Mingenew is surrounded by breathtaking breakaway country, and boasts stunning clear night skies for stargazing and astrophotography. From August to October, wildflower season explodes with colour. A top location for wildflowers is the Coalseam Conservation Park.
The welcoming community is vibrant and happy. Visitors who pass through for work or play often make the change and stay and live. If you’re after a dark sky change, this may be the place for you!
Mingenew is home to national and international space industry facilities. The Shire is a Radio Quiet Zone which makes it an ideal destination for space industry research and communications.
If you’re coming to visit, check out Mingenew’s calendar of events. The town has a sensational caravan park with a variety of accommodation options for suites though to open-air camping and some of the best nights under the stars in WA.
You’ll find generous country hospitality at the local Mingenew Hotel and no trip to Mingenew is complete without a visit to our award-winning bakery either! Doughnut Day is every Thursday and – trust us – it’s worth every single calorie.
‘See you in Mingenew!’
Astronomy and Dark Sky Tourism Experiences
Telescope for Hire
The Shire of Mingenew has a telescope that you can hire while you’re staying and stargazing! The telescope is a Celestron Explorer DX 6″ Schmidt-Cassegrain. If you’d like to hire the telescope when you’re on holiday, please book it by calling the Shire Office on 08 9928 1102.
Make Mingenew the Centre of Your Universe
The night skies are filled with stars above Mingenew. Check out the awesome animation that the Shire of Mingenew use to promote the area as a dark sky destination. Download this handy booklet that has lots of tips on making the most of a stargazing experience in Mingenew.
Mingenew Space Centre
Just north of Mingenew is the West Australian Space Centre which is home to facilities including Geoscience Australia, Swedish Space Corporation, Capricorn Space and China Satellite Launch & Tracking Control General. There is a range of projects and research conducted at this site including spacecraft and satellite tracking and communications.
Capricorn Space is one of the most recent additions at the site with the development of a commercial ground station.
Geoscience Australia uses powerful laser technology to keep a track of satellite infrastructure in space. If you happen to be there on the right night, you’ll see the green laser beaming up into the darkness where it measures the heights of satellites.
Stargazing & Tourism Information
Observing Site
The local community welcomes you to use telescopes and binoculars or enjoy an evening of stargazing here.
Astrophotography Hot Spot
Bring your camera to take stunning images of the starry night sky over this special landscape.
Visitor Centre
For accommodation, meals and other sightseeing in the local area, check in with the local visitor centre.
Astrotourism WA is generously supported by:
Astrotourism WA is supported by many communities and organisations across Western Australia. Find all of our supporters here…