Karratha/Dampier Parish |
| Karratha was established in the 1970's on Nickol Bay as a result of a lack of suitable land
for expansion at Dampier. Karratha now has the best service facilities in the North West of Western Australia. Dampier, located on King Bay, faces the islands of the Dampier Archipelago. Hamersley Iron established the town in the 1960's as a port outlet for ore mined from two of the world's richest iron ore deposits at Mt. Tom Price and Paraburdoo. The deep water port with its export facilities sees over 60 million tons of ore loaded each year. Other resource exports include salt (from the solar salt-works) and liquefied natural gas products. The Dampier Seafarer's Centre services thousands of visiting Seafarers every year. Pray for the chaplain, Ian McGilvray and his wife Susan as they undertake this vital and very demanding ministry. Ian and Susan are also valuable members of the Karratha congregation. Karratha and Dampier have a combined population of some 9,000 people. These are attractive towns which boast a number of fine facilities. Karratha is the residential, educational and service centre for the West Pilbara Region, and is headquarters for the Shire of Roebourne. Karratha is also the base for the Army’s Pilbara Regiment. The population consists mainly of younger families and singles, however, there are some elderly and some families have three generations here. There is one worship centre, at Karratha. December 1999 saw the completion of a much needed project with the opening of a new air-conditioned building adjacent to the church to house the growing Sunday School. The church family is rarely constant, with some parishioners staying only a couple of years, though others have had several years here. Ministry is also provided to the towns of Wickham,Point Samson, Pannawonica and Onslow while this parish remains vacant. A regular round trip of 750 kilometres. Long work hours, high pay; extreme materialism and secularism together with all the New Age rubbish are constant barriers to the Gospel of Jesus. The Rev. Les and Mrs Jenny Gaulton moved to Karratha in 2002 from the Parish of North East
Goldfields. 1483 Samson Way
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Copyright © 2008 Bush Church Aid Society of Australia |