Indigenous Area · Area profile

Great Sandy Desert

104,459 km²

An overwhelming 84.9% of First Nations people in the Great Sandy Desert speak a traditional language, a figure far above the national average. This is a sparsely populated and remote area where most residents live far from urban services. The community faces significant hardship, with very low typical incomes and high unemployment. It is a place where traditional culture remains strong despite these economic challenges.

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📍 Great Sandy Desert, Indigenous Area

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First Nations

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First Nations residents are far more likely to speak a traditional language than those in the rest of the country, but they face severe disadvantage. The typical personal income is just $281, and the unemployment rate is among the highest at 56.0%, which is far above the national figure.

919 First Nations people

25 yrs Median age Here 25 yrs WA 24 yrs Aus 24 yrs

16.7% Year 12 Here 16.7% WA 32.5% Aus 37.0%

56.0% Unemployment Here 56.0% WA 15.9% Aus 12.3%

$281 Median income Here $281 WA $481 Aus $540

$788 Household income Here $788 WA $1,480 Aus $1,507

Walkability

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This is a completely car-dependent area with a walkability score of 0.1. Almost no homes are within walking distance of public transport, parks, or health services, and there are zero street intersections per square kilometre.

0.1 Walk score

0.2 Types ≤15 min