Great Southern, WA
About the Great Southern region
This Western Australian region is located on the state's south coast, and comprises a land area of approximately 39,000 km². It is bordered by the Wheatbelt region in the north, the South West region in the west, and the vast Goldfields Esperance region in the east. The region is home to the large regional city of Albany, where about 88% of its population reside.
The Great Southern is home to a diverse and beautiful range of natural landscapes, from rugged coastline and white sandy beaches to forests and craggy mountains.
The Noongar people are the traditional owners of the land on which the Great Southern region now stands.
Local councils
WA's Great Southern region includes 11 municipalities: City of Albany, Shire of Broomehill-Tambellup, Shire of Cranbrook, Shire of Denmark, Shire of Gnowangerup, Shire of Jerramungup, Shire of Katanning, Shire of Kent, Shire of Kojonup, Shire of Plantagenet and Shire of Woodanilling.
Climate information
The Great Southern region enjoys a Mediterranean climate, experiencing hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.
The key regional centre of Albany experiences a mean maximum annual temperature of 19.9 °C and a mean minimum of 12.7 °C, although this is slightly cooler than the average maximum and minimum temperatures for the region at large. Albany also receives 925.1 mm of rainfall annually, on average.
Population
The estimated population of the Great Southern region is reported as 60,993 as of 2019.
Education
The Great Southern region is home to a number of schools, including 30 primary schools, 15 secondary schools and one university campus.
Those residents hoping to undertake tertiary education can study at the University of Western Australia, which has a campus located in Albany, or at one of the region's TAFE campuses, which can be found in Albany, Mount Barker, and Denmark.
Employment and local businesses
The Great Southern region has a Gross Regional Product of approximately $4.9 billion, of which more than half is contributed by the city of Albany. The region supports 25,042 jobs, and its top five industries by number of people employed are agriculture, forestry & fishing, healthcare & social assistance, retail, education & training, and construction.
Housing
The median house price varies across the Great Southern region. Albany's median sits at $520,000, Denmark's at $380,000, Mount Barker's at $185,000 and Katanning's at $179,000. All but Albany were below the WA median of $485,000.
The region had a median weekly house rental (for a 3-bedroom home) of $380 in Albany, $330 in Denmark, $238 in Mount Barker and $240 in Katanning. Medians in all locales were lower than the state's $395 median.
Events
Where: Mount Barker, WA
When: Annually, in March
What: This event is much more than just a day at the races; it's the highlight of the racing season in the Great Southern region, and the jewel in its crown, the Mungrup Stud Sprint, features some of the finest horses from across the south of the state. Visitors can kick back and watch some high-quality country racing with a stomach full of gourmet food and fine local Mount Barker wine, making this the ideal relaxing day out.
Where: Tambellup, WA
When: Annually, in September
What: Inhabitants of the small town of Tambellup shake off the winter chill every year with the help of this vibrant spring festival. Tambellup comes alive with wildflower displays, guided orchid tours, open gardens, gardening workshops, long lunches, art exhibitions, craft activities and much more — there's truly something for everyone.
Where: Katanning, WA
When: Annually, in March
What: Katanning's rich culture and heritage is on full display at this colourful annual event. Clive Street comes alive with a charming street festival, complete with live entertainment, cooking demonstrations, interactive activities, market stalls, performances for the kids, and even an international food village.
Additional Information
Great Southern has 11 subregions. Use the list below or the map above to learn more about individual subregions.
Great Southern Schools
- Government Schools
- Independent Schools
Combined
- Gnowangerup District High School GNOWANGERUP WA 6335
- Jerramungup District High School JERRAMUNGUP WA 6337
- Kojonup District High School KOJONUP WA 6395
- Mount Barker Community College MOUNT BARKER WA 6324
Primary
- Albany Primary School ALBANY WA 6330
- Borden Primary School BORDEN WA 6338
- Braeside Primary School KATANNING WA 6317
- Bremer Bay Primary School BREMER BAY WA 6338
- Broomehill Primary School BROOMEHILL WA 6318
- Cranbrook Primary School CRANBROOK WA 6321
- Denmark Primary School DENMARK WA 6333
- Flinders Park Primary School ALBANY WA 6330
- Frankland River Primary School FRANKLAND RIVER WA 6396
- Gairdner Primary School GAIRDNER WA 6337
- Katanning Primary School KATANNING WA 6317
- Kendenup Primary School KENDENUP WA 6323
- Little Grove Primary School LITTLE GROVE WA 6330
- Mount Lockyer Primary School ALBANY WA 6330
- Mount Manypeaks Primary School MANYPEAKS WA 6328
- Nyabing Primary School NYABING WA 6341
- Ongerup Primary School ONGERUP WA 6336
- Pingrup Primary School PINGRUP WA 6343
- South Stirling Primary School SOUTH STIRLING WA 6324
- Spencer Park Primary School SPENCER PARK WA 6330
- Tambellup Primary School TAMBELLUP WA 6320
- Wellstead Primary School WELLSTEAD WA 6328
- Woodanilling Primary School WOODANILLING WA 6316
- Yakamia Primary School ALBANY WA 6330
Secondary
- Albany Senior High School ALBANY WA 6330
- Denmark Senior High School DENMARK WA 6333
- Katanning Senior High School KATANNING WA 6317
- North Albany Senior High School ALBANY WA 6330
- Western Australian College Of Agriculture - Denmark DENMARK WA 6333
Special
- Albany Secondary Education Support Centre ALBANY WA 6330
- Spencer Park Education Support Centre SPENCER PARK WA 6330
Combined
- Australian Christian College - Southlands ALBANY WA 6330
- Bethel Christian School ALBANY WA 6330
- Great Southern Grammar School KALGAN WA 6330
- John Calvin School ALBANY WA 6330
- St Joseph's College ALBANY WA 6330
- Woodthorpe School - Albany Campus ALBANY WA 6330
- Woodthorpe School - Gnowangerup Campus GNOWANGERUP WA 6335
Primary
- Golden Hill Steiner School DENMARK WA 6333
- Parklands School ALBANY WA 6330
- Spirit of Play Community School DENMARK WA 6333
- St Bernard's School KOJONUP WA 6395
- St Patrick's School KATANNING WA 6317
- Woodbury Boston Primary School KRONKUP WA 6330
Special
- Alta-1 College - Albany Marine VET Campus ALBANY WA 6330
- Alta-1 College - Albany Middle School ALBANY WA 6331
- Alta-1 College - Albany Senior School ALBANY WA 6330
- Alta-1 College - Collingwood Heights Campus COLLINGWOOD HEIGHTS WA 6330
- Comet CaRE School (Albany) ALBANY WA 6033
Great Southern Housing
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Houses in Great Southern
The price of a house in Great Southern ranges from around $297,000 to $1,500,000.
A typical house in has 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms & parking for 3 cars.
Great Southern Census Information
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Dwelling Type
What types of residential properties are available in Great Southern?
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP -
Tenure Type
Which residential properties in Great Southern are owned, mortgaged or rented out?
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP -
Change in Residence
Did people in Great Southern change address in the last year?
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP -
Working Population
What age groups are most strongly represented in Great Southern?
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP -
Top 5 Industries
What industries do people in Great Southern work in?
- Agriculture forestry and fishing
- Health care and social assistance
- Retail trade
- Education and training
- Construction
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP -
Family Size
How many people live in a household in Great Southern?
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP
What's happening in Great Southern
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The Best Beaches in Western Australia Children play amongst the boulders of Lucky Bay.
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Thrive in Kojonup, Western Australia The Centenary of Federation Wool Wagon welcomes visitors to Kojonup. Image credit Shire of Kojonup.
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Go Regional With Move to More Early mornings watching the sunrise, quiet afternoons with the family, vast stretches of land untouched by houses – there’s so much to...
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Acreage for Sale in Western Australia Median acreage prices reached a record high in Western Australia this past year, up by 28.2% to $2,569 per hectare according to Rural...
Properties in Great Southern
- For Sale
- For Rent