Gascoyne

The Gascoyne has the lowest population of any region of Western Australia, with about 9,277 people. ==Climate==

The Gascoyne has a moderate arid tropical climate. It is generally warm all year round, with mean maximum daily temperatures ranging from in July to in January. The region receives about 320 days of sunshine per year. Annual rainfall is low and variable, averaging about , most of which occurs as a result of cyclonic activity. Because of the semi-arid climate, most of the Gascoyne is covered in scrub, primarily spinifex and mulga, with very little tree cover. ==Economy==

Horticulture is the major industry of the Gascoyne region. Bananas, tomatoes, grapefruit, mangoes, table grapes and a range of vegetable products are grown along the Gascoyne River. Climatic advantages enable the growers to meet out-of-season demand both locally and in export markets. ==History==

Before being settled by Europeans, the Gascoyne had been home to Indigenous Australians for thousands of years. The first known European to land in the region was Dirk Hartog in 1616; other early visitors include Willem Jansz, William Dampier, Nicolas Baudin, and Phillip King. In 1839, George Grey explored the area and named the Gascoyne River after Captain John Gascoyne RN, son of Bamber Gascoyne, a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty. Captain Gascoyne was a committee member of the London-based Western Australian Missionary Society and a member of the London Association for the Protection of the Interests of the Colony. In 1858 Francis Gregory explored the region and subsequently publicized it as highly suitable to pastoralism. Settlement began in the 1860s, and the town of Carnarvon was gazetted in 1883. In 2021, four-year old girl Cleo Smith was abducted and later found in Carnarvon. ==2010 floods==

• December 2010 Gascoyne River flood ==See also==