The town of Laverton is located at the western edge of the Great Victoria Desert, 957 kilometres (595 mi) north-northeast of the state capital, Perth, and 124 kilometres (77 mi) east-northeast of the town of Leonora, with an elevation of 461 metres (1,512 ft).

A number of early explorers travelled over the Laverton area, including John Forrest,[5] David Carnegie and Frank Hann.

Among them was Dr Charles W. Laver, who became an enthusiastic supporter and promoter of the region.

In 1968 a Poseidon prospector Ken Shirley discovered nickel-bearing rocks at Windarra, 24 kilometres (15 mi) northwest of Laverton.

According to census results from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the population of the Laverton urban centre fell 23%, from 439[12] to 340 in the 15 years from 2001 to 2016.

Rainfall is low throughout the year, typically coming from strong southern frontal systems in early winter or remnant tropical cyclones from the Pilbara in late summer.