welcome

Destination Newman

Newman is located on the edge of the Western Desert. The traditional owners of the land are the Nyiyaparli people and the Martu people are the custodians of the land. Newman’s town was established by a mining company (a subsidiary of BHP) in 1966, and today has a population of over 7,000 people.

GETTING THERE

Newman is roughly a 13 hour drive from Perth, a trip that passes through the Tropic of Capricorn and iconic regional towns such as New Norcia, Dalwallinu, Mount Magnet, Cue, and Meekatharra. Flights from Perth to Newman are operated regularly by Qantas and Virgin, and take about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Distances to drive to Newman:

Tom Price – Newman: 277km (allow 3½ hours)

Paraburdoo – Newman: 336km (allow 4 hours)

Port Hedland – Newman: 454km (allow 5 hours)

Karratha – Newman: 612km (allow 6½ hours)

Onslow – Newman: 684km (allow 8½ hours)  

Exmouth – Newman: 843km (allow 10 hours)

Broome – Newman: 1,047km (allow 11 hours)

Perth – Newman: 1,195km (allow 13 hours)


GETTING AROUND

Begin your exploration of Newman with a visit to the Newman Visitor Centre, where you can browse local and nationally made products and access and wealth of local knowledge about the best (and sometimes hidden) things to see and do in Newman and its surrounds.

Drive or take the 30 minute walk to Radio Hill Lookout, and take in a bird’s eye view of the town of Newman and the surrounding Country. From here you can register for a BHP Billiton Mt. Whaleback Mine Tour, and learn about the world’s largest open cut iron ore mine.

The Forum itself is held inside the East Pilbara Arts Centre, an iconic new building that houses Martumili Artists’ Gallery. Martumili Artists was established by Martu people living in the communities of Parnpajinya (Newman), Jigalong, Parnngurr, Punmu, Kunawarritji, Irrungadji and Warralong. A commitment to showcasing the diversity, integrity and strength of the Martu culture has accelerated the rise of this art group to gain international recognition. A visit to the new art centre, studio and gallery provides a unique insight into this rich and vibrant culture.

PLACES TO STAY

The Newman Hotel offers a range of modern rooms along with a garden bar offering a relaxed outdoor environment with regular entertainment and a kids’ area. The hotel also offers the Purple Pub, where you can have a meal and a drink and enjoy every sporting event live on big screen TVs. There is accommodation also available at Seasons Hotel, Whaleback Village, and The Oasis.

MOVING ON

Newman is ideally positioned for you to expand your horizons and explore more of what the Pilbara has to offer. Less than 2 hours drive from Newman is Karijini National Park, where millions of years of weather conditions have created spectacular gorges, tranquil swimming holes, and waterfalls. Five hours away is the town of Port Hedland where FORM has been operating in partnership with BHP for over a decade. Visit historic Wedge Street and browse the exhibitions at the Port Hedland Courthouse Gallery. Four hours away is Millstream Chichester National Park, an oasis in the desert with some of the best nature-based camping opportunities in the Pilbara, complete with deep gorges and lily strewn and palm tree lined rock pools. Six hours away is the town of Karratha, a truly vibrant regional city. From Karratha you can visit the Burrup Peninsula and explore a site with the highest density of rock engravings in world dating back 37,000 years. For more information, you can explore the Pilbara Pathfinder, available online here.