The Western Desert refers to a large tract of desert occurring mainly in the Western Australia, comprising the Gibson Desert, the Great Sandy and Little Sandy Deserts.

The Western Desert can be said to stretch from the Nullarbor in the south to the Kimberley in the north, and from the Percival Lakes in the west through to the Pintupi lands in the Northern Territory.

The Shire of Wiluna covers an enormous area of some 184,000 square kilometres, which is predominantly a mining and pastoral area. The weather conditions are very harsh in the area with average rainfall of approximately 250mm (10 inches) per annum and extreme temperature variations between summer (over 40 degrees) and winter (below freezing).

The town of Wiluna is the principal centre in the Shire, and there are also a number of mining villages and aboriginal communities. The township of Wiluna is 966 kilometres northeast of Perth and is situated on the edge of the desert at the gateway to the Canning Stock Route and Gunbarrel Highway.