Northam is a town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, situated at the confluence of the Avon and Mortlock Rivers.

It is located approximately 97 kilometres (60 miles) north east of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia.

[3] The area around Northam was first explored in 1830 by a party of colonists led by Ensign Robert Dale, and subsequently founded in 1833.

It had been the first place of residence in Western Australia for approximately 15,000 immigrants from the Baltic states, Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Yugoslavia, Ukraine, Belarus and Bulgaria.

On 18 October 2010 the Yongah Hill (YHIDC) centre was announced as being established at the former Northam Army Training Camp.

[15] In September 2018 a riot broke out at the centre and some buildings were set on fire, after a detainee was reportedly found in his cell injured after a suicide attempt.

[20] Northam has a hot-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa) with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters.

A severe thunderstorm lashed the town and surrounding areas on 27 January 2011 resulting in roofs being ripped off, trees being uprooted and power lines being brought down.

This resulted in many houses being damaged, as well as the Jubilee oval flooding, leaving silt all over the busy road of Peel Terrace.

[29] Northam has a number of tourist attractions, including hot air ballooning, wineries, cafes and restaurants, museums, hotels and motels.

Northam railway station is served by Transwa's AvonLink, MerredinLink and The Prospector rural train services, and Great Southern Rail's Indian Pacific to Sydney.

The original station on Fitzgerald Street was opened in 1900 and closed in 1966 when the new Eastern Railway route became operational.

The main building is heritage listed, though the campus has had renovations and further additions added to it in 1986, 1996 and 2015[35][36] It has approximately 715 students.

[41] Northam is also home to the Muresk Institute, one of Western Australia's leading tertiary educators for agriculture.

Due to the many European immigrants living at the Holden Camp a league was formed comprising nine teams from Northam and one from Wundowie.

Many of the teams were based on ethnicity such as: Italian; Dutch; Polish; Hungarian; Romanian; Yugoslav; Austrian; German and Bulgarian.

Field and indoor hockey, cricket, and netball also attract significant numbers of players and spectators.

Steve Fossett became the first person to fly around the world alone, non-stop, in a hot air balloon when he launched from Northam on 19 June 2002, and returned to Australia on 3 July, landing in Queensland.

There also is a classic car show, and several other small promotions and specials put on by community members.

[53][54] The Kep Ultra running race is held each year on the Western Australia Day long weekend in early June.

[55][56] During World War I, Wilberforce, an area on the Spencers Brook to York Road was the area set up for the breeding and selection of horses to be transported to overseas theatres of war involving Australian horseman in particular the iconic 10th Light Horse Regiment.

The installations, camps, and depots were some of those developed in the Wheatbelt during 1939–1945, located within the Shire of Northam, some of which still exist today.