Travel to Onslow in Australia. Onslow is a city in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Onslow has a population of around 900 depending on the time of year. During summer the weather is extremely hot, however from April to September it is particularly beautiful. Onslow is still a quiet Pilbara town, known over the years for its fantastic fishing and laid back lifestyle. Onslow is also the gateway to the Mackerel Islands, which is rated highly as the place  to fish in WA. Now offering a magical underwater world, to dive, fish and snorkel. The clear water and surrounding reefs are full of life waiting to be explored. 10 islands make up the Mackerel Islands group, with accommodation and facilities on Thevenard and Direction Island. [www.mackerelislands.com.au]With Onslow s population and small town set to grow, this prosperous town has much to offer. The town features the local pub, post office, a brand new sports centre doubling as a cyclone shelter for the town s residents, supermarket and other small businesses, you should find all that you need.The town s Anzac memorial has been a huge success since its opening a couple of years ago, offering an unforgettable tribute using the sunrise. Onslow Locals and tourists travelling through have made this part of Onslow, and it has been well received.The towns very own community garden has also been popular with the towns events, meetings and fundraisers being held here. Its very own outside kitchen and pizza oven is a great meeting spot for all that wish to use it.Onslow has various accommodation options including 2 caravan parks, the Ashburton Resort Motel, the Onslow Sun Chalets and the Beadon Bay Hotel. Onslow Tourism & Progress Association (08) 9184 6644Road travel from Perth to Onslow is a comfortable drive of about a day and a half on fully sealed roads and is only a 3 hour drive south of Karratha, or 4.5 hours drive from Exmouth.Exmouth Gateway. Qantas and Skywest fly between Perth and Exmouth (Learmonth) making it a short 2 hour hop from Perth.With Onslow being a small pilbara town expanses can be vast but the town centre is compact enough to be able to walk to all amenities. Boats in town offer services to the Islands on Sundays and ThursdaysSunrise and Sunset Beach surround Onslow, visit the lookouts and take in the view. The ruins of Old Onslow town site, cemetery and the remains of the jetty that served the sailing vessels of early this century are well worth a visit, as is the Ashburton River.Scuba DivingThe Mackerel Islands restaurant based on Thevenard Island, offers great cuisine at our relaxed Island restaurant.
* Prior to the arrival of Europeans the area was Thalanyji country.

* In 1622 a rocky outcrop to the west of the main Montebello island group was the scene of a major shipping disaster when the British vessel Tryal was wrecked with the loss of 97 lives. 46 survivors managed to sail a small boat north to Batavia.

* Barrow Island in the Montebello group was recorded on a Dutch East India company map as early as 1628.

* Barrow Island was visited by Abel Tasman in 1644.

* In 1818 Phillip Parker King travelled down the coast. He visited Barrow Island on his journey.

* In 1861 F T Gregory led an expedition through the Pilbara. He named the Ashburton River.

* In 1868 the station at Minderoo was established. It was predominantly sheep.

* In the early 1880s James Clark established a store at the mouth of the Ashburton River.

* Onslow was established in 1883.

* By 1885 it had been surveyed by the Government Surveyor, T Beasley, and officially gazetted. The Overland Telegraph was opened that year.

* The discovery of gold on the Ashburton River in the 1890s gave the town a brief boost.

* A police complex was built at Old Onslow in 1893.

* In the late nineteenth century the Montebello islands were visited by the pearling fleets which scoured the coastline looking for new pearl beds.

* Barrow Island was declared a reserve in 1908.

* In 1912 the town received on 14.5 mm of rainfall in the entire year.

* In 1921 an aerial mail service to the town was established.

* A new town and jetty were built in 1923 because of constant cyclones damaging the town’s original jetty and the continuous silting of the mouth of the Ashburton River.

* The town experienced a major cyclone in 1926.

* A major cyclone tore through the town in 1934.

* On 10 January, 1943 the town became the southernmost town in Australia to be bombed by the Japanese.

* In 1952 the town became an important strategic centre for the British atomic experiments on the Montebello Islands.

* Between 1952 and 1956 (when the tests were moved to Maralinga in South Australia) a number of atomic bombs were exploded on the Montebello islands.

* The town experienced a major cyclone in 1961. This cyclone destroyed more than 300 metres of the local jetty

* In 1963 a cyclone, with winds that reached 232 km/h, did such damage that the town was forced to relocate.

* The last pearling lugger operating out of Onslow was sold in 1965.

* Petroleum exploration began on Barrow Island in 1963 and production started in 1967.

* In 1972 a landing was established at Beadon Creek.

* In 1975 the town was hit by Cyclone Trixie with wind gusts of 246 km/h.

* The town’s jetty was destroyed by the Army in 1982.

Airport: ONS Onslow Airport Cities in Australia

Country: Australia