took the first shipment of wool out of the area and it continued to serve the local pastoral interests until it was closed down in 1978. The town and surrounding stations were isolated by flood waters in 1926 resulting in provisions in the town running low after supplies were unable to get through after a week. From 1927 until 1931, a railway line operated from Meekatharra to the manganese mine at Horseshoe, some distant. A substantial gold deposit which lies just south of the townsite called the Paddy's Flat area was explored and mined by Western Mining Corporation and Dominion Mining Ltd in the 1990s. Climate The climate is hot and dry. The annual rainfall is between . The driest months of the year are August through to November. Transport Meekatharra was an important location in the Western Australian Government Railways system – being the northernmost location in the Northern Railway railway network, apart from the isolated Marble Bar Railway branch out of Port Hedland. For a while a further branch line continued eastwards to Wiluna. The line was closed from Mullewa and pulled up in the 1970s. In the 2000s, new iron ore prospects may see the railway return. A runway, now known as Meekatharra Airport, was built by the Americans during World War II. It serves as an important ETOPS diversion airport for inbound transcontinental flights to Australia. Skippers Aviation provide services to Perth on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Transwa operates coach services from Geraldton to Meekatharra on Mondays and Thursdays, returning Tuesdays and Fridays with connecting services to Perth. Integrity Coach Lines operates services between Perth and Port Hedland on Tuesdays, stopping in Meekatharra. The return service operates on Thursdays. In popular culture Meekatharra is mentioned in Kevin Bloody Wilson's 1985 song Living Next Door To Alan. References Further reading Boyd, D. (1988) Meekatharra: a glimpse of the past Meekatharra, W.A: Shire of Meekatharra . "A Bicentennial, Back to Meekatharra publication". Edwards, Hugh, (1994) Meekatharra: the gold beyond the rivers Swanbourne, W.A: H. Edwards for the Meekatharra Shire. Heydon, P.R. (1994) Meekatharra: end of the earth West Perth, W.A: Dominion Mining; Carlisle, W.A: Hesperian Press, External links Shire site Cemetery list Mining towns in Western Australia Towns in Western Australia Shire of Meekatharra