Nyimili is a small part of the Hamersley Range which is a mountainous region of the Pilbara in northwest, Western Australia. The range extends from the Fortescue River in the north and terminates 500 km south in a series of rocky headlands that extend into the Indian Ocean.

The Hamersley Range is part of an ancient tableland that is interrupted by faults and gorges. The tableland has eroded away over millennia leaving behind the range as we see it today. The Hamersely Range is part of the Pilbara Craton which is one of the oldest surviving sections of the Earth’s crust. The rock of the Pilbara craton is known to be 2.5 to 4 billion years old making it nearly as old as the Earth itself!

Geologically, the range is made up primarily of banded ironstone formation; the Hamersley Range is the most extensive deposit of this type of stone in the world! Banded ironstone formation is a type of sedimentary rock that formed billions of years ago on the ocean floor. Rocks of this type no longer form in the world today which suggests that this ancient ocean was very different from the ones we know today. One of the bands that form within the rock is hematite which is the source of the iron ore that has led to development of mines, towns, communities and railways along the range.

The Hamersley Range is also home to many natural wonders including the spectacular Karijini National Park which is one of Australia’s largest national parks. The highest point in Western Australia, Mount Meharry is also found within the range, along with the next twenty highest points in the state.