Cervantes is a town in Western Australia about 198 kilometres (123 mi) north of the state capital, Perth, in the Shire of Dandaragan local government area. Based on the 2021 census, Cervantes had a population of 480 down from 527 in 2016. The town was named after a ship wrecked nearby that was, in turn, named after Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote.
The principal industry in the town is fishing. A small tourism industry is supported by the Pinnacles in nearby Nambung National Park. The saline Lake Thetis, which contains stromatolites, is also nearby.
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Geography
An arts festival is held every year in the town, usually on the last weekend of October. Cervantes lies on the shore of the Jurien Bay Marine Park. Most of the streets are named after cities, regions and rivers in Spain.
Demographics
The 2021 Australian census showed a population of 480, 255 males (52.9%) and 227 females (47.1%) down from 527 in 2016 and had a median age of 55.
Ancestry
The percentages represent a proportion of the number of people in the area (including those who did not state an ancestry).