Telfer
WA 6762 • Western Australia
About Telfer
Telfer is a remote mining company town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, situated approximately 1,300 kilometres north-east of Perth within the Shire of East Pilbara, deep in the Great Sandy Desert. The 2021 Census recorded a population of 657, with a significant male majority of 487 men to 166 women — a reflection of its fly-in fly-out mining workforce. Built by Newmont in 1976 to support the Telfer gold, copper, and silver mine, the town is one of Australia's most isolated settlements.
Telfer is effectively a closed, purpose-built community servicing the Telfer Mine, now operated by Newmont following its acquisition of Newcrest. Basic amenities including accommodation, a supermarket, and recreational facilities are available to workers, though services contracted considerably when the operation shifted predominantly to a fly-in fly-out model from 1996. The surrounding Great Sandy Desert landscape is dramatic, with extreme summer temperatures and very limited public access — Telfer is accessible mainly by charter flight or long drives on remote station roads.
Telfer falls under postcode 6762 and is governed by the local council Council (LGA). For state elections, residents vote in the Pilbara (Mining and Pastoral) electorate.
Location
Transport & Commute
Bus Services
- No public bus service — N/A N/A
Commute to Perth CBD
🛣️ Primary access is by charter or commercial flight; no public transport; very remote location in the Great Sandy Desert
A closed mining company town with on-site facilities; workers use company-provided transport and accommodation within the town
Supermarkets Nearby
No major supermarkets listed for this suburb.
Schools
No schools listed for this postcode.