Statistics
Darkan has a temperate mediterranean climate with temperatures ranging from hot days during the summer months (November - March, average maximum of 31ºC) and cooler days and nights during winter (April - October, average minimum of 5ºC). The town is subject to some thunderstorm activity during the summer.
The average monthly rainfall for Darkan is provided in the table below. The majority of rain falls during the winter months. With the major local industry being wool production from Merino sheep, reliable rainfall is required to allow for heavy stocking rates, in an area regarded as one of the fastest growing regions in Western Australia.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Monthly Rainfall | 11.1 | 14.8 | 17.8 | 31.2 | 73.2 | 104.1 |
| Highest Monthly Rainfall | 187.4 | 229.9 | 114.6 | 113.7 | 175.4 | 309.3 |
| Lowest Monthly Rainfall | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.6 | 28.2 |
| Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Average Monthly Rainfall | 102.1 | 80.8 | 54.3 | 38.3 | 20.2 | 10.4 |
| Highest Monthly Rainfall | 260.1 | 236.3 | 146.3 | 118.3 | 100.8 | 67.2 |
| Lowest Monthly Rainfall | 34.4 | 21.0 | 5.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Source: Bureau of Meteorology
Age Profile
The pie chart summarises the age profile for the region. According to the Census data, the majority of the population are between 30-39 years of age (20% of the population), 16% are between 0-9 years and 14% are between 40-49 years and 20-29 years.
| Male | Female | Persons | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Persons | 526 | 462 | 988 |
| Aboriginal | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Torres Strait Islander | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Both Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Australian Born | 477 | 394 | 871 |
| Born Overseas | |||
| Canada, Ireland, NZ, South Africa, UK and USA | 26 | 40 | 66 |
| Other Country | 10 | 14 | 24 |
| Total | 36 | 54 | 90 |
| Speaks English only and aged 5 years and over | 475 | 398 | 873 |
| Speaks language other than English and aged 5 years and over | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| Australian citizen | 500 | 427 | 927 |
| Unemployed | 10 | 13 | 23 |
| Employed | 337 | 204 | 541 |
| In the labour force | 347 | 217 | 564 |
| Not in the labour force | 129 | 209 | 338 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.9% | 6.0% | 4.1% |
2006 Profile of Disability
The Profile of Disability for the Shire of West Arthur, is obtainable by downloading the file below. It has been compiled by the Disability Services Commission in collaboration with the ABS to inform people about the prevalence of disability at a local level. It is based on data collected in 2003.