The first European to explore the area was George Grey in 1839. A decade later the explorer A. C. Gregory travelled through the area. He discovered lead on the Murchison River and the mine which was subsequently established was named Geraldine after the Governor Charles Fitzgerald. The town of Geraldton was gazetted in 1850.
Today the town is an important centre for fishing, wheat, sheep and tourism.
Novelist-poet Randolph Stow was born in Geraldton in 1935, growing up in Gregory Street, and attended the town's school before moving to Perth to complete his education. He wrote extensively about Geraldton, particularly in the semi–autobiographical "The Merry-go-round in the Sea" which told the story of a small boy growing up in the sleepy town during the turbulent years of the Second World War. One of his poems provides a evocative portrait of the town. Its lines include: