The townsite of Nullagine is located in the Pilbara region, 1364 kilometres north northeast of Perth and 297 kilometres southeast of Port Hedland. Gold was first discovered in the Nullagine area by N W Cooke in 1886, but it was the mid 1890s before there was local community pressure for a townsite to be declared. The survey of lots was made in 1897/8, and the townsite was gazetted in 1899.