The School Catchment:

Esperance Senior High School has a population of around 889 students, including 137 Aboriginal students. There are five contributing primary schools in the town: three Government schools, one Catholic school and a non-denominational Christian school that feed into the high school. As well, the Esperance Residential College accommodates 90 students from the surrounding country areas, including Ravensthorpe, Hopetoun, Norseman, Condingup, Salmon Gums, Grass Patch and beyond. Students therefore come from a mix of town and farming communities.

The town of Esperance is part of the Johnston Statistical Sub Division (SSD), an Australian Bureau of Statistics area that covers the Shires of Esperance, Ravensthorpe and Dundas. The 2006 census indicated there were 15,983 people in the Johnston SDD. It is currently estimated that there are 14,263 people in the Esperance Shire, with around 12,000 in Esperance itself.

Esperance has been described as having a five tiered community structure that includes:

• urban commercial and industrial;
• urban retiree;
• mining;
• farming and agricultural; and
• fishing.

Esperance is characterised by its physical remoteness and perceived sense of isolation. It lies in the south-east of Western Australia, some 720kms from Perth. It is an attractive location for recreational pursuits for people from the Goldfields and surrounding areas, and is enticing a growing number of retirees.

Esperance remains reasonably homogeneous with a strong sense of community spirit. Its Aboriginal, mining and rural aspects complement the town's focus on tourism, hospitality and recreational industries. Esperance is one of Western Australia's best kept tourist secrets!