Wheat Belt

region, Western Australia, Australia
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Also known as: Wheatbelt

Wheat Belt, principal crop-growing region of Western Australia, occupying about 60,000 square miles (160,000 square km) in the southwestern section of the state. Served by the Perth-Albany Railway, the crescent-shaped belt is delineated on the west by a line drawn from Geraldton south through Moora, Northam, and Katanning to the western end of the Great Australian Bight. The eastern boundary of the belt bulges as far east as Southern Cross. The Wheat Belt receives as much as 20 inches (500 mm) of rainfall annually in the west, declining to 10 inches (250 mm) in the east. In addition to wheat, the area yields oats, barley, and wool. The Wheat Belt developed after the decline of gold mining in 1905 and was aided by the introduction of superphosphate fertilizers, new breeds of livestock, machinery, government loans, surveys, railway feeder-line construction, immigration, and “soldier settlement schemes” for military veterans after both World Wars.