The Murchison subregion includes the Shires of Cue, Meekatharra, Mount Magnet, Murchison, Sandstone, Wiluna and Yalgoo. These seven shires occupy almost 89% of the region's land area (around 423,000km2) yet are only home to around 3,500 people (6% of the region's population).

The landscape of the subregion is characterised by large open spaces and significant distances between communities. The Murchison includes several remote Indigenous communities and around 40% of the population is Indigenous.

Land uses in the Murchison focus predominantly on mining and pastoral activity. The subregion thrived up to the mid-1900s with individual communities having resident populations in the thousands. With increasing tendency towards travelling workforces (fly-in / fly-out and drive-in / drive-out), among other factors, the Murchison population has declined significantly in recent times.

Mining activity is still prevalent with at least 11 current proposed mining operations in the Murchison, valued at over $5 billion and offering potential for more than 3,500 ongoing jobs. Resources currently mined or being targeted for future operations include nickel, copper, zinc, gold, iron ore, uranium and vanadium.

Large scale pastoral activity is also still prominent in the Murchison with cattle becoming increasingly important due to the dangers to smaller animals by wild dogs. The Murchison also forms an important part of Australia's Golden Outback tourism region.

Indigenous and European heritage, Indigenous art, outback tourism, land management and horticulture are among the other key activities occurring in Murchison communities. Significant features of the subregion include historical towns such as Cue and nearby Walga Rock, Karalundi Aboriginal Education Centre, Gascoyne Murchison Outback Pathways and the Murchison Settlement.

The strategically important Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (precursor to the Australian Square Kilometre Array) is also based in this subregion at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory.