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Busselton
KNOWLEDGE OF Busselton
Busselton is a town in the South West region of Western Australia. Founded in 1832 by the Bussell family, Busselton has been one of the fastest growing regions in Australia in the last decade and has a population of over 20,000. Busselton is located 220 km south west of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Busselton has been voted Western Australia's top tourist town three times in 1995, 1996 and 2005.
Prior to white settlement in 1832, and for at least 40,000 years, the Busselton area has been home to the Noongar Aboriginal people. The colonisation of Western Australia in 1829 had a major impact on the life of the Noongar people. Many towns in the Busselton area, such as Wonnerup, Yallingup and Cardup, still hold their original Noongar names.
The early history of European exploration of the Busselton area focuses on the French expedition of 1801 which brought Nicholas Baudin, with his ships the Le Géographe and Le Naturaliste, to the coast of Western Australia. Baudin named Geographe Bay and Cape Naturaliste after his vessels, and named the river Vasse after a sailor, Thomas Vasse, who was lost overboard and believed drowned.
Busselton was one of the earliest settlements in Western Australia. It was first settled by the Bussell family, who relocated there from their location on the Blackwood River after John Garrett Bussell discovered superior farm land in the area. The Bussells moved to the area in 1834, establishing a cattle station which they named Cattle Chosen. Cattle Chosen quickly became one of the most prosperous stations in the colony, and as a result nearly all of the settlers at Augusta relocated to the area within a few years. A number of settlers established themselves at Wonnerup, and eventually a contingent of troops were stationed there under Lieutenant Henry Bunbury. It was originally intended to locate the townsite at Wonnerup, but the area was low-lying and marshy, and Bunbury considered it unsuitable for a townsite. The present area was then recommended by the Surveyor General, John Septimus Roe.
The present name of Busselton derives from the Bussell family. It was first officially used in June 1835. The Bussells, who were not consulted about the name, preferred the name Capel after a relative in England, Capel Carter, but the name Busselton was retained. A town named Capel was later established to the north of Busselton.
Being in close proximity to the tall timber country, Busselton soon established itself as a leading port. In 1850, timber was being exported and the small town prospered. Jetties for this purpose were built at Wonnerup, Busselton and Quindalup. Of these, only the Busselton Jetty remains.
Busselton is home to the longest wooden jetty (pier) in the southern hemisphere, stretching almost 2 km out to sea. Because the shallow waters of Geographe Bay restricted ship movement, a long jetty was required so that the cut timber could be transported to the ships. In 1839 Governor Hutt appointed "the place in Geographe Bay opposite the Settlement at The Vasse to be the legal place for the loading and unloading of goods", the jetty commenced construction in 1853 after persistent pressure by settlers. In 1865 the first section of the jetty became available for ships to moor. In 1875 an additional 131 metres was added to the original structure, over 10 years drift sands had made the depth of the water to shallow for mooring. The jetty was continually extended until the 1960s when it reached it's current length of 1841 metres.
The jetty also features a rail line along its length, which operated commercially as part of the railway line into Busselton from Bunbury. The last commercial ship visited the Jetty on 17 October 1971. On 21 July 1972, the Jetty was closed to shipping by Governor's Proclamation in the WA Gazette after more than a century of use. Once closed, Government maintenance of the Jetty ceased and it began to deteriorate, suffering attack by wood borers, rot and the occasional fire. On 4 April 1978, Cyclone Alby swept south down the Western Australian coast from the North-West (a rare occurrence) and destroyed a large part of the shore end of the Jetty. Subsequently, townspeople banded together to try to save the Jetty and eventually persuaded the State Government and the Shire Council to provide some much needed funds for repair.
However, rebuilding the timber jetty proved expensive and funds soon ran out. The Jetty Preservation Society, formed in 1987, resorted to community fund-raising. Over the past 15 years, in excess of AUD $9 million has been committed to Jetty restoration and development projects. A small tourist train operated following repairs in the 1980s and 1990s, but ceased in early 2005 due to concerns over the jetty's aging structure.
In December 1999, a devastating fire burnt 20 metres of jetty to the water line incurring $900,000 damage in the process.
On the February 9th 2006 the Queen's Baton Relay passed through Busselton. The baton was taken along the Busselton Jetty and then taken underwater by a scuba diver. The baton passed by the Underwater Observatory during its swim to allow the media to view the event.
The jetty has also had a significant role in regional politics. Alf Bussell, a descendant of the original Bussell family, tried repeatedly to gain a seat in Parliament for the purpose of seeing the Jetty repaired and maintained. More recently, the cost of repairs has seen the local council seek more Government assistance and money to improve the safety of the jetty.
Prior to white settlement in 1832, and for at least 40,000 years, the Busselton area has been home to the Noongar Aboriginal people. The colonisation of Western Australia in 1829 had a major impact on the life of the Noongar people. Many towns in the Busselton area, such as Wonnerup, Yallingup and Cardup, still hold their original Noongar names.
The early history of European exploration of the Busselton area focuses on the French expedition of 1801 which brought Nicholas Baudin, with his ships the Le Géographe and Le Naturaliste, to the coast of Western Australia. Baudin named Geographe Bay and Cape Naturaliste after his vessels, and named the river Vasse after a sailor, Thomas Vasse, who was lost overboard and believed drowned.
Busselton was one of the earliest settlements in Western Australia. It was first settled by the Bussell family, who relocated there from their location on the Blackwood River after John Garrett Bussell discovered superior farm land in the area. The Bussells moved to the area in 1834, establishing a cattle station which they named Cattle Chosen. Cattle Chosen quickly became one of the most prosperous stations in the colony, and as a result nearly all of the settlers at Augusta relocated to the area within a few years. A number of settlers established themselves at Wonnerup, and eventually a contingent of troops were stationed there under Lieutenant Henry Bunbury. It was originally intended to locate the townsite at Wonnerup, but the area was low-lying and marshy, and Bunbury considered it unsuitable for a townsite. The present area was then recommended by the Surveyor General, John Septimus Roe.
The present name of Busselton derives from the Bussell family. It was first officially used in June 1835. The Bussells, who were not consulted about the name, preferred the name Capel after a relative in England, Capel Carter, but the name Busselton was retained. A town named Capel was later established to the north of Busselton.
Being in close proximity to the tall timber country, Busselton soon established itself as a leading port. In 1850, timber was being exported and the small town prospered. Jetties for this purpose were built at Wonnerup, Busselton and Quindalup. Of these, only the Busselton Jetty remains.
Busselton is home to the longest wooden jetty (pier) in the southern hemisphere, stretching almost 2 km out to sea. Because the shallow waters of Geographe Bay restricted ship movement, a long jetty was required so that the cut timber could be transported to the ships. In 1839 Governor Hutt appointed "the place in Geographe Bay opposite the Settlement at The Vasse to be the legal place for the loading and unloading of goods", the jetty commenced construction in 1853 after persistent pressure by settlers. In 1865 the first section of the jetty became available for ships to moor. In 1875 an additional 131 metres was added to the original structure, over 10 years drift sands had made the depth of the water to shallow for mooring. The jetty was continually extended until the 1960s when it reached it's current length of 1841 metres.
The jetty also features a rail line along its length, which operated commercially as part of the railway line into Busselton from Bunbury. The last commercial ship visited the Jetty on 17 October 1971. On 21 July 1972, the Jetty was closed to shipping by Governor's Proclamation in the WA Gazette after more than a century of use. Once closed, Government maintenance of the Jetty ceased and it began to deteriorate, suffering attack by wood borers, rot and the occasional fire. On 4 April 1978, Cyclone Alby swept south down the Western Australian coast from the North-West (a rare occurrence) and destroyed a large part of the shore end of the Jetty. Subsequently, townspeople banded together to try to save the Jetty and eventually persuaded the State Government and the Shire Council to provide some much needed funds for repair.
However, rebuilding the timber jetty proved expensive and funds soon ran out. The Jetty Preservation Society, formed in 1987, resorted to community fund-raising. Over the past 15 years, in excess of AUD $9 million has been committed to Jetty restoration and development projects. A small tourist train operated following repairs in the 1980s and 1990s, but ceased in early 2005 due to concerns over the jetty's aging structure.
In December 1999, a devastating fire burnt 20 metres of jetty to the water line incurring $900,000 damage in the process.
On the February 9th 2006 the Queen's Baton Relay passed through Busselton. The baton was taken along the Busselton Jetty and then taken underwater by a scuba diver. The baton passed by the Underwater Observatory during its swim to allow the media to view the event.
The jetty has also had a significant role in regional politics. Alf Bussell, a descendant of the original Bussell family, tried repeatedly to gain a seat in Parliament for the purpose of seeing the Jetty repaired and maintained. More recently, the cost of repairs has seen the local council seek more Government assistance and money to improve the safety of the jetty.
Chapi