Exmouth is a town on the tip of the North West Cape in Western Australia. The town is located 1270km north of the state capital Perth and 3366km southwest of Darwin. Exmouth is positioned approximately 170km north of the Tropic of Capricorn.

The town was originally constructed in 1964 to support the nearby United States Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt. Nowadays the town relies more on tourism than the station for its existence. The current resident population is approximately 2,400. Between April and October, numbers swell to 6000 during the tourist season.

Exmouth is one of the few areas in Australia that can boast the "Range to Reef" experience. The Cape Range National Park which has some spectacular gorges is an area of 506 square kilometres and its main area is focused on the west coast of the Cape which provides a large variety of camp sites on the coastal fringe of the Park.

Exmouth Gulf is a rich marine environment. The mangrove systems on the eastern margins are areas of high primary productivity feeding and restocking both the Gulf and the famed nearby Ningaloo Reef.

School Project Facts

• Exmouth is situated in the most northern area of Australia's Coral Coast tourist region.
• Exmouth is located on the eastern side of the North West Cape overlooking the Exmouth Gulf.
• Exmouth was established in 1964 as a joint Australian-U.S. communication base and submarine re-fuelling station due to its proximity to the Southeast Asian waters.
• Exmouth is 1,270 kilometres north of Perth.
• Learmonth Domestic Airport is located 36 km south of Exmouth. It shares the airstrip with Learmonth RAAF base. A shuttle bus is available to take passengers into town.
• The town as a population of 2,400 between April and October, but swells to over 6,000 people annually with the beautiful climate and conditions an attraction.
• Exmouth is blessed with a fantastic climate. It is dry and warm all year. Summer daytime temperatures range from mid to high 30-40's while a typical winters day reaches around 25 degrees. Water temperatures vary from 18-28 degrees - perfect beach weather all year.
• The name Exmouth is taken from the Exmouth Gulf which was named by Captain Phillip P. King when surveying the northern coastline on the18th February 1818. It was named after a British Naval Officer Edward Pellew, First Viscount Exmouth (1758 -1833) who distinguished himself in the Royal Navy from 1776 - 1816.
• Many of the streets in Exmouth are named in honour of Australian and British servicemen who took part in World War II. Streets are also named after early residents and navy or military operations or craft. This gesture recognises the importance of naval/military history to our region.
• There is much to explore in this region. The Exmouth Visitor Centre has a wealth of suggestions and is a good place to start.
• Just half an hour drive south is Cape Range National Park with rugged peaks, spectacular gorges, canyons, wildlife and wildflowers.
• The Ningaloo Marine Park and main access to Cape Range National Park are on the Western side of the pennisular.
• Ningaloo Reef fringes long stretches of beautiful beaches and is a snorkellers' delight.