave: Evidence for Human Occupation of the Inland Pilbara during the Last Glacial Maximum|journal=Tempus|date=2002|volume=7|pages=21–33|url=http://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/publications/millys-cave-evidence-for-human-occupation-of-the-inland-pilbara-during-the-last-glacial-maximum(886b6c03-39c1-4f44-9961-094e4381b86a).html|language=en|issn=1323-6040}}</ref> The early history of the first people is held within an [[oral tradition]], [[archeological]] evidence and [[petroglyph]]s. Near the town of Dampier is a peninsula known as [[Murujuga]], which contains a large collection of World Heritage-listed petroglyphs, dating back thousands of years. [[Rock art]] in the Pilbara appears to have been mainly etched into the hard rock surfaces, whereas on the softer sandstone in the Kimberley rock paintings predominate.
[[File:Burrup rock art.JPG|thumb|left|Burrup rock art]]

===20th century===
Working conditions in the pearling and pastoral industries for Aboriginal people in the Pilbara region around 1900 have been described as [[slavery in Australia|slavery]], with no wages paid, kidnapping as well as severe and cruel punishments for misbehaviour and absconding all common practices.<ref name="eie">{{cite book |title=Enough is Enough: A History of the Pilbara Mob |last=Olive |first=Noel |year=2007 |publisher=Fremantle Press |isbn=978-1-921-06445-6 |pages=57–59 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K1zeMUAPoM4C |access-date=1 December 2011}}</ref> Some incidents, such as the [[Bendu case|Bendu Atrocity]] of 1897, attracted international condemnation. The first strike by Indigenous people in Australia took place in 1946 in the Pilbara, known as the [[Pilbara strike]] or Pilbara Aboriginal strike, when Aboriginal pastoral workers walked off the stations in protest at low pay and bad working conditions, a strike that lasted for over three years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wangkamaya.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=164&Itemid=386 |title=Articles About Pilbara Aboriginal History |website=www.wangkamaya.org.au |access-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100904084235/http://www.wangkamaya.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=164&Itemid=386 |archive-date=4 September 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Family clans in the Pilbara who were supported by mining prospector, [[Don McLeod (Aboriginal rights activist)|Don McLeod]],<ref>{{cite web | title=Don McLeod – radical activist for Aboriginal justice in the Pilbara, Western Australia | website=ANU | date=1 May 2018 | url=https://www.anu.edu.au/about/campuses-facilities/events/don-mcleod-%E2%80%93-radical-activist-for-aboriginal-justice-in-the-pilbara | access-date=30 November 2020}}</ref> developed skills for mining and the concentration of [[Precious metal|rare metals]]. For a short period money accumulated, which according to Aboriginal law was to be used for traditional ways. Eventually the funds were used to establish an independent Aboriginal-controlled school.<ref name="aais">{{cite book |title=Aboriginal Autonomy: Issues and Strategies |last=Coombs |first=H.C. |editor1-first=Diane |editor1-last=Smith |year=1994 |publisher=Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge |location=Cambridge, United Kingdom |isbn=0-521-44097-1 |pages=191–192 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k46wgmaB9YcC |access-date=1 December 2011}}</ref> The concept has expanded into a movement with around 20 similar schools established in northern Western Australia by the mid-1990s.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}} [[Jan Richardson]], wife of [[Victoria, Australia|Victorian]] Aboriginal activist [[Stan Davey]], wrote a biography of McLeod as a [[doctoral thesis]].<ref name="monash.edu">{{cite web | title=Biography of an Australian hero: interview with PhD alum Jan Richardson | website=Monash Indigenous Studies Centre | date=19 February 2018 | url=https://www.monash.edu/arts/monash-indigenous-studies/news-and-events/articles/biography-of-an-australian-hero-interview-with-phd-alum-jan-richardson | access-date=30 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis|author=Richardson, Jan |date=2017|title= 'They couldn't break me': Don McLeod, champion for Aboriginal justice in the Pilbara. |publisher=[[Monash University]]. |doi=10.4225/03/58c77be1332a6|type=PhD }}</ref>

===21st century===
In 2006, it was estimated that 15% of the population of the Pilbara identify as [[Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people]], approximately 6000 people.<ref>[http://www.csiro.au/en/Organisation-Structure/Flagships/Water-for-a-Healthy-Country-Flagship/~/media/CSIROau/Files/PDF/p12ei.pdf Water and Indigenous People in the Pilbara] ''[[CSIRO]]'' study, published: September 2011, accessed: 1 December 2011</ref>

Many Pilbara communities face the many complex effects of colonisation, and lack adequate access to housing, health and education.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.murdoch.edu.au/Research-capabilities/CRCS/|title=Centre for Responsible Citizenship and Sustainability (CRCS) &#124; Research Capabilities &#124; Murdoch University in Perth Australia|website=Murdoch.edu.au|access-date=11 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.psychology.org.au/publications/inpsych/changing/ |title=Australian Psychological Society : Changing practices, changing paradigms: Working effectively with Indigenous clients |access-date=28 February 2012 |archive-date=24 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324053210/http://www.psychology.org.au/publications/inpsych/changing/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> A 1971 survey of 1000 Aboriginal people conducted by Pat McPherson found that most had one or more serious diseases.<ref name="aass">{{cite book |title=Aboriginal Affairs 1967–2005: Seeking a Solution |last=Griffiths |first=Max |year=2006 |publisher=Rosenberg Publishing |location=Dural, New South Wales |isbn=1-877058-45-9 |page=193 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8LP3tcGL6ZcC |access-date=1 December 2011}}</ref> At the [[McClelland Royal Commission]] into British nuclear testing, Aboriginal people from the Pilbara provided evidence regarding the explosion on the Montebello Islands.<ref name="bpnta">{{Cite journal |date=30 August 1984 |title=Royal Commission probes British nuclear tests in Australia |journal=New Scientist |issue=1419 |pages=6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TEhjJrEL8BkC |access-date=1 December 2011 |last1=Information |first1=Reed Business }}</ref>

Aboriginal communities are sited over a number of different places.<ref>[http://www.dia.wa.gov.au/Documents/Maps/Maps%20June10/WAComsA4.pdf Western Australia Aboriginal Communities]. Department of Indigenous Affairs.</ref> Many have poor infrastructure,<ref name="dia.wa.gov.au">{{Cite web |url=http://www.dia.wa.gov.au/PageFiles/481/Indigenous%20Pilbara%20Dialogue%20Outcomes%2012Sept09.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=17 January 2012 |archive-date=23 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823203138/http://www.dia.wa.gov.au/PageFiles/481/Indigenous%20Pilbara%20Dialogue%20Outcomes%2012Sept09.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.istp.murdoch.edu.au/ISTP/casestudies/Pilbara/socio-cultural/Community_Values.html#Reference2|title=Centre for Responsible Citizenship and Sustainability (CRCS) – Research Capabilities – Murdoch University in Perth Australia|website=Istp.murdoch.edu.au|access-date=20 March 2018}}</ref> and relations between police and Aboriginal people are often tense.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/indigenous-deaths-custody-chapter-6-police-practices|title=Indigenous Deaths in Custody: Chapter 6 Police Practices |author= Australian Human Rights Commission|website=Humanrights.gov.au|access-date=11 September 2020}}</ref>

==Climate==
[[File:Tropical Cyclone Fay 27 mar 2004 0220Z.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Terra satellite]] captured this image of [[Cyclone Fay]], over the Western Australian coast on 27 March 2004.]]
[[File:Maitland River bridge Western Australia 2004-04-14.jpg|thumb|300m of [[North West Coastal Highway]] approaches to the [[Maitland River (Western Australia)|Maitland River]] bridge were destroyed during [[Cyclone Monty]] in 2004]]
The climate of the Pilbara is [[arid]] and [[tropical]].<ref name="anrapil"/> It experiences high temperatures and low irregular rainfall that follows the summer [[cyclone]]s. During the summer months, maximum temperatures exceed {{Convert|32|C|F}} almost every day, and temperatures in excess of {{Convert|45|C|F}} are not uncommon. Winter temperatures rarely drop below {{Convert|10|C|F}} on the coast; however, inland temperatures as low as {{Convert|0|C|F}} are occasionally recorded.

The Pilbara town of [[Marble Bar]] set a world record of most consecutive days of maximum [[temperature]]s of 100 degrees [[Fahrenheit]] (37.8 degrees [[Celsius]]) or more, during a period of 160 such days from 31 October 1923 to 7 April 1924.<ref name="climateextremes">{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/c20thc/temp1.htm|title=Marble Bar heatwave, 1923–1924|work=Australian Climate Extremes|publisher=[[Bureau of Meteorology]]|access-date=21 September 2008|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20090317054300/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/96122/20090317-1643/www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/c20thc/temp1.html|archive-date=17 March 2009}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The average annual rainfall in the region is between {{Convert|200|and|350|mm|in}}.<ref name="anrapil"/> Almost all of the Pilbara's rainfall occurs between December and May, usually with occasional heavy downpours in [[thunderstorm]]s or tropical cyclones. The period from June to November is usually completely rainless, with warm to very hot and sunny conditions. Like most of the north coast of Australia, the coastal areas of the Pilbara experience occasional tropical cyclones.  The frequency of cyclones crossing the Pilbara coast is about 7 every 10 years.<ref name="anrapil"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/tropical-cyclones/index.jsp |title=Australian Climate Averages - Tropical cyclones |website=www.bom.gov.au |access-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091002200344/http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/tropical-cyclones/index.jsp |archive-date=2 October 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Due to the low population density in the Pilbara region, cyclones rarely cause large scale destruction or loss of life.
<div style="width:75%;">
{{Weather box
|location = Port Hedland (Coastal)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 49.0
|Feb record high C = 48.2
|Mar record high C = 45.9
|Apr record high C = 42.4
|May record high C = 38.8
|Jun record high C = 35.5
|Jul record high C = 34.4
|Aug record high C = 36.8
|Sep record high C = 42.2
|Oct record high C = 46.9
|Nov record high C = 47.4
|Dec record high C = 47.9
|year record high C = 49.0
|Jan high C = 36.4
|Feb high C = 36.2
|Mar high C = 36.7
|Apr high C = 35.2
|May high C = 30.6
|Jun high C = 27.6
|Jul high C = 27.1
|Aug high C = 29.2
|Sep high C = 32.3
|Oct high C = 34.8
|Nov high C = 36.2
|Dec high C = 36.6
|year high C = 33.2
|Jan low C = 25.6
|Feb low C = 25.5
|Mar low C = 24.5
|Apr low C = 21.4
|May low C = 17.2
|Jun low C = 14.1
|Jul low C = 12.3
|Aug low C = 13.1
|Sep low C = 15.4
|Oct low C = 18.4
|Nov low C = 21.3
|Dec low C = 24.0
|year low C = 19.4
|Jan record low C = 18.1
|Feb record low C = 16.3
|Mar record low C = 15.8
|Apr record low C = 12.2
|May record low C = 7.0
|Jun record low C = 4.7
|Jul record low C = 3.2
|Aug record low C = 3.7
|Sep record low C = 7.7
|Oct record low C = 11.1
|Nov record low C = 12.4
|Dec record low C = 16.6
|year record low C = 3.2
|rain colour=green
|Jan rain mm = 62.2
|Feb rain mm = 94.8
|Mar rain mm = 50.1
|Apr rain mm = 22.4
|May rain mm = 27.0
|Jun rain mm = 20.7
|Jul rain mm = 11.1
|Aug rain mm = 4.9
|Sep rain mm = 1.3
|Oct rain mm = 0.9
|Nov rain mm = 2.7
|Dec rain mm = 17.9
|year rain mm = 314.4
|source 1 = Bureau of Meteorology<ref name="bom">{{cite web| url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_004032_All.shtml | title = Climate statistics |website=Bom.gov.au| access-date = 3 January 2013}}</ref>|date=January 2013}}
</div>

<div style="width:75%;">
{{Weather box
|location = Newman (Inland)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 47.0
|Feb record high C = 46.0
|Mar record high C = 43.3
|Apr record high C = 40.4
|May record high C = 35.2
|Jun record high C = 33.0
|Jul record high C = 31.0
|Aug record high C = 34.1
|Sep record high C = 38.0
|Oct record high C = 42.9
|Nov record high C = 43.9
|Dec record high C = 45.0
|year record high C = 47.0
|Jan high C = 39.5
|Feb high C = 37.2
|Mar high C = 35.8
|Apr high C = 31.6
|May high C = 27.3
|Jun high C = 22.9
|Jul high C = 23.0
|Aug high C = 25.8
|Sep high C = 30.5
|Oct high C = 35.0
|Nov high C = 37.4
|Dec high C = 38.9
|year high C = 32.1
|Jan low C = 25.3
|Feb low C = 24.4
|Mar low C = 22.4
|Apr low C = 18.4
|May low C = 13.0
|Jun low C = 9.6
|Jul low C = 8.1
|Aug low C = 10.1
|Sep low C = 13.7
|Oct low C = 17.9
|Nov low C = 21.4
|Dec low C = 23.9
|year low C = 17.3
|Jan record low C = 16.1
|Feb record low C = 17.0
|Mar record low C = 9.0
|Apr record low C = 6.0
|May record low C = 1.0
|Jun record low C = -1.1
|Jul record low C = -2.0
|Aug record low C = -2.0
|Sep record low C = 1.0
|Oct record low C = 6.0
|Nov record low C = 11.8
|Dec record low C = 15.2
|year record low C = -2.0
|Jan precipitation mm = 57.2
|Feb precipitation mm = 78.9
|Mar precipitation mm = 41.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 18.4
|May precipitation mm = 18.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 14.6
|Jul precipitation mm = 15.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 7.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 3.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 4.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 10.5
|Dec precipitation mm = 37.4
|year precipitation mm = 312.0
|source 1 = <ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_007176_All.shtml | title = BOM |website=[[Bureau of Meteorology]]}}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}
</div>

==Economy==
The area is known for its [[petroleum]], [[natural gas]] and iron ore deposits, which contribute significantly to [[Economy of Australia|Australia's]] economy. Other than mining, pastoral activities as well as fishing and tourism are the main industries.<ref name="deph">{{cite web |url=http://www.health.wa.gov.au/services/detail.cfm?Unit_ID=52 |title=Department of Health: Pilbara |date=19 January 2011 |publisher=Government of Western Australia |access-date=28 August 2011 }}</ref>

The Pilbara's economy is dominated by [[mining]] exports and [[petroleum]] export industries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pdc.wa.gov.au/industry/types-of-industries/oil-and-gas.aspx|title=The Pilbara's oil and gas industry is the region's largest export industry earning $5.0 billion in 2004/05 accounting for over 96% of the State's production|website=Pdc.wa.gov.au|access-date=10 June 2008|archive-date=19 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719184734/http://www.pdc.wa.gov.au/industry/types-of-industries/oil-and-gas.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>

During the 1970s the area was known for union militancy with many strikes and some mines operating as fully unionised 'closed shops.' This was challenged by employers from the mid-1980s onwards and the region now has a very low level of union membership compared to other parts of Australia.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peoples History of Australia |date=2020-04-09 |title=People's History of Australia Podcast. Episode 10 – The epic story of mining unionism in the Pilbara |url=https://commonslibrary.org/peoples-history-of-australia-podcast/#Episode_10_-_The_epic_story_of_mining_unionism_in_the_Pilbara |access-date=2023-03-01 |website=The Commons Social Change Library |language=en-AU}}</ref>

===Iron ore===
[[File:Paraburdoo mine 1.jpg|thumb|[[Paraburdoo mine]] aerial]]
[[File:Brockman 4 Plant.jpg|thumb|Plant, [[Brockman 4 mine]] ]]
[[File:Jasperlite (iron formation) Melbourne Museum.jpg|thumb|[[Jaspillite]] ([[banded iron formation]]) specimen from the Ord-Ridley Ranges, Pardoo, Pilbara]]
Most of [[Australia]]'s [[iron ore]] is mined in the Pilbara, with mines mostly centred around [[Tom Price, Western Australia|Tom Price]] and [[Newman, Western Australia|Newman]]. The iron ore industry employs 9,000 people from the Pilbara area. The Pilbara also has one of the world's major [[manganese]] mines, Woodie Woodie, situated {{convert|400|km}} southeast of Port Hedland.

Iron ore deposits were first discovered by prospector Stan Hilditch, who in 1957 found a large iron ore deposit in the southern [[Ophthalmia Range]], at what was to become the [[Mount Whaleback mine]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Stan Hilditch |url=http://exhibitions.slwa.wa.gov.au/s/mewa/page/StanHilditch |website=Mining & Energy WA |publisher=State Library of Western Australia |access-date=11 April 2019 |location=Perth, WA}}</ref>

In the 1960s, it was reportedly called "one of the most massive ore bodies in the world" by Thomas Price, then vice president of US-based steel company Kaiser Steel. [[Geoscience Australia]] calculated that the country's "[[economic demonstrated resources]]" of iron amounted to 24 gigatonnes, or 24 billion tonnes. According to the [[Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics]], {{As of|2010|lc=on}}, that resource is being used up at a rate of 324 million tonnes a year, with rates expected to increase over coming years. Experts [[Gavin Mudd]] ([[Monash University]]) and Jonathon Law ([[Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation]]) expect it to be gone within 30 to 50 years (Mudd) and 56 years (Law).<ref name="Pincock">{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/07/14/2953402.htm|title=Iron ore country|last=Pincock|first=Stephen|date=14 July 2010|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=26 April 2011}}</ref>

{{As of|2010}}, active iron ore mines in the Pilbara are:
* [[Fortescue railway#BC Iron mine|BC Iron]]
** Iron Valley mine
* [[BHP]]
** [[Area C mine]]
** [[Jimblebar mine]]
** [[Mount Whaleback mine]]
** [[Orebodies 18, 23 and 25 mine]]
** [[Yandi mine]]
** [[Yarrie mine]]
* [[Fortescue Metals Group]]
** [[Christmas Creek mine]]
** [[Cloud Break mine]]
* [[Rio Tinto (corporation)|Rio Tinto]]
** [[Brockman mine]]
** [[Brockman 4 mine]]
** [[Channar mine]]
** [[Eastern Range mine]]
** [[Hope Downs mine]]
** [[Marandoo mine]]
** [[Mesa A mine]]
** [[Mesa J mine]]
** [[Mount Tom Price mine]]
** [[Nammuldi mine]]
** [[Paraburdoo mine]]
** [[West Angelas mine]]
** [[Yandicoogina mine]]
* [[Atlas Iron]]
** [[Pardoo mine]]
* Moly Mines
** [[Spinifex Ridge]] ([[molybdenum]], [[copper]], [[iron ore]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mining-journal.com/finance/spinifex-gets-chinese-finance-approval|access-date=12 December 2010|title=Mining Journal – Spinifex gets Chinese finance approval|date=12 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101211005557/http://www.mining-journal.com/finance/spinifex-gets-chinese-finance-approval|archive-date=11 December 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Liquified natural gas===
A significant part of Pilbara's economy is based on [[liquified natural gas]] (LNG) through the [[North West Shelf Venture]] and [[Pluto LNG]] plant, both operated by Woodside.

===Agriculture===
[[File:Millstream-Chichester National Park DSC04096.JPG|thumb|Millstream Homestead in [[Millstream-Chichester National Park]]]]
The region also has a number of cattle-grazing stations, and a substantial tourist sector, with popular natural attractions including the [[Karijini National Park|Karijini]] and [[Millstream-Chichester National Park|Millstream-Chichester]] national parks and the [[Dampier Archipelago]].

===Transport===
[[File:Port Hedland, Western Australia.jpg|thumb|BHP iron ore train arriving at Port Hedland]]{{Main|Railways in the Pilbara}}
The first railway in the Pilbara region was the [[narrow-gauge railway|narrow-gauge]] [[Marble Bar Railway]] between [[Port Hedland]] and [[Marble Bar]]. The [[Marble Bar Railway]] opened in July 1911 and closed in October 1951. The Roebourne-Cossack Tramway opened in 1897 and many industrial railways have been built to serve the mines.<ref>Joyce, J. and Tilley, Allan, "Railways in the Pilbara," (1979). {{ISBN|0959969926}}.</ref>

Five heavy-duty railways are associated with the various iron-ore mines. They are all [[standard gauge]] and built to the heaviest North American standards. Rio Tinto runs [[Automatic train operation|driverless trains]] on its railways.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mineprocessing.com/News/detail-a135-b2-c0-d0-e0-f.html |title=Iron-ore railway automation project, Western Australia |publisher=Mineprocessing.com |date=11 July 2008 |access-date=26 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714095648/http://www.mineprocessing.com/News/detail-a135-b2-c0-d0-e0-f.html |archive-date=14 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Ports===
The ports of the Pilbara are:

* [[Port Hedland]]
** Nelson Point and Finucane Island (operated by [[BHP]])
** Herb Elliott Port (operated by the [[Fortescue Metals Group]])
* [[Dampier, Western Australia|Dampier]] (operated by [[Rio Tinto (corporation)|Rio Tinto]])
* [[Cape Lambert]] (operated by Rio Tinto)
* [[Anketell Port]] (under development)

==Ecology==
===Terrestrial===
{{Main|Pilbara shrublands}}
[[File:Karijini1.jpg|thumb|The vibrant colours of the outback in [[Karijini National Park]]]]

The dominant flora of the Pilbara is [[acacia]] trees and shrubs and drought-resistant [[Triodia (plant genus)|Triodia]] ''spinifex'' grasses. Several species of acacia (wattle) trees are endemic to the Pilbara and are the focus of conservation programs, along with wildflowers and other local specialities.{{Citation needed|date=February 2014}}

"[[Fairy circle (arid grass formation)|Fairy circles]]" (known as {{lang |mpj |linyji}} in the [[Manyjilyjarra language]] and {{lang |wbp |mingkirri}} in the [[Warlpiri language]]) which are circular patches of land barren of plants, varying between {{Convert|2|and|12|m|ft|0}} in diameter and often encircled by a ring of stimulated growth of grass, are found in the western part of the [[Great Sandy Desert]] in the Pilbara. It has not yet been proven what causes these formations, but one theory suggests that they have been built and inhabited by [[Australian harvester termite]]s since the [[Pleistocene]].<ref name=walsh2023>{{cite journal | last1=Walsh | first1=Fiona | last2=Bidu | first2=Gladys Karimarra | last3=Bidu | first3=Ngamaru Karimarra | last4=Evans | first4=Theodore A. | last5=Judson | first5=Thelma Milangka | last6=Kendrick | first6=Peter | last7=Michaels | first7=Alice Nampijinpa | last8=Moore | first8=Danae | last9=Nelson | first9=Matilda | last10=Oldham | first10=Carolyn | last11=Schofield | first11=Josef | last12=Sparrow | first12=Ashley | last13=Taylor | first13=Muuki Karimarra | last14=Taylor | first14=Desmond Purungu| last15=Wayne | first15=Lee Nangala | last16=Williams | first16=Carol Milangka|display-authors=4  | title=First Peoples' knowledge leads scientists to reveal 'fairy circles' and termite linyji are linked in Australia | journal=[[Nature Ecology & Evolution]] | publisher=Nature Publishing Group | date=3 April 2023 | volume=7 | issue=4 | issn=2397-334X | doi=10.1038/s41559-023-01994-1 | pages=610–622 | s2cid=257923261 | doi-access=free | pmid=37012380 | pmc=10089917 | bibcode=2023NatEE...7..610W }}</ref><ref name=angeloni2023>{{cite web | last=Angeloni | first=Alice | title=Indigenous knowledge leads scientists to reveal 'fairy circles', termites linked  | website=ABC News (Australia)| date=4 April 2023 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-04/indigenous-knowledge-science-links-termites-fairy-circles/102177938 | access-date=4 April 2023}}</ref>

The Pilbara is home to a wide variety of endemic species adapted to this tough environment. There is a high diversity of invertebrates, including hundreds of species of [[subterranean fauna]] (both [[stygofauna]] and [[troglofauna]]), which are microscopic invertebrates that live in caves, [[vug]]s or groundwater [[aquifers]] of the region, and terrestrial fauna (see [[short-range endemic invertebrates]]). The Pilbara [[Liasis olivaceus barroni|olive python]], the [[western pebble-mound mouse]], and the [[Pilbara ningaui]] of the Hamersley Range are among the many species of animals within the fragile ecosystems of this desert ecoregion. Birds include the [[Australian hobby]], [[nankeen kestrel]], [[spotted harrier]], [[mulga parrot]] and [[budgerigar]]s.

Wildlife has been damaged by the extraction of iron, natural gas and asbestos, but the protection of culturally and environmentally sensitive areas of the Pilbara is now enhanced by the delineation of several protected areas, including the [[Millstream-Chichester National Park|Millstream-Chichester]] and the [[Karijini National Park]]s.{{Citation needed|date=February 2014}}

===Freshwater===
{{Main|Pilbara freshwater ecoregion}}
The western Pilbara is part of the [[Pilbara freshwater ecoregion]], also known as the Pilbara-Gascoyne or Indian Ocean drainage basin. The freshwater region is characterized by [[intermittent river]]s which form deep gorges, and brackish-water caves that host endemic species. The region includes the drainages of the [[Murchison River (Western Australia)|Murchison]], [[Gascoyne River|Gascoyne]], [[Ashburton River (Western Australia)|Ashburton]], [[Fortescue River|Fortescue]], and [[De Grey River|De Grey]] rivers. The Great Sandy Desert, which covers the eastern Pilbara, has little freshwater habitat.<ref name = pilbara>{{cite web |url=https://www.feow.org/ecoregions/details/802 |title=Archived copy |website=www.feow.org |access-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727143126/https://www.feow.org/ecoregions/details/802 |archive-date=27 July 2021 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Banded iron formation]] (BIF)
* [[North West Australia]]
* [[Pilbara Coast]]
* [[Pilbara historical timeline]]
* [[Pilbara newspapers]]
* [[Pilbara Railways]]
* [[Stromatolite]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==General references==
{{Refbegin |30em}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/5b3d2d31-2355-4b60-820c-e370572b2520/files/bioregions-new.pdf|title=IBRA7: Pilbara Bioregion (PIL|access-date=20 April 2018}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/5b3d2d31-2355-4b60-820c-e370572b2520/files/subregions-new.pdf|title=IBRA7: Pilbara subregions (PIL01-PIL04|access-date=20 April 2018}}
{{Refend}}

==References==
{{Reflist |30em}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin |30em}}
*{{cite book |last1=Ellem |first1=Braden |title=The Pilbara: From the Deserts Profits Come |date=2017 |publisher=UWA Publishing |location=Crawley, WA |isbn=9781742589305}}
*Sharp, Janet, and Nicholas Thieberger. (1992). ''Aboriginal languages of the Pilbara Region: Bilybara''. Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre, Port Hedland, WA.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
* [http://www.pdc.wa.gov.au/ Pilbara Development Commission]
* [http://pilbara.mq.edu.au/ NASA-Macquarie University Pilbara Education Project]
* [http://members.iinet.net.au/~bush/research.html Olive Python captive breeding program]
* [http://www.worldwidewattle.com/infogallery/projects/pilbara.php Wattles of the Pilbara]
* [http://www.yamatji.org.au/ Yamatji Marlpa Barna Baba Maaja Aboriginal Corporation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427225115/http://www.yamatji.org.au/ |date=27 April 2016 }}, the Native Title Representative Body incorporating the Pilbara Native Title Service

{{subject bar |auto=y |portal1=Western Australia |portal2=Geography }}
{{Western Australian regions}}
{{Iron ore railways in the Pilbara}}
{{Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA)}}
{{Drainage basins of Australia |state=autocollapse}}
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[[Category:Pilbara| ]]
[[Category:Drainage basins of Australia]]
[[Category:IBRA regions]]