Traditional Owners

The original inhabitants of the Harvey area were various Aboriginal tribes.

Settlement history

European settlement dates from the 1840s. Land was used mainly for dairy farming, grazing and orcharding. Growth took place during the late 1800s and early 1900s, spurred by the establishment of townships, the opening of the railway line from Perth, irrigation and growth in the timber industry. The population of the Shire gradually increased from about 3,600 in 1911 to about 5,400 in 1933, and continued to increase to about 6,800 in 1961. The population then declined slightly, falling to about 6,500 in 1971, before increasing again to 6,700 in 1976, and then continuing to grow to about 9,600 in 1986. Expansion continued from the late 1980s, with the population rising to about 12,000 in 1991, and then to over 22,000 in 2011. Most of the new development has been in Australind and Leschenault. Growth is expected to continue.

Land use

The Shire of Harvey is largely rural, with growing rural-residential and residential areas in several townships. The Shire encompasses a total land area of nearly 1,800 square kilometres, including 42 kilometres of coastline. The largest towns are Australind and Leschenault, with smaller townships at Binningup, Brunswick Junction, Cookernup, Harvey and Yarloop. Rural land is used largely for dairy farming, beef farming, citrus fruit growing, market gardening and timber production, with some viticulture.

Transport

The Shire of Harvey is served by the South Western Highway, Old Coast Road, the Australind Bypass and The Australind Train (Perth-Bunbury).

Major features

• Major features of the Shire include Yalgorup National Park,
• Harvey Dam and Ampitheatre,
• Stirling Dam,
• Logue Brook Dam (Lake Brockman),
• Lake Preston,
• The Leschenault Estuary,
• Leschenault Peninsula Conservation Park,
• Benger Swamp Nature Reserve,
• Leschenault Waterways Discovery Centre,
• Big Orange,
• Ha Ve Harvey Cheese,
• Stirling Cottage,
• Yarloop Workshops,
• Timber Technology Centre,
• Harvey Recreation and Cultural Centre,
• Leschenault Leisure Centre,
• Dr Peter Topham Memorial Swimming Pool,
• Leschenault Recreation Reserve,
• Harvey Hospital,
• South West Institute of Technology (Harvey Campus),
• WA College of Agriculture Harvey,
• several beaches and various wineries.

Included areas