Collie is a town in the South West region of Western Australia, south of the state capital, Perth, and inland from the regional city and port of Bunbury. It is near the junction of the Collie and Harris Rivers, in the middle of dense jarrah forest and the only coalfields in Western Australia. At the 2021 census, Collie had a population of 7,599. Collie is mainly known as a coal-producing centre, but also offers industrial, agricultural and aquaculture tourism industries. Muja Power Station is located east of the town, and to its west is the Wellington Dam, a popular location for fishing, swimming and boating. The town is named after the river on which it is situated. James Stirling named the Collie River, which in turn is named after Alexander Collie. He and William Preston were the first Europeans to explore the area, in 1829. It has been reported that coal was discovered in the area by a shepherd named George Marsh in the early 1880s. The townsite was surveyed and gazetted in 1897. The first coal mine opened in 1927. Collie was once referred to as a "dirty mining town", but on 8 April 2006 it won the Australian Tidy Towns Competition from finalists from six states and the Northern Territory. Collie was named the top Tidy Town because of the commitment of the community to recycling, waste management, beautification and community projects. Population According to the 2021 census, there were 7,599 people in Collie. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 4.8% of the population. 81.0% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 3.9% and New Zealand 2.1%. 89.0% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 51.5%, Catholic 16.3% and Anglican 12.5%. Industry and economy Collie has a significant role in the provision of electricity for Western Australia. The state's two coal mines are in the town, and there are three power stations. The government of Western Australia will soon commission a new base load power station, for which a number of Collie base proposals have been made. Initially Western Collieries, the Premier Coal mining operation produces approximately of coal per year. It contains enough reserves for another 30 years of mining at the present rate. The Griffin Coal mine is owned by the Indian company Lanco Infratech. Education Collie